Project Mortgage Neutral Begins

ajmoney

I was at the tip just after it opened at 9, having already put a load of washing out, chopped an overgrown shrub down a little to try and find the path as I couldn't lift the refuse bag from yesterday into my car. I thought the conundrum through and figured if it decanted some into another it would make it easier. A little win to me rather than wait for someone to help me at the weekend. I came back and have half filled one bag and am on the way to doing another, having learned my lesson about overfilling. I went out for lunch with a friend, put the returned cash into the bank to make sure it was all ok and am chilling with a cup of tea before i see what else I can fit in the bag. I have 2 colleagues popping round at 5, they moved into their first place on Friday and are going to borrow 2 chairs from until their sofa is delivered in a month or so. I am hoping to do another tip run before that.

More rain is due over the next few days which is a shame as I was hoping to cut everything back in the dry like I have done today but so long as it isn't too heavy I will try and soldier on. I would like to do another cut of the grass before I leave it until next year but need it to dry out a lot more. I guess it is not too much of a problem if I don't but it would help me see what I am working with as I will cut an edge back in through the winter and tidy up the edges of the beds.

I don't know if it was being outside first thing in nice weather but I have felt enjoyment seep back today.

Watty1

Loved your recent posts.  The 'gardener' returned £350 and a neighbour helped you clear up.  Awesome.  Do you have a local Facebook group?  Maybe ask if anyone would like to earn pocket money after school putting the rubbish in bags?  Then each bin day you could just fill the garden bin?   I put all my garden rubbish into a couple of ton bags and very slowly decanted to get rid as I just couldn't even work out how to get that amount into my car!

ajmoney

We only have one more fortnightly garden bin collection before they change to monthly and I have all the normal clearing and tidying for winter to do aswell so I am just going to try and go to the tip regularly.

I am kind of proud of myself. I was having a break before going back out to the garden and decided I didn't need to cut and more of the conifer branches today, I would just take what I had done to the tip so it doesn't get in the rain tomorrow. Seeing as it is meant to rain on and off for the rest of the week I decided to use the time wisely and have done the final grass cut of the year. It doesn't look amazing but it is enough and that is good enough. I need to look into sharpening the blades on my lawnmower for next year, probably the rest of tools too. I have got as much grass out of it as I can, I want to double check I put it away in a good condition. Over the next few weeks I will sort out edging the grass and weeding etc in the front as it won't take very much work at all. It is a lot less daunting than the back garden and is what I see every day when I come home. Tidy and put some autumn and winetr bedding plants in and slowly work through the back garden.

LadyWithAPlan

Great you got the excess cash back though - miracles do happen Wintering gardens seems a lot of work

ajmoney

LadyWithAPlan said:

Great you got the excess cash back though - miracles do happen Wintering gardens seems a lot of work

They work would be a lot easier if I was already on top of it. Or hadn't been working away for 8 months this year. Or had done the winter tidy last year. Or been on top of it this time last year. It is my own fault and why I had tried to get someone in to tidy my garden for me at Easter and keep on top of it for me until I came back from working away, but...they let me down too and didn't turn up!

I actually enjoy it and am always amazed at the difference I can make in such a short space of time.

ajmoney

This may sound weird but I feel different inside, almost like me for the first time in a little while. I don't know if it is the time I spent outside at the beginning of the week and still feeling the effects or if it is a new hormone tablet that I started taking just over 3 weeks ago. I guess I will never know what it is (without stopping the medication) but I am ticking things off my to-do list for the first time in ages and have been thinking and planning financial stuff in my head. I feel like I have been existing for ages so this is great.

Watty1

Now that sounds like you are re-joining the world.  Nice to read, it has been a long journey for you, and you are slowly getting there.

ajmoney

The damp survey is happening at some point today. I know nothing will happen yet and I am trying not to get my hopes up, but today's survey will hopefully give me a way forward to improve things in the house. Once any issues are tackled I hope it gives me the confidence to finally look to decorate and make this place mine. It isn't going to be easy as I still need to get trades people in but rather than wanting them in now, I will look to get quotes and talk about a realistice timeframe.

I am kind of working from home today, luckily I don't have too much to get done. It is a nice day outside, I have washing on the line, am making my way through my list of things to do and hope to get out into the garden for a bit this afternoon.

ajmoney

Surveyor has been, I should get the report by the end of the week but I know what the rough plan will be. The work is likely to cost £8-10k and should take up to 2 weeks, during this time the recommend you don't stay in your property if it is possible. I am lucky that I can stay at work if need be although I don't relish this proposition. We have chatted about the work potentially starting in the new year so it is a little less disruptive over the festive period. 

My research with other trades starts now. I am out of my property for a bit, I may as well stay out for a bit longer and get all the ceilings skimmed at the same time and put my stuff into storage temporarily. I have thought about this before anyway. I need to decide how lazy I want to be, I may pay someone to do the decorating too (apart from the kitchen and bathroom) and make the most of the time out of here. It wouldn't be a cheap time but long term it would be less disruptive. It is food for thought and will depend on trades people turning up and working to a timeframe which I haven't had the best experience of!

I need to get a different type of fan for the bathroom and get it re-sited. I am also going to get in touch with a builder (if I can find one) to see about moving two air bricks as they are sitting at ground level which isn't helping the situation.

Money wise, I have enough set aside for the damp survey work from my house sale. I am clearly disciplined not to use this!!!! I just need to use my actual savings for the rest.

ajmoney

I don't know if the fan is something I can do by myself or if I need to get my electrician in to do the work.