Diary of a 30-something idiot

foxandflowers

Okay, The House. 

The House used to be a shop. The couple that bought it moved in in the 1970s, and stripped it back to brick, and then added a concrete extension. The inside is truly late 70s, wood panelling everywhere, crazy patterned carpets, avocado bathrooms, awful light fittings... the works. The front half of the house (the shop half) has walls that are insanely thick, like 30-50cm thick. The back walls are less so, because they are concrete. The back garden is waist high with brambles, assorted breezeblocks, broken glass from the greenhouse, and rubbish. The fifth bedroom is a tiny L-shaped weirdness, where there was an issue with damp because the flat roof above it needed replacing. The downstairs shower room is an oddity with a shower curtain against the back wall presumably because it hasn't been installed properly. The shower curtain has dolphins on, like those Dolphin Paradise puzzles. There are sinks in three of the bedrooms. The whole house was redone with double glazing, apart from the dining room. The owner intended to put a conservatory in and knock through off the dining room, and then never did. The garden is north facing and narrow. The oven in the kitchen is the Tricity double built in oven, a true gem of the 1970s, and one I would be terrified to use for fear of blowing everyone up. 

With all that being said.... we loved it. Four of the five bedrooms are excellent sizes. The front room is enormous. The problematic flat roof was replaced 7 years ago. You can barely hear the outside trains because the walls are so thick. The garden is so long that only the first third is in shade. The location is unmatched, with sports fields off the rear of the house, a ten minute walk to my favourite beach, a range of local shops, cafes, hairdressers, takeaways, and a community garden. The potential is incredible. 

We made a list of things that need doing immediately. Rewiring (not because it needs it, but because it is an old house, we would like additional sockets/usb points and I'd feel a lot better if it was done) and replastering after this (depending on how much of the wall needs to be chipped in to). Fencing for the garden. DH is happy to do the grunt work and get the garden back to a reasonable standard (ie just a lawn, not a forest of brambles and rubbish). New floors (lino downstairs, carpet upstairs), wallpaper removal, painting everything white as a starting point. New fridge/freezer, oven, dishwasher, washing machine/dryer combo. 

Regarding the kitchen and the hilarious single pane of glass in the dining room, I would like to get two quotes, one for a single storey extension with bifold doors, and one for knocking through the walls in the kitchen to open it into the rear hallway/dining room area, and replace the back wall with bifolds. I've checked the historic planning documents in the area, and there was a single storey extension approved this year for a house a few up the road, and the house itself had planning approved for a garage at the end of the garden (we would prefer a carport and gates) although this has since lapsed. 

We rang the estate agent to say we were very interested, and explained that although we aren't yet proceedable because ours hasn't sold (it is marketed with the same agent) when we are proceedable we would like to make an offer. He asked us to put forward an offer anyway, and he would pass it over to the sellers. We went in at £10k below the OIEO price... I don't know if that was stupid or not. There is SO much work that needs doing that I didn't feel quite right going in at asking, even though I could realistically afford it as it is over 100k less than mine is on the market for. But I want a bit of wiggle room to be able to make our plans come to fruition. 

So now I guess I'm waiting to see if they accept, or what the seller's thoughts are. I hate waiting. I'm permanently on edge as it is, and this has made it so much worse. But I WANT it, I love the house, I love the area, I love the way I feel when I'm there. All the good energy towards us please. And hopefully the people that loved our house will sell theirs so they can buy ours. 

SuzeQStan

Hi ya F&F - really enjoyed reading that about the house - feels like I was there with you! Just a quick message now as I’m in work & supposed to be working 😉 but will have a more leisurely read later.
love your diary!

Sarahwithlove

Eeek that's exciting really hope it works out for you. Always good to go in under as gives room for negotiations. 

SuzeQStan

Agree with @Sarahwithlove - offer is a shrewd move.  Sounds like you can do things bit by bit and put your stamp on it. Very exciting!

on a boring sensible note would highly recommend an advanced survey to make sure nothing unexpected/expensive is highlighted once your have sold and are ready to move things to the next level.

Sounds great overall and super excited for you 

x SQS

slm6002

SuzeQStan said:

on a boring sensible note would highly recommend an advanced survey to make sure nothing unexpected/expensive is highlighted once your have sold and are ready to move things to the next level.

I am another one that would spend on the full survey.  Even if the money is there to repair anything that turns up, it is better to know what you are dealing with.  Exciting times though

Debsnewbudget

A full survey also allows you to negotiate on the price again if there are issues you have not costed into the refurbishment.
on that note, make a list of what you want to do to the property and get some idea of prices. This will give you a more realistic budget and help you work out whether its worth going ahead with it. It’s difficult to put head over heart but I think you need to
wood panelling can hide some horrors. If you take the wallpaper off then in older houses you normally need to put paper back on or have all the walls skimmed before you can paint.

foxandflowers

Very Bad Day. 

I pawned DH jewelry in December without telling him. Stupid stupid stupid. Now he wants it back and I can't afford to pay it off yet. Even more stupid. SO annoyed at myself. Have to see what I can afford to pay/borrow/etc to get it back. Cannot tell him I pawned it, I told him it was in my locker at work. Stupid stupid girl. 

Rang estate agents to see if any word on offer, they are discussing it and should have an answer this afternoon. Feel sick with nerves. 

I have drunk so many caffeiney drinks that I have heart palpitations. 

Work is difficult today. I want to cry. Stupid stupid idiot. 

vampirotoothus

Hi, having done a few renovations I would ask why you need new white goods? What is wrong with the ones you already have. No matter how much you try and keep the house clean during the work, it will not happen. So my advice is keep the old ones, buy 2nd hand if you need to. Then.... when the renovation is finished buy new, because at that stage they will all look tired.
Good luck on your journey V x

SuzeQStan

foxandflowers said:

Very Bad Day. 

I pawned DH jewelry in December without telling him. Stupid stupid stupid. Now he wants it back and I can't afford to pay it off yet. Even more stupid. SO annoyed at myself. Have to see what I can afford to pay/borrow/etc to get it back. Cannot tell him I pawned it, I told him it was in my locker at work. Stupid stupid girl. 

Deep breaths you are not stupid! You are surviving

Rang estate agents to see if any word on offer, they are discussing it and should have an answer this afternoon. Feel sick with nerves. 

Aw bless ya - don’t forget plenty fish in the sea!

I have drunk so many caffeiney drinks that I have heart palpitations. 

Put down the coffee hun - get a juice or a squash something like that. You can make a nice hot squash/Vimto if it’s a hot drink that you want

Work is difficult today. I want to cry. Stupid stupid idiot. 

Stop beating yourself up - far as I’m concerned your partner needs to contribute to your household finances. If he wants his jewellery back let him pay for them himself.

Xx hugs to you f&f

Sarahwithlove

Can you be honest with DH? I think given all you are doing to try and stay a float finding money for jewellery is going to be difficult.