2016 - a year of change

lulabelle

today wasn't too bad though shattered. Appraisal went well though there are things to work on. Productive planning meeting this pm.

Don't know whether to claim back my lunches (almost a tenner) for today and last week since I would usually take lunch but couldn't - tempted to but then does it look a bit tight/!!!!!?!

The "cash buyer" viewed the house today and the agent apparently doesn't think he will make an offer so we are considering our next move. Waiting for the boy to get home and make dinner to discuss. Plus starving!

Tomorrow have lunch with a friend I've not seen in about 6 YEARS!!! So, looking forward to that (though is spending which isn't good).

Shattered after today, really shattered. Did toy with asking to increase my hours on my appraisal but given how shattered I am, not sure it's worth it

Poor_Single_lady

Lulabelle moving is stressful. I hope you are ok and looking after yourself.
It will all come together, it is just hard until it happens.
Its blue Monday today and i think a lot of people Are feeling down but it is temporary.

And also thank you for all your support on my thread. The other morning i was feeling a bit fragile and read your kind words and nearly cried on my train commute. An unexpected bit of encouragement at a very bleak time which i cant thank you enough for. xxx

Poor_Single_lady

Ps. Please think carefully about upping your hours. Life is short And it is so important to be as happy as you can. xx

lulabelle

awwww, PSL that's so sweet - thank you and glad I could help a bit x

So, another house has come on market which looks quite nice (with same agent) - we are thinking of going to see that but still keep one eye on what's happening with the other one. It is frustrating.

Seeing friend for lunch today - hoping we do set menu then should be a tenner.

Will barely see the boy after tonight! He is out with work tomorrow night, I have pilates thursday and now am going to cinema with girlies on fri night!

System

Good news that the cash buyer wasn’t interested in the house you’re after. Do you have a portability option on your current mortgage?

Don’t forget this is also the most ‘depressing’ time of year for a lot of people, try and get some vitamin D to help lift your spirits. I find it helps me at times like this, you’ve got so much extra stress at the moment so try and not sweat the small stuff. Was there any inkling of maybe a raise after your appraisal or not right now?

xx

lulabelle

hi sauce. Yep, we can port it but only if we have had a survey done on new property prior to completion date on current house! That would save 2500.

seeing the other one tomorrow but it looks like it needs work so I'm not keen, though the boy is as he thinks it can add value.

The restaurant was meeting friend at was closed! So we went to a sister restaurant and that was £15 each including coffee - really nice to catch up!

Good idea re vit D! No inkling - apparently my line manager doesn't know as HR do first suggestions in line with a matrix!

lulabelle

another £16 for a friend's birthday present - when did we decide that spending a fortune (over £100) on someone was normal?!

Anyway, not much I can do about it. Another friend in that group has her birthday on 20 feb so will be another £15/16.

The boy is hopefully out tonight with work - means I can watch silent witness which I've recorded as not been able to so far!!!

Hoping today is NSD. Boy has made wraps for lunch and we have that viewing so will keep me out the shops (love the fact that I might go and spend a fortune on a house but view it as stopping me spending a few quid in the shops!!). If he's out for dinner I'll just knock up an omelette or something - if his dinner gets cancelled (which happens a lot in his team) then I'll have to grab us something on way home as not sure enough for omelettes for 2.

Must try and get back my focus at work - have lost it somewhat!

lulabelle

we went to look at the other house and were blown away - talk about masses of space and potential. Though whilst there I felt it was too big and felt a bit scared by it. Main part had been done by current owners fine but still A LOT to do. And utilities would have been MASSIVE.

The boy loved it and came away all chirpy. He cancelled dinner so we could talk about it "over a bottle of wine" (his idea) at home. As he wasn't going out I bought some food on way home and he bought wine and beers for the surveyor and plumber (mates) who were going to come back for 2nd viewing on thurs (£30 incl food). We got all bouncy and excited about it at home and decided we could just about squeeze to buy it, but any real work would have to wait until we sold boys flat (which has been on market since july/august with no real interest and is rented out). I managed to drink 3/4 of the bottle.

Woke up at 3am in a panic and told the boy I just didn't think it felt right for us and was going to be a money pit. Boy upset as he wanted it badly. Didn't sleep, felt like !!!! all yesterday and could barely do any work. But boy agreed not going for it was right thing. In fact, when we did some digging, we found out it was owned by a friend of someone we know and they had "bitten off more than they could chew" but were in a job where they were earning SERIOUS bucks - so if they couldn't handle it there was no way we could - totally right decision.

Then the purchasers of my place were coming for a second viewing with the surveyor as there were a couple of issues. Estate agent rang and said that all was ok and there were some minor things to be done but they were happy with it BUT the big one was that the surveyor had valued it 10k under what the purchasers offer was. They are speaking with their bank to see if they can still borrow what they need. Funnily enough, I now recall this happened to me when I bought it 7 years ago and the agent paid half the fee for a new valuation to get it through. So hoping there will be a solution as we really can't afford to drop 10k, and tbh I'm not inclined to, particularly when we are already doing a short completion as the purchasers "didn't want to pay another month's rent" and we are having to go and find somewhere else and pay rent.

Then agent told us that the vendor of the house we want, had called in y'day for an update (though she'd not called her back at that stage) - interesting, if they are "in no rush to sell". So we shall see what that brings.

All v stressful though. Then I had first pilates class last night (£50 for 5 sessions paid upfront) and got lost on the way so had a bit of a meltdown as am v stressed. Was good though so glad I went.

Am on call now with work - it's my day off and I have to call in to their monthly meetings. But they have got another speaker in so is not going to be the 10 mins I thought which is more than mildly annoying, particularly when they won't let me have a day in lieu for good friday (as I don't work fridays). Think am going to say if I have to get up to call in on a friday (albeit once a month) and I also have to check emails on a friday due to an external role I took on at their request, I should really be permitted the day in lieu. I'm support staff now rather than lawyer so not expected to go above and beyond and not get paid for it. And they are banging on about rubbish.

Tonight I am to cinema and food with girls. So no booze which is good. It really doesn't agree with me anymore. Even 1 drink and I feel it the next day. Today, once I get off this call, I might go for a run. Though I do have conviction and 2 x silent witness to watch and should really work on my book! Have docs appt at 3 to talk about getting pregnant and want to get checked out given think I have auto immune.

Will be interesting to see what the next few days bring re house etc.

Got paid this morning so new month's budget. Wasn't able to save a whole lot from last month in the end due to forward paying of pilates and as I had miscalculated some of our credit card purchase but managed to save almost £60 so that got whacked in house account. Then this morning went through what I need this month and whacked rest straight into house account.

lulabelle

monday - urgh - how many other people feel that way?!

Friday night had dinner with the girls - 1 glass of wine as everyone else was having one - came to £16. Then cinema so spent £2.71 on sweets (as got extra to take some home for the boy).

Sat we went out early doors and for a walk. Were going to get some food and have it at home but decided to eat out (naughty). £16 for a lovely burger and chips plus sparkling water and tip. Then we had a look round garden centres etc and then some of our good friends had just bought a house on thursday so went round there for a cuppa.

Had been intending to cook something nice on sat night but by time we left theirs it was 6:50 so we couldn't face doing shop and just went to get a thai from the supermarket plus a beer for the boy and a JD honey with lemonade for me. £26.88/2

Sun we went to boys mums for lunch then did big shop but as we are doing pre-prepared this week we only spent £39. Means total shopping for this week is well under budget. I cooked salmon with curly fries and asparagus for tea last night.

Wondering what this week will bring with new house debacle. TBH, we are both rather sick of it right now!!!!

lulabelle

update. The purchasers of mine have now dropped their offer by 10k as they are on a 90% mortgage and bank won't lend more than that. We are not dropping by 10k. With early repayment fee (as we haven't found anywhere), rent, storage etc, that is easily 5k for 2 months plus the hassle, and could sink us further if we are longer than a couple of months in dead rent/storage.

So, though I'm loathe even to do this, I do realise that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, that we might, if we walk, not sell this again for ages or that the same may happen with another surveyor or another surveyor may value it less. On that basis, we've offered to drop by 5k if they agree to push completion back to end of April. That way, we effectively "make it back" by paying down capital in that time rather than rent, not having to pay storage or early repayment fee (provided we have a mortgage sorted by end april on another property) and no dead rent.

Don't know if they'll agree so pretty sleepless night but I think they'd be silly not to. If they pull out now it will take them at least 2 months to find and complete on another property, plus they'll have lost legal and surveyors fees. So they'd be in a better position by working with us. Knowing my luck,, they won't agree but fingers crossed.

We are going to see 2 other properties this week plus a third viewing at one we love. So sick of house thing now!

Was v focused yesterday morning at work and got loads done, afternoon not as much as that's when house thing kicked off. But since out admin assistant left, I am being pressed to do her work by my line manager though all the partners are telling him I shouldn't be. I am tempted to say I will go full time and dedicate fridays to her work but only until they find someone else and they obviously have to pay me full time wage and increase my hols etc. But I am tired. All the time. But I could say I'll do it and given them a month's notice if it gets too much. At the moment I have to call in on my day off once a month and check emails on a friday and am not doing anything with my fridays so it sort of makes sense to get paid for it.

NSD yesterday which is good. Hopefully the same today and not too much until we go away at weekend though that will come from "holiday fund"