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

greenbee

Alchemilla said:

Have any of the tradespeople got back to you?

Yes! Oven clean is booked for next Tuesday. Grass is being done tomorrow/Friday. Carpenter end of this week/beginning of next. So then I can brave the estate agents (well, tidy up a bit first) and try to get someone to do the external painting. 

I really do need a cleaner, but they're impossible to find. I'm wondering about getting in touch with my old cleaner, who quit for a full-time job just before the pandemic. It's over 2 years, but you never know!

QueenJess said:

greenbee said:

I don't. It's boring. But it needs doing if I want the HR piece sorted out. 

And I have to sign off on a couple of others first. 

I sympathise as I had to do the same thing when I went on maternity leave and also had to do all the interviews for my maternity cover!  It is definitely dull..

It's amazing the amount of stuff that's getting done while I procrastinate. And somehow getting my own HR stuff sorted doesn't seem as important as all the operational stuff. 

I'm also bored of interviewing people who are clearly unsuitable for the job. Meetings with the talent acquisition team today aren't going to be fun for either of us. 

Alchemilla

Can't hurt to contact the old cleaner.

How will you choose your agent?

greenbee

Alchemilla said:

Can't hurt to contact the old cleaner.

How will you choose your agent?

Shortlist is compiled based on how good their photos/floorplans/descriptions are.

Then there's the interview process - how are they going to market it, what suggestions do they make about how I should stage it, where will it be promoted.

Then there are the contracts. I'm unlikely to sign without requesting amendments. 

Baileys_Babe

greenbee said:

Alchemilla said:

Can't hurt to contact the old cleaner.

How will you choose your agent?

Shortlist is compiled based on how good their photos/floorplans/descriptions are.

Then there's the interview process - how are they going to market it, what suggestions do they make about how I should stage it, where will it be promoted.

Then there are the contracts. I'm unlikely to sign without requesting amendments. 

This is all sounds good. Imo having a floor plan is essential, whenever I see a house marketed without it sets alarm bells ringing.

greenbee

Baileys_Babe said:

greenbee said:

Alchemilla said:

Can't hurt to contact the old cleaner.

How will you choose your agent?

Shortlist is compiled based on how good their photos/floorplans/descriptions are.

Then there's the interview process - how are they going to market it, what suggestions do they make about how I should stage it, where will it be promoted.

Then there are the contracts. I'm unlikely to sign without requesting amendments. 

This is all sounds good. Imo having a floor plan is essential, whenever I see a house marketed without it sets alarm bells ringing.

Floorplans also need measurements, details of out buildings and orientation (compass points). 

Carpenter has been and it's all done. Turf has been delivered and someone appears to be dealing with it. 

Baileys_Babe

Sounds good @greenbee

Alchemilla

What amendments do you make to their contracts? Do you refuse lock-in periods?

greenbee

Alchemilla said:

What amendments do you make to their contracts? Do you refuse lock-in periods?

Haven't read them yet, but yes, lock in periods, fees/commission rates, sole agency stuff, what they will do in terms of marketing etc. It's been a while. And a family member who is an estate agent will review for me too, as I'm probably not up to date. 

greenbee

So the carpenter is done and the turf is laid. 

Work is incredibly busy (I need to do some over the weekend), so I'm not sure how quickly things will move, but I now need to concentrate on tidying up, cleaning, weeding and making things look lovely. 

As its sunny today, I'm airing the house and aiming to get laundry done (and dried outside which hasn't happened much recently) and get a few more things in the garden out of the way - finish planting primroses along the new hedge, strimming, mowing, sawing up the spare log store so I can burn the wood, maybe giving the main patio a quick clean so I can put the garden furniture back out soon. I keep saying I'm going to do some weeding, sow seeds, mulch/feed shrubs and roses, mulch the flower beds with bark etc, but it hasn't happened yet! I do at least have the bark/compost/seed compost/topsoil to do all the small jobs that need doing. 

I also need to pick some of the lambs lettuce that seeded itself everywhere last year and is happily filling one of the raised beds! There's weedkilling to do too, and I need to check when to spray the quinces with fungicide. Oh, and a bit of pruning where I didn't finish the hedge. Without upsetting any nesting birds. 

greenbee

Landscaping is all paid for. Just the carpenter’s bill to come. The gate/fence guy didn’t get back to me and I’m fed up with chasing as it’s been months. Unless the estate agent says it’s a must-do, I’ll leave it. 

End of month money has been moved, with most going to savings but a decent amount to the mortgage as well. And then an additional 32p today from current account interest…

Estate agent is coming back on Monday, so this weekend will involve a lot of tidying. Mostly inside given how cold outside is.

I need to collect some concrete slabs from next door to put outside the greenhouse and get the waterbutt set up, finish cutting up the log store enough to put the bits away and get a few more bits of garden furniture out onto the patios (they are ALL clean, and some of the smaller bits of furniture are already out). I’ve also managed to get the hedges under planted with primroses, baby hellebores and the odd bit of Erigeron pulled out when I was weeding. Some dips in the lawn have been filled and seeded. There’s a bit of topsoil left if I need to do others. 

Seeds have been sown, greenhouse is bubble wrapped, stuff is starting to emerge in raised beds (so I need to start netting before the pigeons start helping themselves) and it’s all looking very productive. 

Next door also have some old sandstone they have taken up, which would be handy as stepping stones in the grass by the washing line if I have time and energy.