LHG - the next step

lionheartedgirl

The great ship-shaping of the house starts today.

I had a few days off work last week after the big race last weekend and managed to get the front garden under control.

So. A bit of painting, a lot of cleaning of skirting boards and things and some general de-junking.

Even if nothing ends up happening, this has all been on the list for a very long time!

Littlebirdie

Hey LHG,

I just thought I would pass through and say hello. It's so lovely to hear that you are now in a position of what you had been working towards. I know it doesn't always seem the same way in our heads as it looks on the outside but well done! You've made sensible decisions to get yourself to where you want to be - you should be really proud!

The fact of the reality, despite having a great life, we can't be happy at every moment. So keep up the good work!

Hiddenidenity

Have a lovely weekend LHG x

lionheartedgirl

I managed half a day of painting etc and then caught a lurgy so this is day 3 of the slump. I'm on the mend though and back to work tomorrow although the drugs I've been given for my asthma are making me feel a bit odd (normal odd, I've had them before, but had forgotten how odd!).

I've had my two valuations and while I preferred the second person, the first was more proactive in terms of following up etc. I will call the second person today and see what's going on, the second one is connected to the solicitor I'm using here (normal for Scotland) and the first one is the agent that's selling the house I want to buy. Hmmm. Fees are about the same.

It's not like me to be so dithery but I think it's just plain old fear and resistance talking... which means this is something important to me and I need to push through. I wish there was someone else on the team on the home front. Most of the time I am OK with being single but I miss the extra support at times like this. Mind you, there have been many times when the person on the team was absolutely no support whatsoever so it's a double edged sword.

Moneywise it's a good time for a round up I think. I have finished the big loan and closed two of my paid off credit cards. I have two more outstanding, a loan to a family friend and a loan to my parents. My outstanding figures sheet is at work but I think the total is around £22k now. If I sold two of the musical instruments I would clear the bulk of that.

EssexHebridean

Hey how did I miss this before? New diary! Woo!

SO pleased to hear that things are settling nicely for you and how exciting about the house stuff, too! I was so sorry to hear about you losing the pooch (our mutual newly running friend told me ) - they leave such a big hole but glad you've been able to get right back in there with a new member for the family and pleased he's settling well too.

Have you fallen out of love with the musical stuff or simply with trying to make it pay? I'm forever getting people tell me that I *should* use my photography to make an income and it's the devil's own job to make them realise that I simply don't want to - I enjoy it as a hobby, not as a job!

lionheartedgirl

Hi EH, great to hear from you! Hurrah for mutual friends :j

The musical stuff - a difficult question. It's not a passion, it's not a hobby, and on the bad days it's more of a compulsion! We don't have a very healthy relationship and I've just spent a year working with a fantastic mentor exploring what that's all about. I can't imagine not having it as part of my life, it's not as simple as just giving up and selling up, but it moves in and out of my life over the months and years. The extra money is useful to help pay for it, and it helps knowing it is pretty much self-funding, but I don't want it to be my only source of income, ever. It's nice knowing that it doesn't have to pay the bills, and I can walk away from it as and when I choose. However, it did bring me to Scotland so I'll always be grateful for that!

lionheartedgirl

After a lot of faffing and wringing of hands, I asked my solicitor to put in an offer on the house yesterday to see if the buyer would be interested. If not, there is no point in incurring the costs of putting my place up for sale.

As usual everyone promises to come back to you pronto, and as usual nada.

I woke up this morning feeling like maybe it's not the right time after all, I am not unhappy where i am and it's certainly good for my finances. The other house is beautiful and almost everything I could want, but maybe it's too much too soon. Some of the feelings this is unearthing are not good and maybe I am just not ready to put myself through it all again.

Oh well. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, and if they say no then all goes back to normal.

Whatever that is

lionheartedgirl

My offer was rejected, the vendor wants at least £10k more than my offer so that's the end of the road for now.

As per the above post, I think that feels right for where I am at the moment. I'll carry on with tidying up the things that need doing in my house so that should things change in the next few months I'd be ready to go back up for sale again.

I made the last payment on the big loan at the start of the month which was a big relief.

So I now have

Virgin cc 0% £13,722.88
Natwest cc 3.9% £3,819.93
Family friend loan £1200
Parents loan 1 £2000
Parents loan 2 £1000ish I think

My Virgin cc 0% runs out in August I think, so if I can get a low % rate loan I'll probably swap to this and then knock the credit limit right down. I might swap NatWest to Virgin so it's 0% instead. The family friend loan will be paid off on Dec 1st.

I could clear all of this by selling the big instrument as we know (yes it is a lot of money, I know, I know ) This was the plan until mum and dad offered the chance of me keeping it and them helping with the cost of it if I was buying a house. Now I'm not buying a house I can afford to keep the payments going. I'd started to get used to the idea of keeping it, so am not quite sure where I'm at with it all now, and there's certainly no need to rush into a decision.

Round and round we go...

EssexHebridean

It's definitely moving in the right direction.

Can you put the decision about the instrument on hold for the time being but make a note to revisit in a few months and see how you feel about it then?

As for the house, if the offer was rejected then clearly it wasn't meant to be - and who knows, maybe it will still be on the market when you ARE ready to look, and at that stage your offer will seem more attractive to them!

lionheartedgirl

Hi EH, tbh I'm not worrying or fretting about it any more, which is a MASSIVE step in itself. I have weddings and gigs until November (which I'd farm out if I sold it) so am not in a rush at all.

I've just been reading through some of hypno's old diaries and reminiscing a little, and reminding myself of just how much support I've had from this board and the people I have met here and those that have become part of real life too.

And i'm reminding myself that one day, all the debt will be gone and life will feel settled and I won't have to worry about money any more. And that day isn't quite so far away any more :-)

I've been very lazy today and reading some of those posts reminds me how important it is to take good care of myself, and that I am worth that, and that as I am single there is no one else to do that, so within budget and within reason, I can do whatever it takes and it's all fine.