SLLM (Single Lady Large Mortgage)

Sistergold

Hello SLLMs
The mortgage 
I hope you have all been keeping okay? I have been doing fine and just trying to stay cool under this hot weather! 

Mortgage went out last Monday and balance is going down “painfully slowly”(not very good English I know but that’s how it feels!) monthly payment is the same £1955.09 but on top of that there is also £840 OP which they don’t put on my online app! And again I am not happy about the minimal function and information when I log into my online mortgage account. Very very backward still and honestly speaking I don’t even know how much more it will cost WestBrom to just have more functionality and information for their customers when we log in! 😤 Anyway I still have to be grateful for my mortgage as at the time I just needed this mortgage! 

House ownership glow

I am still having the glow and satisfaction of being a proud home owner, it’s as if I have just moved in!😎 No regrets at all for my location. 🌾 No regrets at all that I maxed out!💲💲 I know stretching oneself is not good but sometimes you just need to stretch and get the right house  at the time. Also for me as a mature single lady I will not likely be trying to get another mortgage anytime soon so best just stretch! The important thing is to quickly make the mortgage less scary by OPs!  I still have to pinch myself to know it’s real, that indeed it’s my own house, in my own name, to paint white or black or red! Talking of colours I have been watching a lot of home redecorating programmes so much such that my all white painted house seems boring!🥱 Almost thought of seeing if I can paint walls different colours? Will see if I have the time, motivation and confidence to do it this summer while schools are closed. Gave the children £100 each to buy items to dress their rooms. I just wanted to see what they would buy and how creative they can be.They got more LED lights🤔 , my younger daughter also got some green fake climber plants for her room which she draped on her ceiling, it’s actually looking good. I am happy they got some bits and their rooms are looking different. They all used their money differently, posters, lights, cushions, bed linens etc. Promised them that we can paint their rooms when schools close. 

Back to the mortgage 
So the direct debit was taken and I am 11 payments from going below £400k! It seems far far away and there is really nothing I can do as I can only OP by a max of £1k each month! My hands are really tied with this new deal that I have. I just have to remember it’s a two year deal and it’s not the end of the world! It’s just that sometimes one wants instant gratification and it would have been tempting to just try and OP £22k so as to just see the balance tumble down to £399999.#! Oh well if wishes were horse beggars would ride! 

Again I still can’t believe I am now paying less than £2000 for my house, HAPPY DAYS INDEED! 

My garden does not seems easy maintanance anymore? Seems to have taken a life of its own. Guess it’s the rains, and the glorious sunny days which are all adding up and causing plant to thrive! It’s really over growing and I am struggling to keep up! I have been holding off getting a gardener but I can now see why previous owner had someone who came to tend the garden biweekly. I am trying to get the children involved in gardening but in the end it’s actually falling on me and I am now feeling overwhelmed! Could it also be that I just need the garden redesigned? I love looking at plants but hey they can quickly take over! Now I see why some people just lay paving throughout(Will Not Do this). Hopefully I can have a garden I love somehow! 

Oh my kitchen is the Bain of my existence! The last renovations went so badly I seem to be unconsciously avoiding having work done?😑 I REALLY NEED MY KITCHEN DONE NOW! Lockdown has been my excuse up to now but it’s really beyond tired as doors are falling! Believe it or not I am now suffering from serious kitchen-barassment! From this coming week I will see if I can start seeing if I can start organising the kitchen chimney breast removal before I can have a kitchen fitted I will need structural engineer to stipulate what needs doing to support, then a builder to do it. Also need the boiler moved from kitchen to maybe garage. Once those two things are done the kitchen is ready for renovation. 

I am just finding that the jobs are just piling and it all needs money! I really need to be wise in what to do and what should wait. Need to get back into diy mode and see what I can do myself! I am impressed by you laddies doing the plumbing and whatnot I seem to have become a bit complacent! 

Xx

Sistergold

The treadmill dramas
Oh I mentioned the other day that I had bought a treadmill? Few reviews later I cancelled the order(Reebok) and went on to order a sport-stech. Second thoughts later I cancelled the sports-tech treadmill and have since been having a bad time getting my £967 refunded. It’s now coming to 3 weeks and I have been getting one story after another from sports-tech as to why the refund has not been done. Never again will I order from them! Thank God I used my Barclay card so will give them another week and then raise a dispute. Anyway while waiting for all that to be sorted I straight away ordered a branx fitness folding treadmill on the 7th of July, thank God it was delivered and I have now had it for just over a week! It has been really good as it’s just a simple, solid machine where you just hop on and do your thing. Children have also been using the machine and it has been great going! 

The good thing is I don’t have to worry about future membership fees and no user profiles restrictions etc. Fingers crossed it will keep me and children fit for years to come. During winter it will definitely be useful as I hate going out in the snow! It folds up but still takes up a bit of space but I am getting used to it now as part of the second lounge, means I can watch telly while exercising. I am hoping to stick to some kind of exercise routine as I will no longer have excuses fir not being able to exercise out doors. 

My cross trainer is still giving me headache. After much going back and forth I ordered a part which I will try to fit today and if this does not resolve issue I will then order the mother board and replace that. If I can get it working it will provide a bit of workout variety. 

Xx

slm6002

Sistergold it sound like you have a plan and although it may not may not be going as fast as you would like it is still going in the right direction.  My whole house needs painting but lack of motivation and arm strength has got me putting it off.  Pondering the thought of getting children to help but wonder if it will create more mess and hassle than just doing it myself.
I am still in the same situation as i have been for some time.... stay where i am with no mortgage and be grateful for what i have including the security of knowing house is mine or move to get out of here and buy a house i feel comfortable in and that i like and get a mortgage again.  Currently going through redundancy / started new job and on probation, i cant do anything yet, but would love to make a final decision and if i end up staying i can get started on making it better here.

Sistergold

@slm6002 you are right about getting the children involved sometimes ends up with extra jobs! 

You are lucky you have a fully paid up house. It’s a nice dilemma you are in, get a mortgage or stay mortgage free? Hope to be asking myself that very question one day! 

slm6002

I know I am in a very lucky position and that part of the problem.  Is it worth me starting again or should I be grateful for what i have

badmemory

I love reading about you ladies getting your mortgages.  When I went for my first one I had to have a guarantor because I am a woman.  My aunt had to ask my father to be her guarantor even though she earned more than him.  I am so pleased that you ladies no longer have to do that.  I was in my middle/late 20s & if my father didn't want me to leave home then I would have been stuck having to pay rent.  I still get cross when I think about it.

Sistergold

@badmemory, a’rent we glad times have moved on! We can vote and get mortgages! 🥳

badmemory

As for the vote, I have never missed an election.  I've even got myself a postal vote now just in case at some time my health deteriorates too much to drive/walk there.  We won it & I intend to keep it.  Do I sound a little stroppy?  That's me!

Sistergold

slm6002 said:

I know I am in a very lucky position and that part of the problem.  Is it worth me starting again or should I be grateful for what i have

Very lucky position indeed! How much mortgage would you need to take? Over how long? What are your reasons for wanting to move again? What is wrong with where you are now? Could you or what can you do to make yourself fall in love with the house again and not move? 

Nothing wrong really with getting a mortgage if moving will increase your “home ownership glow”. We only live once and all. Xx

Sistergold

Good morning laddies 
Got a surprise tax refund cheque of about £580  through the post! Looks like Christmas has gone up a notch! Xx