Light the fire...

Fortune_Smiles

Congratulations on your lovely new home
Fortune x

woodfired

Hello All,

Thanks once again for the well wishes, we are really starting to settle in now.

I have downloaded the H@alifax banking app and logged in on my laptop too, it all looks easy to use but I can't decide if I'm allowed to OP 10%.  I thought all mortgages allowed this but I must check for sure before I start!
I think I need to dig out the paperwork and offer letter etc - if I can find them!
Actually - brainwave - the offer was emailed, just checked and it appears we have no 10% ERC free allowance This is a disaster! 
Need to go and ring them to double check.

Will report back.x

woodfired

Phew!  All is well, I can make up to 10% OPs per year, how ridiculous is it that it was really worrying me not to be able to OP!
I can make a regular OP but have to wait til the first payment has gone out at the start of March before I can set that up.  Our current term is 25 Years but I'm aiming for max 15 years.  This requires just over £500 OP per month which is not realistic to begin with but hopefully smaller OPs to begin with then increasing once our finance on DH's business is cleared in 3 years will have the same effect.  The good news is that, having moved in, the house doesn't need as much work as we first thought it would.  Now our furniture is in, the space is much more workable and actually makes more sense as we live in it than it did when first viewed (if that makes any sense at all!).  It is actually a really well thought out layout with some really useful features that I never even knew I needed!

woodfired

Sunday afternoon already!  Had a busy weekend, my birthday Friday which meant many visitors then a big housewarming party yesterday/last night for over 40 people.  Phew.  Very tired today but had to take DS to his friends birthday party at a (packed) children's play area .  Just got back and lit the fire to relax for an hour or so.  

Happily I managed to escape the party and nip to B&Q to pick up some paint for the huge, ugly fitted wardrobes in our room.  The room is painted a pale duck egg so I picked a bark blue-grey that I hope will go nicely, too tired to start painting now, will have to wait! 

In other news we have managed not to spend too much on the house so far.  £270 on two tables and 15 chairs, £74 on a large chest of drawers (may paint the same as wardrobe if I like it), £56 on paint, brushes and rollers and finally £205 on an under counter fridge and freezer that are coming later this week.  Hopefully that is the last big purchase for a while, need to replenish the coffers.

lucielle

It sounds like you've settled in well.
L

savingholmes

Glad it is all working out well. LOL at the panic re OPs - glad you can do them okay.

woodfired

lucielle said:

It sounds like you've settled in well.
L

savingholmes said:

Glad it is all working out well. LOL at the panic re OPs - glad you can do them okay.

Thanks both, it still feels a bit surreal but we are settling in nicely and it's starting to feel like home.

I am waiting impatiently for my under counter fridge and freezer to arrive, the integrated one that came with the house is TINY! It is driving me mad not being able to freeze leftovers etc so I am very much looking forward to having the extra space.  In other news, I have persuaded DH to let me have a dryer and that will be collected tomorrow.  I am struggling to dry washing around the house as there is no really warm space in which to have my airer.  The utility is in the extension and has 3 external walls which means it is quite cold when the heating isn't on.  I have been leaving the airer in front of the woodburner in an evening after we go to bed but it is still taking 3 days to dry a load.  I'm hoping 24 hours on the airer to get it half dry then a blast in the dryer will be the answer, I need something as I am having to stagger the washing and it is piling up somewhat!

Thankfully, I had a savings pot for the house put aside that I expected to use to buy a sofa, we haven't needed an extra sofa so this money can now be put towards electricals!  Along with my birthday money, there should still be plenty left in the pot for other bits and this should be the last big spend for a while.

Last night we spent a couple of hours revamping our fitted wardrobes.  They had been 'homemade' by a previous owner using slate batten and were very tired and dated (stained bright orange 90's pine).  DH boarded over the lats with thin plywood then I have painted them a dark greyish blue (B&Q Flannel Blue), thy need another coat but are looking so much better and for very little money as we had the wood at his work and the paint was £32.  It's ages since we did any DIY like this and I remembered how much I enjoy doing it, especially small jobs that don't take too long but make such a difference to a room!

lucielle

I tend to hang towels over doors and they usually dry in 24 hours but I'm a tight wad!
L

savingholmes

I'd never heard of them but someone on one of the diaries said you can get electric airers?

greent

Heated airers - I bought both my 2 at uni one to save tumble drying costs