Frugal Frump to Fab - 2015

Floss

LL, I'm a great believer in gut feeling - if you are dithering a little, maybe it's not quite the right place for you?

greenbee

Floss wrote: »

LL, I'm a great believer in gut feeling - if you are dithering a little, maybe it's not quite the right place for you?

I'm inclined to agree.

However, is it the apartment, or is it the living alone?

If it's the latter, maybe you could discuss with DS whether he's happy for you to stay with him in the medium term. If so (with a promise that you'll move out if you start cramping his style...) then maybe buy somewhere that you can let out, but would be happy to live in when the time comes for one or both of you to move on?

I've just had the bathroom finished (well I say finished, but the electrician will be coming back this week to do the lights and extractor fan, I have yet to make a decision on the mirror and lighting over the basin, and I need to make/get made a blind for the window - don't worry, it does have muslin curtains at the moment ) and am now in the process of emptying the ensuite and my bedroom so that they can be done.

Emptying the ensuite is fairly straightforward as I can move into the bathroom. Emptying my bedroom means a major sort out of the smallest bedroom (where I keep my work clothes, lots of suitcases and all the homeless stuff) so I can store stuff in it when I move into the spare room. Furniture will have to go into the kids room, but only after next weekend when they're staying over for 48 hours. When they do the bedroom they're also going to prep the pipework and electrics for the sitting room, so I'll need to get that sorted out too.

One of the things I will be putting into the ensuite is an illuminated magnifying mirror for makeup etc. I know natural light is best, but it isn't always available!

I picked up new mascara, eyeshadow and liquid eyeliner yesterday while shopping. I still need another eye pencil and possibly an eyebrow pencil (there's a bald patch from teenage over-plucking that powder doesn't deal with well that pencil will fill better than powder). I'm switching from black eyeliner back to brown again as my makeup session showed how much better it looks - make-up needs to work with your colouring, not the colour of whatever you are wearing! I need to do some research on lipstick as the only one in my collection that really works for me is a very deep red and I'm not sure that's appropriate for all situations!

lessonlearned

Ive been Umming and ahhing all morning and I have just reached the same conclusion:rotfl:

On paper it ticks all the boxes but somehow it just doesn't feel right.

You are right, gut reactions and instinct are our best guides.

It's easy to be dazzled by new builds, they are so bright and new and shiny, but there's no point in paying a premium for something and then find I need to redo the kitchen which I would have to do at some point.

These apartments have already had their kitchen layouts done, units ordered, tile choices to bathrooms and kitchens etc. - other than choosing floor coverings and furniture Theres nothing much to do.

I think in a way that's probably part of the attraction, no hassle or mess. I think I'm just a bit tired. I think after the holiday I will feel differently and I will be ready to take on a project.

After all this time I won't have to live "on site". I'm quite happy to stay with DS2 whilst the work is done and he's perfectly ok with the arrangement. In fact it suits him very well, shared expenses, laundry done, dinner on the table - whats not to like.

I'll go back to Plan A, holiday first, house hunt after Christmas.

I'm going to stop fretting, focus on my holiday and then christmas.

New year, new house.

lessonlearned

Posts crossed there Greenbee.

I did consider the buying and letting out option. It's an idea worth considering.

I like the layouts of the flats, the location is good, but the one thing that does doncern me is that new build apartments can be a bit like brand new cars - they can depreciate in value for a few years.

The other thing that does concern me is the question if management companies. I'm just not sure. I prefer to be responsible for the upkeep and maintenance myself so that I can protect my investment.

I know that both the last points may sound sound a bit too businesslike and hard headed but I do think I need to be practical about money.

I might be retired for a very long time - hope so - I would like a long and happy retirement - and looking after fiinances has to be part of that doesn't it.

My pension Income is more than adequate for my needs now but who knows, at some point I might need to boost that with capital.

If truth be told I am a little nervous about being on my own, not fear of being alone but the loneliness trap. I guess that is up to me though to build up good social networks etc.

I'm sure DS2 will be happy to put up with me a bit longer. Realistically I think we are looking at about another year at the most.

If it became a problem then I could easily move into rented for a few months but I doubt that it will come to that.

Your planned renovations sound great, I'm sure the disruption will be worth it. We have an illuminated mirror in the bathroom, very Hollywood .....I love it.

greenbee

lessonlearned wrote: »

Posts crossed there Greenbee.

.....

Your planned renovations sound great, I'm sure the disruption will be worth it. We have an illuminated mirror in the bathroom, very Hollywood .....I love it.

Sounds like you've thought it all through very thoroughly. You don't need to rush into a decision, so just keep looking at anything that catches your eye, but remind yourself at the moment it's just research.

As for the renovations sounding great... I'm sure they will be worth it, but I may be very poor! Every room upstairs is having to be professionally decorated as the current finish is so poor (it hasn't really been decorated since it was built 30-odd years ago) and there are lots of cracks to fill as well as badly-glossed woodwork to deal with. At least when it has been done professionally I'll be able to tell whether there is significant movement (house is built on a floating raft which SHOULD be one single structure...) or the cracks are just cosmetic from settling and poor maintenance.

All the upstairs floors have to come up for heating and electrics to be done, so I'm having them reboarded and just going to have painted floorboards (cavity between joists will be filled with insulation), and then new skirting will be put on that meets the floors instead of being about 3mm above it...

I suspect the builders will be here until Christmas doing upstairs. Then my bank account will need a break before we do downstairs (decorating, electrics, flooring - there is currently reclaimed carpet and vinyl with the odd threadbare rug) and kitchen.

I am contemplating replacing the jetmaster with a stove now though, as I will have a LOT of floorboards to burn :cool:

Rummer

If your heart is not fully in it then wait until you find somewhere that works financially and emotionally. We fell in love with our home when we saw it and luckily for us no-one else wanted it :rotfl: I am still in love with it even though there is so much still to be done to it and no money to pay for it all. It is also at the point that the work we have done to it is in need of being redone :rotfl::eek::rotfl:

greenbee

No one else wanted this one either Rummer - mostly because so much work was needed. Of course, once you start doing the necessary stuff you then start thinking about the nice to haves... current conversation is whether it is worth changing the configuration of the staircase before finishing the landing, as it takes up far more space than it needs to!

I suspect that like you I'll be redoing stuff I've already done before I get round to finishing the whole...

Floss

Maybe a shell is what you need LL, that you can fit out as you wish with your preferred layout, fittings, tiles etc. All new stuff, to your own design, and with your stamp on it?

lessonlearned

A shell would be perfect.....but most of the big builders don't do that.

Occasionally you get the odd small local builder who works like that.

Ive got builders, an architect, plenty of tradesmen,, I just cant get a plot of land where I want it at a price then makes it worthwhile.

Which is why I had to go the renovation route. I would much rather start from the ground up, and build an eco home.

The only other way is to find a really dilapidated bungalow which I could pull down and rebuild, but that would probably be really expensive because demolishing somewhere and clearing the site adds tens of thousands to the costings.

I'll keep looking. I'm sure something will turn up.

Ive talked it over with the boys and they both agree it's best to wait. Ds2 is happy to,put up wiirh me for a while yet.

Lovely afternoon, going to potter in the garden. One last final prune and tidy up for the autumn clean up before the weather breaks.

greenbee

When DS2 gets fed up with you LL you can move in with me ... I could do with a live-in gardener