Mortgage free by 2021?!

hiddenshadow

Thanks, ATB! (Also a blonde myself :beer:)

Sometimes I think that 5 years seems like an awfully long time (especially as we'll be reducing our monthly contributions to saving pots quite dramatically come January). That said, I've had car loans that lasted longer (at least on paper, paid those off early as well :cool:), so in the grand scheme of things, not too bad. And as we're planning on moving laterally (upsizing size-wise but downsizing COL-wise) for our forever house, this should be the last mortgage we ever have, which would be amazing.

Need to work on being a bit more patient on things, though - I was looking up used cars last night as DH had a successful driving lesson (with luck he'll get his licence in Dec/Jan?). Found a couple very low mileage cars for crazy cheap money (£700-900) and was trying to think of ways we could go see one, test drive it (given that DH only has a provisional licence), and insure it to get it home and then park it on our driveway until DH passes his test. DH didn't seem keen at all, so have tried to put it in the back of my mind and remember that there should be cheap cars in 3-4 months (if anything possibly cheaper as people presumably buy fewer cars in winter) and I don't need to do All The Things RIGHT NOW. We're not desperate for a car (would just be handy for errands, taking dogs to the vet, visiting family) so it's silly to buy one now and then have to do its MOT/repairs/insurance/etc that much sooner when we're not quite ready for it.

hiddenshadow

Wow, who knew that all it would take to get DH into the DIY spirit would be to go outside and paint some things for 20 minutes!

Today we:
- painted two stools from IKEA (plan to make nightstands out of them)
- finished* installing our heated towel rail that's been sitting in our bathroom for over a year
- installed handles on two cabinets in the bathroom so that you can finally open/close them properly
- installed a medicine cabinet in the bathroom
- touched up paint in the bathroom
- installed picture rails in the bathroom (still needs caulking to cover the joins)
- attached the drain plug to the bath (miraculously we didn't lose the little clip!)
- cleared out all the DIY stuff from the bathroom and re-organised the bathroom-related things
- cleared out all the DIY stuff from the linen closet so that it can actually store household things

*just need to wire it up so that it heats, but it's holding towels brilliantly

Started about 9am and finished just after 7pm. I am exhausted. The bathroom looks so nice now, though! Still need to clean the grout film off the shower (still not done since last summer when we installed it ) and install a windowsill (previously the bathroom was fully tiled so there was no sill).

So close to having one completely finished room in this house, huzzah!

Sundaysgirl

Wow, productive weekend for you! It's a great feeling of achievement once another room in the house is "finished". Problem is, I got itchy feet once we finished our home in Spring, hence the planned move

hiddenshadow

Sundaysgirl wrote: »

Wow, productive weekend for you! It's a great feeling of achievement once another room in the house is "finished". Problem is, I got itchy feet once we finished our home in Spring, hence the planned move

I'm hoping that won't happen to us for a few years. Once we're done we'll have redecorated this house from top to bottom (literally, as there was wallpaper or polystyrene tiles on every single ceiling - now removed!), so I don't fancy doing that again anytime soon.

Once we finish these bathroom bits this will be the first truly "finished" room we have in the house, so that'll be very nice!

Sundaysgirl

Ours was the same. DH was of the same mindset as you, so I had to compromise by househunting only for non-doer-uppers (though a few slipped in :rotfl:)

hiddenshadow

Sundaysgirl wrote: »

Ours was the same. DH was of the same mindset as you, so I had to compromise by househunting only for non-doer-uppers (though a few slipped in :rotfl:)

:rotfl: At least if we wait until we're MF (or close to it) when we start looking we'll have the flexibility to live somewhere else while we do up a place (if that's what we choose to buy). I wouldn't recommend living in the house you're doing up, though - too much chaos!

Sundaysgirl

It is horrid I agree (I got used to the plaster dust and mess but never the intrusion of workmen!) but so much more satisfying when it's finished as it feel really deserved. Your plan does sound a lot nicer though!

hiddenshadow

Sundaysgirl wrote: »

It is horrid I agree (I got used to the plaster dust and mess but never the intrusion of workmen!) but so much more satisfying when it's finished as it feel really deserved. Your plan does sound a lot nicer though!

I'll admit I've been fantasising about building our own place, or buying a barn and renovating it. Not that we would likely need that large a space but being able to design it ourselves with our needs in mind sounds lovely!

hiddenshadow

Quiet few days - bought a mattress on M!ghty Deal$ (using TCB as a bonus), I'm hoping that'll help with my stiff/sore back when I wake up.

I've tried out MB, and based on two free bets (and about 30min of time) I've made £27.85. :j That's on its way as an OP to the mortgage. (DH looked skeptical when I explained it to him, but I'm proven right. Will likely continue, but only on maximum profit free bets. Also need to perfect my system for selecting/tracking.)

Still investigating solar panels as well as replacing our central heating unit (likely a goal for late 2016, but at least the price came in slightly less than expected, and would include replacing our boiler for a better model as well). Have ~£160 left to OP to make my 2015 goal (the £16,411 OP one, which will mean a larger balance drop in 2015 than 2014). After that any extra can go towards savings for either/both of these improvements.

Also got a quote from the carpenter - about as expected, though I'm guessing we won't have him install the fence (£1,500 in labour costs alone). Hoping DH and I can do the majority of the work ourselves (though who knows when) and save a good amount of money. :cool:

Stupid cat brought in a mouse (thankfulluy deceased rather than maimed) at 2:30 and now I can't sleep. :mad:

Luckyinlife

Great OP :] money

Ya labour costs can be crazy i dont mind paying them if they are fair i guess its about time vs working vs hassle

let us know how you get on :]