Downshifting to a nicer life...

pathtofreedom

I recently did a big move of 100 miles, I didn't have kids but my old house was too big for me, wrong area, too many memories. It did cost a small fortune to move, with solicitors buying and selling costs, moving van (including them packing), stamp duty, estate agents, mortgage fees, valuation etc, but I already feel so much better since I moved it was well worth it. You can't put a price on something like that so if where you are now isn't working I'd say go for it. You kid will adjust and you living somewhere that's making you stressed and unhappy will be worse for them as they will pick up on that.

I'd just hold off the op's until you're in your new place as with all the costs of moving, and having a new house fund would stand you in good sted. Even with a survey, I didn't bother with one as the place I moved to isn't that old and I can get stuff fixed under the guarentee, there will always be little jobs you don't find till you move in. So that new house fund might help with bits of diy, or worst case if your boiler goes the first winter, which is what happened with my first house.

Good luck to you though, it will be worth it in the end.

MeandO

Hello Pathtofreedom and thank you for your comments. Glad you feel more settled in your new place now, it's nice to hear from someone who has done the same.
My current house is lovely, but it just doesn't feel right, it never has and it doesn't feel like home to me at all. I guess there are some bad memories there and I just can't settle. It's got to the point where I get anxious about going home from work so I know I'm doing the right thing in the long run, even though my next house may not be as large and as lovely, hopefully it will be more like home.

I will focus on building up the emergency savings pot again now that the car repairs wiped that out and then get back to building up little OPs - they keep me motivated and positive tbh, so I don't want to stop them completely.
I do have savings in an ISA too, so this can be called upon for more expensive things if necessary, but I'd like not to have to touch it.

Hope your new home continues to make you happy.

MeandO

This morning I have chased up a refund due from a closed credit card account - an error made on their part. I've been assured a refund of £122.50 will hit my bank account within one working day. :j
I'll put £100 straight into building the emergency pot up again and the £22.50 can be used for a bit of fun money with DS or go into the op account.

I've also chased an equal pay claim that is ongoing, but have pretty much been told not to expect anything anytime soon. :mad:

There is another viewing on my house today, so fingers crossed something positive comes of that.

MeandO

Refund was paid into my account and £100 was transferred straight to the car & house emergency savings pot.

I managed to misplace my bank card at the weekend - later found it after cancelling - but it does mean I've not spent a lot of money this week. Lovely OH lent me £100 in cash for the week and so far I have around £70 left (including a £20 spend on petrol). Maybe the answer in future is to leave my card at home and just use cash, I seem to spend a lot less!

Unfortunately no offers came of the viewing on my house and there are no viewings lined up imminently. The estate agents have said it's the most popular house on their books atm, but unfortunately everyone seems to have something to sell.

I'm taking advice from fellow MSE'ers and halting the overpayments for a little while, at least until I boost my emergency savings pot back up again after the car repairs. I don't really want to have to dip into my ISA savings if something else goes wrong...

MeandO

I've been AWOL for a little while, it's been a stressful month with no sign of light at the end of the tunnel presently.

To keep it brief:




I sold my house.
I found a wonderful house - offer accepted.
Whilst I was on holiday, buyer's buyer pulled out, so lost a sale.
Lost the new dream house.
2 days later, sold house to same buyers who had found another buyer.
Dream house had been sold to someone else.
Despite all my best efforts, even offering them £10K over asking price, I lost the house.

So, here I am, with the sale of my house rapidly progressing and absolutely nothing on the market to buy that is suitable. That's not even me being fussy, there is just naff all available at the moment.
Renting is not an option for me, neither is moving in with family - I have none within a 3 hour drive of me - and so I'm panicking. I'm living for house hunting presently and my stress levels are through the roof. They haven't been helped by incompetent estate agents who lie through their teeth or just don't bother to show up for viewings (Very annoying when I've taken time off work to view houses).

So, in the meantime, I've stopped making overpayments to the mortgage and am trying (and mostly failing) to stash money into savings instead.

Fingers crossed I find a house next week, I really don't know what I'm going to do!

newgirly

Just caught up with your updates and am sorry to hear you have not found somewhere yet, fingers crossed something comes along very soon.

apple_muncher

What a rollercoaster you are on! I have everything crossed for you x

Moneyfordreams

I Hope you find house quickly, our buyer pulled out 2 years ago after we had survey on another property. Cost a fortune and now we've lost trust...

Well done on getting a buyer quickly.. I'll keep my fingers crossed for the house to follow

There_Is_a_Light

Just found your thread and wanted to say good luck in the home buying, I hope that something comes along soon.

Are there any short term letting options around? Some friends of ours were in a similar situation and rented a static caravan and put most of their stuff in short term storage until they found somewhere. There must be a way that you can keep your sale and still get your dream home.

I moved my 7 and 9 year old and they never looked back, totally settled in and made new friends straight away. They can barely remember their "old" school and where we used to live. They are 21 and 23 now.

MeandO

Thanks everyone.

I've booked a viewing on another house tonight. It's very close to where I used to live and it's not really what I wanted to move to (another modern 'boxy' type house), but I think the garden is quite big so it's worth a look. I'm not excited by it, but needs must now.

There Is a Light - unfortunately renting is not an option at all, but happy it all worked out for you. Nice to hear your children settled well at the time too, I just hope mine little one does.

Debating whether to book viewings on two properties in the area I'm living now - much cheaper which will mean I can go part time and pick my little one up from school etc, but still a fair distance from work and OH. It would mean DS wouldn't have to change schools though.