Prosperous soul in the making

MovingForwards

Ouch, fingers crossed DS can get accepted by the NHS soon. Doing it as a loan was the right thing to do, you will be conflicted, but it's all learning to stand on his own feet.
DD would be excited, seeing all her hard work as a wage packet is a step towards financial independence and knowing dreams can come true
Fingers crossed your mate says yes as you can get your kitchen finished 🤗
Peace to get on with work makes a huge difference. 
Enjoy your evening 😊

Chrystal

I can almost 'see' your DD transforming!   It must be lovely for you to witness the changes in her happiness and confidence.  Long may it continue. XX
Glad you did a loan to DS rather than just give him it.  He's gone through a lot of money in a short space of time knowing that these things had to be payed for, so he must have been depending on you forking out for him.  Time for life's realities to hit home for him maybe?  Must admit though that most of us are suckers where our kids are concerned, but it doesn't do them any favours in the long run. X

savingholmes

MovingForwards said:

Ouch, fingers crossed DS can get accepted by the NHS soon. Doing it as a loan was the right thing to do, you will be conflicted, but it's all learning to stand on his own feet.
DD would be excited, seeing all her hard work as a wage packet is a step towards financial independence and knowing dreams can come true
Fingers crossed your mate says yes as you can get your kitchen finished 🤗

Yes - she got £133 for August and was very proud of herself - as that was only for about 6 shifts. She's done 5 more since already. I really hope that the kitchen does get resolved soon. The oven hood came today and fit (DH installed it) so I breathed a sigh of relief! The friend we asked  said no but recommended a different friend so waiting on hearing back from him. I do have an idea of who else I could call. 

Chrystal said:

I can almost 'see' your DD transforming!   It must be lovely for you to witness the changes in her happiness and confidence.  Long may it continue. XX
Glad you did a loan to DS rather than just give him it.  He's gone through a lot of money in a short space of time knowing that these things had to be payed for, so he must have been depending on you forking out for him.  Time for life's realities to hit home for him maybe?  Must admit though that most of us are suckers where our kids are concerned, but it doesn't do them any favours in the long run. X

Thanks Crystal - I agree on DD and DS. He's now thinking of doing an online masters since he can't travel. Kids!! We really weren't expecting him back!!

We are seriously considering moving - either locally or buying a second home - before March. A second home appeals a lot as a place to escape to and future 'semi-retirement' home - however if we put the same money to a bigger house locally it would probably make more sense. I think I am more like DD than I realised. Although I am bored of this house - it's difficult for me to let it go. Last time we moved she was 3 and DS was about 8. Unless I fund tradesmen to do all the decorating I think it will be never ending!! With all the images now online - the standard of presentation expected has really risen!! I am conscious  that even just decluttering could add majorly to the perceived value! DD has given the green light if we move locally - however to get the type of place I want locally would probably more than double our mortgage. We would however be able to keep our jobs....  I don't know... A lot to think about.

MovingForwards

That's not a bad wage for DD, I'm not surprised she was chuffed! 

What would you get out of a new local home, compared to what you already have and how would that fit with your future plans. Would your current home be sufficient if DD did live / work elsewhere? Are there any local houses catching your eye and what are they offering over what you have now? Perhaps spend a few weeks drawing up pro / con lists for staying, moving local and second home. That would help you work through everything.

Keep plugging away with decluttering, decorating and weighing up options. Everything will fall into place!

Blackcats

Hello savingholmes - glad that your dd is doing well - so good for her to earn her own money.
The ability to browse property on line is both a blessing and a curse.  It is great to look and get ideas but easy to see houses out of context.  I once went to view a house that looked amazing on line but it was in an awful location - the best house in the absolute worse road. Do you look at the "have a look at this" thread on the house buying forum section?  Some "amazing" places.  

I'm of the era that looking for a house involved waiting for the local paper to be published on a Thursday with pages of property for sale.  You then had to ring the estate agent and wait for the A4 sheet of details with a couple of photos to arrive in the post.  I remember using my mum as a post box when I wanted to have a nosey at neighbour's houses.  

I'm sure you will make good decisions.  

savingholmes

Thanks MF and Blackcats. Logically - we need to stay as is until our head is properly above water. Once we've paid our CCs off we will be much more attractive to banks - particularly if we have an EF as well. I agree that house photos can be very misleading. I've started studying floorplans as much as the photos!  There are a couple of properties locally with land that are at the bottom end of prices for such things but both would require more than doubling our mortgage.... I did a questionnaire online and in theory acc to a Exp*****n we would qualify for a mortgage of way over £400K. However that doesn't sound like a good plan if we want to retire early - particularly if our goal would include repaying the mortgage.

We are also on interest only for our current mortgage - if we could get a similar deal again we would be laughing - as we are paying £126 pcm to live in a 4 bed house at 1.05% interest however it seems unlikely!! While for the first couple of years we lived here - we paid £750pcm interest only - for most of the last few we were required to pay very little per month - meaning that the rising house price was on average more than double what we actually had to pay out. I'm starting to see why my Dad is anti-paying off the mortgage - on the basis that he has lots of friends who have paid off homes and nothing to live on. There has to be some middle ground somewhere. My parents living in an exceptionally nice home and have also benefited from a rising market - their interest rate is less than mine. Their deal requires selling the home to repay the capital once both of them die.

ohdearhowdidthathappen

Just caught up... you've been very busy!  Fab news on the kitchen work, DDs job and the cleaner!
I'm envious of your tiny mortgage payment!  Ours is £1650pm  Is there anything you could do to your current house to make it work better for you?  A wall knocked down to open up space, garage conversion, loft conversion etc?  I agree, when you look on rightmove these days, everywhere looks like a showhome and people will knock a chunk off any asking price for any work required.  Fingers crossed your DS finds a new job soon

savingholmes

Thanks OhSh... We are doing what we can with our current house - that's low cost currently. Still need to get someone to fit new worktops and need to sort electrician. Next after that - besides paint - thinking of installing some new washbasin/vanity units in the main bathroom and ensuite. Could possibly update the splashbacks in there at the same time - but have a patterned floor so may not look right if we did.

We are debating getting some slate to widen the drive slightly. I've got the weedproof membrane - although I may need to buy more. I am also considering using purple slate under the outdoor 'sofa' unit at the back -It would make the space more usable. I still need to finish painting the fence - could perhaps have another go at that today - as it has stopped / paused raining! DH still needs to complete the metal shed he put out there... It took him months to build the base - (tiny) and it is now still there with no doors on!! In the good old days - he would have taken a week over it rather than months! But he hurt his knee laying the flags and it still hasn't recovered. We probably need to start paying people to do more jobs - but then you have the hassle of finding them, getting quotes and then whether they actually turn up but may be quicker than DH at the moment!

I am trying to stay with the programme of repaying debt first and focusing on an area of the house and garden for a month or so at a time. That way we get the benefit of the change while we are getting ready to move. I can then gradually restyle rooms ready for selling and declutter along the way. I am genuinely happy with what we've done on the kitchen so far - and I think it will look good on photos even if close ups aren't quite as great - I think the new worktops will distract from that. Right - need to make myself go and do something!

In £ news the refund on the metal drawers for £120 has come through which is a relief. Hopefully the oven hood and bed will follow soon.

MovingForwards

Slate is gorgeous outside, quite cheap to buy by the ton bag and quickly transforms an area.

Is there any way you and DD can finish the shed or find a handyman to do some of these tasks? I know it's awkward balancing getting the jobs done and offsetting the cost of external help.

savingholmes

DH finally completed the shed. He likes the slate idea so will sort next payday. Will also need some kind of wheel barrow. Charity collection tomorrow so DD and I put out a bag each. Read a book and chilled other than that.