"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it."

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So after lurking on other people's diaries for the last few years it's time to start my own.
I'd almost paid off my mortgage 4 years ago when I decided to move to somewhere a lot bigger and a lot more expensive. It was also a project. So for the last few years there have been no overpayments as everything has gone into savings for the next bit of work on the house.
I remortgaged in August, reducing my payments by £200/month.
I'm now preparing for the final (I hope!) phase of the renovation work, so while avoiding getting up and ready for work this morning I thought I'd check the overpayment calculator. If I increase my payments to what they were previously this will knock over 8 years off my mortgage.
I'm not ready to start overpaying yet. I need to finish the essential work and build up some savings, but I hope that early next year I'll be in a position to start reducing my liabilities.
So I thought I'd start a diary now, while I'm motivated, to record my progress in getting to the point of overpaying...
I'd almost paid off my mortgage 4 years ago when I decided to move to somewhere a lot bigger and a lot more expensive. It was also a project. So for the last few years there have been no overpayments as everything has gone into savings for the next bit of work on the house.
I remortgaged in August, reducing my payments by £200/month.
I'm now preparing for the final (I hope!) phase of the renovation work, so while avoiding getting up and ready for work this morning I thought I'd check the overpayment calculator. If I increase my payments to what they were previously this will knock over 8 years off my mortgage.
I'm not ready to start overpaying yet. I need to finish the essential work and build up some savings, but I hope that early next year I'll be in a position to start reducing my liabilities.
So I thought I'd start a diary now, while I'm motivated, to record my progress in getting to the point of overpaying...
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So quite a lot really. I try not to think about how much it has cost...
I need to chase up a quote for sorting out the chimney and installing the woodstove, and extract a cost for the flooring and a start date for the next phase from the builders.
This round is to do downstairs - chase in all the wires hanging from the ceilings, so all the filling (holes in ceilings from taking up/putting down floorboards), screed the floors as they're not level, decorate, put down flooring. Hopefully they'll get at least half the house down before Christmas. It would be nice to have the kitchen & utility done as far as we can too - so that when I finally get a kitchen it can be installed quickly. But we'll see how it goes!
I've been very busy at work, so haven't made much progress on anything else, including chasing the builders for a date.
Next house will either be a brand new eco build or a major eco-renovation. I want solar PV & thermal, airsource heat, rainwater harvesting, grey water recycling, passive house standards, smart home technology - and importantly to know that there are minimal running costs.
Today I've moved all the delicate antique bits of glass from the corner cabinet in the dining room to various shelves in my bathroom and bedroom. There's still a lot of china and glass to pack up in the dining room, but that's the bulk of the stuff I'd worry about.
6 shot glasses are in the pile for the CS along with 5 non-matching bowls and 6 random plates.
As it's not very nice outside (or at least, not nice enough for me to feel like going outside and doing the deadheading I really do need to do...) I'm going to attempt to get more stuff moved upstairs, so that it's only the things that need packing away that will have to be done at the last minute. I don't yet have a start date, so I'm reluctant to put too much away when it'll mean living in empty rooms for longer than necessary. I find them depressing.