Doing it on my own: bobobski's house deposit diary

Skint_yet_Again

wooohoooo! !!! _party_
How exciting Congratulations on getting your offer accepted hope all goes well and you are soon in your own home
:j :beer::T:beer::j

savingwannabe

Flippin heck. Wonderful news. Now we are all in the same boat. Oh gosh, what fun we are going to have.

Really really wonderful news. So chuffed. Remember to try to rest to recover some energy. :j:beer::money::D:T:):easter_ba:xmastree::bdaycake:

bobobski

Mortgage in principle received today - things are happening!

So excited to be joining the club SW - hopefully I'll be in the flat in time for that Christmas tree!

savingwannabe

Hurrah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:beer::j:D:T

Skint_yet_Again

Great news bobobski, glad to hear its all going well xx

bobobski

Hi gang!

Wow, what a week!!!!! So having decided to start looking to buy a place of my own two weeks ago, I now have an offer accepted on a place I really really like, mortgage in principle, solicitor appointed and am weighing up surveyors' quotes!!

I must say, this was one of the most stressful weeks of my life. I was really struggling to sleep. I was going really loopy in my social life and at work. But as soon as the offer was in I felt a bit better, and as soon as it was accepted I massively relaxed. I was so worried this place would be snapped up by someone else and there really is nothing as good as it for its price on the market, so if my offer hadn't been accepted I would have had to change my strategy again. Also I cannot stand not being in control and this was a situation in which I had absolutely zero control. I was also worried that I would change my mind and panic as the reality kicked in, but that hasn't happened, hoorah!

I'm now in that very weird place where I want to get excited but I also don't. My way of handling this: start creating shopping lists, but don't buy anything! I'm even picking out *which* paint brush(es...) I want to buy, not just generic "paint brush". I do so love organising myself. I've allowed myself to start thinking about a colour for the bedroom, as I'll want to paint it first before the furniture is moved in - I figure the living room furniture can be moved around while I paint a lot more easily so it makes little sense to start there while the flat's empty. Is that a good idea?? Also the living room is HUGE and I'm using the bedroom for practice :rotfl: Also, I say "the bedroom" but, SW, you'll be so pleased to hear there are TWO bedrooms! Yes, two!! So maybe I will get a lodger. But to be honest once the initial purchase costs die down - unless the sky falls in - my financial situation will be pretty good, especially for a FTB, so I really don't need the extra income.

I'm going to cave into some excitement and have a wander around Curry's later. I cannot WAIT to buy my own white goods. Why am I so old for my age?? Sadly no space for a big American fridge/freezer in this flat - the whole kitchen needs doing at some point as well - so that'll have to wait until house number 2 or at least my re-design of the kitchen which I'm planning for after the initial 2 year mortgage fixed period.

So now I'm in limbo for a couple more months while things progress. There's not a lot I can do except keep all my lucky charms in easy reach and keep saluting magpies. I so hope this works.

In the meantime, I'm so pleased that you're keeping me sane SYA and SW AGAIN!! Thank goodness for Martin Lewis, this site, these forums and the forumites. If I hadn't found MSE I would still have £0 savings like I did just a couple of years ago...

Skint_yet_Again

Hi bobobski such good news that everything is going smoothly with the house purchase and that you are managing to relax and keep your anxiety under control. Is there a chain above you - has the seller found somewhere to buy ? Two bedrooms, how extravagant :rotfl:


It helps to make lists and is nice to look round and get ideas for things you will need once you move it.


A couple of decorating tips that work for me -
-Keep hold of all that spare bedding you mentioned as you can use it to cover your furniture when you are decorating.
-Do you have a tool station near you ? I find them good value for things like paint brushes and rollers. I buy "no loss" paintbrushes so you do not spend loads of time picking bristles off the wall and similar with rollers I prefer "lint free non shedding"
- get some low tack masking tape and tape up the edge of the skirting board when you are painting the walls, then when the paint is dry you can remove it and have a lovely straight edge. You can often find the tape in £1 shop
-I pop the paint tray in a carrier bag and tie it up then pour the paint onto the plastic bag which saves on cleaning ! Just remove and bin it once you have finished.
- I found ceilings are easier with a white paint you can buy that starts out pink then turns white when it dries ! That way you can see where you have already painted more clearly and you don't end up going over the same bit again and again !
-If you are painting walls and there is only 2-4 hours between coats I wrap the roller and the paint brush in cling film after the first coat to stop it drying out and then only need to wash them after the second coat.
-Keep a damp cloth and a toilet roll handy to wipe any splashes off skirtings etc and when you are cutting in at the top of the wall with the brush and splodge some on the ceiling

bobobski

SYA you are brilliant, thank you so much!! I have copied and pasted your advice into the document of house stuff I'm keeping. Brilliant tips on what to buy and how to minimise washing up and stopping the roller drying out - I know NONE of this stuff!

I'm so glad I kept hold of the spare sheets as you guys suggested as they will definitely come in handy. I already have paint on a pair of trakkies from helping Best Friend decorate his house when he moved in a few months ago too, so they're already broken in

Evidently we do have a Tool Station here - 5 minutes from my house and I never knew it was there. Thanks for the tip!! We also have multiple Screw Fixes (or, as I call it, a Man's Argos) and it looks like one of them is right next to the Tool Station so I can buy whatever's cheapest from each in one trip - fab

Pink paint that turns white?? AMAZING. There really are some boffins out there. Also great advice because the plan is to start with the bedroom ceiling

Waaaa I can't wait to start

savingwannabe

Ps if you want to save money on paintbrushes Wilkinson have cheap ones and sometimes Poundshop has good quality ones.

Buy all paints in the sales.

Wait till AOL/Curry's have a sale and use Martin's checker for shopping on deals for house everyone has sales at the same time for things like vacuum, gas cooker, fridge, freezer, washing machines. Sometimes it is ok to go second hand and buy a cooker from 2nd hand shop with a one year guarantee.

Skint_yet_Again

I think wilko is the cheapest for the pink to white paint also. Not sure what the quality is like as my dad kindly bought mine for me from b& q when he did the living room ceiling for me a few years ago.


I used a "crack-free ceiling" paint on my bedroom ceiling as it had cracks in the plaster and it was fantastic, covered them up a treat.