I’m taking control of my life, now.

sashybo

Good luck with your nursing paws, it's certainly a skill being a good nurse (not one I have either) but it's always especially difficult with family. 

Fingers crossed you don't catch Covid, when I had it it was impossible to isolate from the kids as they are so young and DH didn't bother and none of them caught it - hopefully you too are super-resistant to it.

Hope you can get to see your DH soon.

girlatplay

Sorry to hear your Mum has covid.  I think that even though you are a self-confessed terrible nurse (I suspect I would be exactly the same) you are there and you are trying your very best.  LMG caught it from me because although we were hand washing, using separate towels, even using different toothpaste, I didn't completely self-isolate away from her.  Hopefully you don't catch it, your Mum recovers as quickly as possible and you can get back to DH.

EssexHebridean

Ahh that must be worrying about your Mum - hopefully she'll make a full and swift recovery. I agree with GAP though - your Mum doesn't care that you are - in your view at least - a "terrible nurse", she'll just be happy that you're there and she has someone with her while she's feeling poorly. Not surprised you're missing DH though. Fingers crossed you swerve the dreaded lurgy yourself too. We wouldn't be in a position to isolate from each other if one of us got it either - there just isn't space. 

savingholmes

Likewise I'm sure your mum will just appreciate you making the effort to be there - if she doesn't - we all do! Well done. I am not a natural nurse either.

boxofpaws

Thanks all. You’re right, you just want someone around when you feel poo, which I am now reminded of as I have indeed caught COVID. Serves me right for being cocky. What a week or so it’s been. 

Anyway, quick catch up

Mortgage
Offered a deal for 2.25% for 5 years no fee (or 2.13% with a fee but we’d pay more overall). Similar rates for 2 year deals. Seems ok.obviously we’re not going to get 1.26% again for a while, so the only real question is should we fix for 2 or 5 years. Overall the risk of fixing for 2 years and being sad when we do the next fix and interest rates are higher is greater than the risk of fixing for 5 years, and the interest rates going down in 2 years and being sad we’re paying an unnecessarily high rate. Wow that’s a long sentence that uses the word fix a LOT. Well done to anyone who made sense of that.

Also, got a refund for our P&0 booking (made before their disgraceful act) that I requested for a multitude of reasons. Now got booked through St3na. Feels like we can really start to look forward to it now 

Finally ordered the air wrap 😀

savingholmes

@boxofpaws
To help you answer the mortgage question - you need to ask yourself what increase in cost could your budget stand? I felt slightly hard done to fixing for 1.84% last November. Right now I feel lucky... Unless I pay this house down significantly over the 5 years - or develop a savings slush pile - I may not be able to afford to keep this house if the rates went up much... 

Given as far as I know you don't have a secret slush pile... fixing for longer sounds safer to me. It's all about your own attitude to risk though and no I'm not an IFA.

Hope you recover quickly from covid. 

I just google what an air wrap was. Ouch at the price!! Hope you got a good deal.

MissRikkiC

If this is your forever home or if you were to move, you wouldn’t need to borrow more, I would fix for longer. I can only see things going up in coming months and having that knowledge your rates are that, imho is power. 

Suffolk_lass

I would also fix for five years and then you have a degree of certainty - you can probably overpay within that period. If mine were not gone I would be looking at switching from my tracker (BOEBR+x%). I would also be asking them to round up the payment to the next £50 so that you have a small OP going in every month that honestly? you will hardly notice but will help longterm.

boxofpaws

@savingholmes - you are right, there is no secret slush fund. I’d be delighted with 1.86, that’s great. I suspect in 2 years time, I’ll be delighted with 2.25. 

The air wrap - nope, no discounts. Full price. Eeek eek eeeeek

@MissRikkiC -  One day, we’d like to do some renovations, but not til we’re more secure. I feel lucky that this is my view. So happily I think this is our forever home



@s@Suffolk_lass - I guess a potential overpayment of 1% interest (should the interest rates drop again) is better than having to remortgage at 2% higher. Re overpayments - now the interest rate will be doubled, I definitely see the value in overpaying. A plan for this later is required. 

Thanks everyone. I was sure about the 5 year fix but you’ve confirmed it. 

savingholmes

Fantastic view. Thanks for sharing.