Get a grip woman!

Suffolk_lass

@themadvix I completely agree about the dump visits. It just feels like a little weight has been lifted. I suppose if we did a proper declutter of out house, loft, cartlodge and outbuildings we might feel the same way (dream on, I'm afraid!). It is only as I pack up surface clutter that I realise just how much we have! I am binning at least a third but I suspect we could declutter another third at least!

Well we met with the mortgage guy yesterday and any ambition we had to have only an interest only mortgage would be restricted to an RIO (that is a retirement, interest only) as the only people who would lend us enough require an income of either £75k or £100k - meaning you can only borrow interest free if you can afford not to need it in the first place...

So, we did find three possible fixed five-year options, all repayment, all under £1000 a month. One was our former BS with whom we had our mortgage. Given we would be unlikely to move imminently, the number of months we would need to be super frugal would be less than 12 as my SRP can be taken March 2024, and DH's in the following November. Of course we could top up from savings as we do now for big things, and the fact I have squirrelled away about 10% of what we receive this month and last is encouraging (March will blow this as it is house insurance month). Worst case scenario we could pay the interest from income and capital from savings.

We left it that we need to keep tidying, painting, making good any bits, decluttering and getting ready for a sale, and that I will explore other mortgage options like RIO that are not something he is expert in. I also found a "later life" option from a small BS that might be worth a look. I think that even if I find a RIO that suits, the percentage they charge will typically be 1-2% higher than a standard fixed rate 5 year repayment mortgage. That might still be better than a repayment fix but would set the interest rate at that level for the life of that mortgage, and many of them set out conditions that you can only redeem them when you die, move into a care home or sell the property. We don't want any of these. You pays your money and takes your choice as the saying goes.

The unexpected things were that our second (DS's) house is maybe worth over £300k and they reckon my house that I own with my sister, that our Mum is in, might be over £400k - personally I doubt either would realise anything close to those numbers but with our savings, it makes us wealthy on paper, and none of the three properties has a mortgage on them currently.

In other snippets, we parked in Waitflower car park so I popped in there and picked up apples (£1.70), lemons for Shrove Tuesday (60p) and some single cream (£2.25) to add a touch of decadence to top soup, and for DH to add to porridge (!!). The less said about two pots of treats for £5.50, the better, I think. And we will have to eat them before Wednesday (not too much of a challenge)

I am debating whether to use the Morries on-line voucher for £15 off £70. With various bits unavailable it means ordering more than we actually need, and most would be for next month. I am waiting until stock lorry has updated in their system before deciding

Suffolk_lass

I succumbed and ordered the stuff from Morries. Greek-style yogurt and something else dropped off as unavailable and then when I picked up three other items were no longer available (including lettuce!). I baggesd a TGTG bag for £3.09 too (bargain, 11 items of dead fresh veg and a bag of clementines). The lovely lady made up the bag for me as she knows it's a ten mile round trip for me. I feel very fortunate as I heard her tell the next people there were none left - definitely about £80 of food for under £50. Very MSE

Suffolk_lass

Today is the day to get some seeds going and clear out my greenhouse. This goes along with the RHS update suggesting chilli seeds this month. There, I have said it now. I will intersperse more cutting down of old dead stalks with seeds on, in the side and back gardens. 

I also need to prepare another door, and get it rubbed down, filled and undercoated, indoors.

I did give my car a bit of a wash. Just two buckets and a quick rinse with the hose. Hopefully the sensor will stop telling me to check things now (not tested!).

In money things we posted one more eBay sale (from the batch of catering stuff I bought for £200) we are up by about £100 now but it is a time (it has taken ages) and space (piles of stuff) compromise. Hmm, not sure I would do this again

EssexHebridean

We'd normally be at the point of starting to get some seeds on the go - but hesitating about doing so at the moment as of course if we can sort out the wretched move we might be wasting our time....but then if the market continues in its rather stagnant way, we could feasibly find ourselves having been able to use the stuff we would otherwise have grown. Ugh, decisions! (I'm inclined to feel though that checking out what seeds we already have in, and getting some stuff underway could well be a decent way of hurrying things along!) 

foxgloves

It's lovely getting going with seed-sowing. I aim to sow our chillies on the last day of January. I've just used what seeds I have left in my seed box this year, so at the moment I have 3 jalapeno seedlings up & 7 or 8 Fuego. Aubergines will be next. I still have French climbing bean seeds to buy, as I need to visit a larger garden centre to get the 3-variety mix we like. Seed compost at the ready though!
F

kiss_me_now9

What are you sowing SL? Sorry if you've mentioned it. This year I am going minimal - a few varieties of tomatoes and chillis to sit in the greenhouse and then two or three courgette/squash plants. I'm planning to use toilet rolls to sow them in as well

Last year I did tomatoes, courgettes, squash, aubergine, chillis, pumpkin, cucumber, garlic, leeks, potatoes, onions, gherkins and beans - far too much for us to all eat and maintain. And if I'm honest, the only things that were really successful were the tomatoes and courgettes. I'll have a baby by the end of March so not planning to get too much in the ground as I can't imagine garden maintenance with a newborn is easy! 

Suffolk_lass

Good morning regular readers and @kiss_me_now9 (I don't think I have "seen" you here before) - welcome! I confess I gave up after emptying everything and brushing out the pots and trays in the greenhouse. Seed planting this afternoon, I hope.

I am growing Sungold F1 (hybrid) orange cherry tomatoes, along with Black Russian beefsteak, both of which I grow every year. I also have Gigantomo F1 Beefsteak, Black Opal (large cherry tom) and Buffalosteak which I am trying out, and I might have some St Pierre seeds left from last year (they were good in the greenhouse)

In chilli seeds I have Jalopeno, Tabasco and Cayenne this year.

I have loads of salad seeds and will grow fewer at a time of these, with a cross between cos and iceberg, crisp mint, French breakfast radishes and two colours of Pac choi.

We grow a range of dwarf and climbing beans - always too many and we don't like them frozen - but Borlotti are good for podding and freezing.

In squashes, I have two varieties of butternut and a Crown Prince pumpkin, Mini-munch cucumbers and three courgettes, plus some tromboncino to grow as a climber again. I won't be starting any of these until late (early May). I have one variety of 2nd early potatoes on the windowsill chitting and three small bags of onion sets to pant next month. 

We have a permanent bed of Asparagus and soft fruit (raspberries, blackcurrants, strawberries, red-currants and gooseberries), plums, gages and apples, cherry and rhubarb. We try to make it through to Christmas on what we grow, forage and is gifted or swapped, but like @EssexHebridean we might move so it will be less this year. I want my produce freezer to empty before we refill with this year's crops.

Suffolk_lass

In MSE news the next Government energy payment of £67 is pending and will join the £200 AFP in my account tomorrow. Our window cleaner is due today (£23) and nothing to be spent. I made Shepherd's pie with TGTG veg added to shoulder of lamb leftovers (still some left for sandwiches!) and we only eat half last night so the same this evening with tenderstem broccoli, I think.

I plan to bake bread and make more soup today (might be mixed veg), continue painting a door, walk dogs (ours and the cockerpoo we walk) - and plant seeds. I must read the book club book and do a bit of bee study in between too.

I received an email from the Solar people reminding me that I need to accept their proposal before they can install. I forwarded them their own proposal email that clearly said they were going to call me shortly (on 26th January) to discuss and agree when to install. We have been waiting a month almost!! So I expect them to call me today!!

Oh, and hoping our EA will call back with his estimated valuation on the house we like. If not, I need to call them. Thursday will be two weeks since we signed our contract with them and no photos, one call to follow up and nothing back from the Branch Manager (I think it's a half term thing...) if not, we have two days left to cancel within the 14 day cooling off period

LadyWithAPlan

This house move sounds exciting! At least you have some lovely options.
The money in your mums house will be  hopefully locked away for years to come  but I guess your son's home is a possibility if you get in too tight a corner or it becomes too expensive to borrow. Could he not get a mortgage, a loan or even get on a direct payment plan with you now to start buying you partly out now? I imagine it would be good for his growth as well.

I love squashes since I tried that recommended on MSE squash lime and chickpea soup.. Your  garden growing plans sounds lovely.

Suffolk_lass

Well I did slightly less than I wanted to yesterday, and have ended up putting a third top coat on the door I am currently painting  as I could see the bluer undercoat where the paint is a bit stodgy (F&B Molesbreath is the colour!). I need to decide if this is the last one; it is the last base unit in the kitchen but there are two full-height larder cupboards in the utility area immediately adjacent that are still oak coloured. In the kitchen, all but one top cupboard have been painted white and I could do the utility cupboards white to lift the light there but I think they would quickly get dirty where boots are removed so maybe I should do them to match. Because the two doors join up it might be better if they were the same colour as there is no splash-back or tiles to give that degree of separation. Time to ponder (feel free to comment!)

I have the bread I was going to bake proving now.

Meanwhile DH has painted the downstairs toilet white using the bathroom paint I bought, as well as making good the ceiling in the bathroom, especially where it had looked to flake in the shower. I also bought some gloss white paint to do the boxing-in, in the bathroom, and maybe the tongue & groove panelling around the bath.

Did I mention my letter from the Doctor's asking me to book my annual asthma review. I have phoned three times now. The first time it was a staff training day. I phoned again last week and there were no appointments with the asthma trained nurse so they asked me to call back. I have done that this week and there are no available appointments until April (and we go away for part of that) so I asked them to put a note to say I have tried and will try again in May. Although they apparently send them before your birthday, to spread things out, I believe there are more birthdays in March for a whole generation of asthma sufferers of a similar generation because if you were born in March, your parents got a full year's tax relief for you, back in the day - and of course, it was 9 months after the start of the holiday season for people without school-age children (after the Whitsun holiday break). I think it is the first time I have been impacted by the GP pressures as there is generally no need for us to visit the Doctor (touch wood, so far). Certainly the first receptionist I spoke to was somewhat terse and sounded hassled. Yesterday morning was altogether more pleasant and I offered to be a short notice standby in case of any cancellations. I doubt that will get carried forward but it is just so much nicer when everyone is pleasant to one another.

I did plant tomato and chilli seeds yesterday and after evicting the male pheasant that was stuck in my greenhouse, I plugged in the heated propagators on the newly cleared bench and properly shut the door. It should be OK and the light is certainly better than the kitchen windowsill. DH cleared another veg bed and covered it with old carpet. We have some more cardboard to cover the next bed now that big river have delivered some subscription stuff.

No word from the EA and we will call them today. It is a dilemma really, we want to get on with it and get some photos sorted but we also need longer to tidy, clean and make good. More than that, I want the Branch Manager's view on the house we want to buy