Watty's Awakening

Watty1

daisy_1571 said:

https://www.onthemarket.com/details/15125604/#/photos/74

How about this one?  (If you want to spend all your days hoovering lol the vaaaaassstttnessssss of these rooms lol)

😆 🤣 😂 

Dxx 

How about we share?  You can have the house and I will have that fabulous stable block for me and the boys.  I'd never find my keys or a pair of scissors in a house like that

Lovely location too, would be  on my list of locations to consider (and very near home for FellPony although I'm not sure he would move with me if I went that far as I have 'his person' to consider)

daisy_1571

lol, yes it would be constant searching for things.  I was just amazed at the sheer stretch of carpet in every room and I don't think it was a photographers trick, it just looks vast.  I think I'd quite happily fit into 2 rooms as they all need a second floor too otherwise all your heat is away up at the ceiling.  However the stables I agree look lovely, id need a couple for our bikes and our 'future vehicles' lol, ie all the old vintage vans and trucks I see on Bangers and Cash and can't afford but love. 

As we are still between dogs I found it hard initially to meet people when we first got here, you just tend to say hello to other walkers rather than stand and get talking like you do when you meet a fellow dog walker. It also wasn't that long after covid so clubs and things hadn't started but now I've met local folk through wi and joining u3a and going to some of the clubs in that.  Its definitely harder to make proper friends once you are older thats true though 

Dxxx

Watty1

I have been pondering more.  The desire to move is (a) to have some better hacking (b) free up some cash

(a)
I've been working with the British Horse Society to try and improve the hacking here but it is an uphill battle, we have uncovered some old rights of way that are being reclaimed but that is now subject to a hearing as the parish council objected (possibly because one of the major landowners is on the council) as did the landowners.    The other path is a legal right of way but the landowner has obstructed it so  much that it cannot be used.   I think it will be subject to enforcement action in the end.

So my riding out in lovely countryside means i have to put a horse in a lorry and drive somewhere which isn't really what I want to do. I miss the days in a previous location where i had a choice of lovely routes that I could use before work.

(b) I'm still tracking expenditure.   If I moved out of the South East I could move somewhere (house price wise) with lovely countryside that I could ride it - that would be a criteria of any house - and if I find somewhere cheaper I can free some cash. 

So those are the positives for moving.

The downside is  (a)  I do have a lovely life here other than the riding out - which is really important to me - but I also value my friendship group.  (b) I have a suspicion the house would be difficult to sell because PPH has a 50% overage on the land and there are plans to build a 'garden village'  on top of the hamlet.   

In a very non MSE comment the riding out is more important than the money.  

daisy_1571

There's always someone willing to buy, things just have to be priced accordingly.   Someone may notcare about the overage as they have no plans to build, someone else may be happy to wait, a third may be happy to do the work and pay whatever needs to be paid as they will have no emotional attachments it will be purely financial? 

beanielou

As you say some things are worth more than money. 

Watty1

Whilst mulling over the bigger picture there is still plenty to do. 
Someone has been here most of the afternoon fitting the landing light. I bought one because I loved it, and then found out how hard it would be to fit and decided to go ahead anyway.  This means that the boards in the loft have had to be lifted, to fit the light and then a hook put in to take the light from where it is on the ceiling to where it needs to be hung (it is an old fashioned lantern on a chain).  I've viewed progress as I was asked to hold it and I love love love it. Hoping he will be finished soon though as I would like a sit on the sofa with a glass of wine before bed!

I bought the light before I decided to just do the work the Estate Agent suggested needed doing rather than doing all I wanted to do.   It was/is worth the money and effort to get it installed.   Another step to making the house so MINE as PPH would never have installed anything like this light.  (house goals)

Business phone bill arrived, and after all the phone dramas last year I realised I was being substantially overcharged and finally got through to someone on "billing" who agreed and we may have a resolution (saving £800+ a year).  Filed VAT and moving a little bit of earnings into my pension pot.  (financial goals)  Both those last two were an effort but are now done.

LadyWithAPlan

Watty1 said:

daisy_1571 said:

https://www.onthemarket.com/details/15125604/#/photos/74

How about this one?  (If you want to spend all your days hoovering lol the vaaaaassstttnessssss of these rooms lol)

😆 🤣 😂 

Dxx 

How about we share?  You can have the house and I will have that fabulous stable block for me and the boys.  I'd never find my keys or a pair of scissors in a house like that

Lovely location too, would be  on my list of locations to consider (and very near home for FellPony although I'm not sure he would move with me if I went that far as I have 'his person' to consider)

Some of those rooms are fabulous ! The high ceilings and huge spaces and for a Londoner like me £2.1m seems v cheap - that’d buy a 3 bed by me with a small garden  ! 

The lamp sounds lovely - well worth the hassle 

daisy_1571

Lwap, that is mind-boggling,  I don't know which is more awful - those prices or the fact those prices seem acceptable to estate agents/buyers/peoplein general.  London really is very skewed dont you think?

Dxx

Watty1

The lamp was finished yesterday rather later than intended.  I think he had underestimated the size of the job.   He apologised but has cracked the plaster where the hook has been put in and offered to come back and fill it, sand it and repaint if I have more of the paint used.  I don't have the paint and it is just a few tiny cracks which I'll not notice in a few days so I thanked him and said leave it for now.  What I did not add, is that WattyDog is making such a mess of my lovely white paintwork that the place will need repainting in a year so whoever i get to re-paint can touch it in then.  

I love it. I'm so glad I had it done.   

The conversation last year with the estate agent focused my mind.  Just do the work a  buyer will expect to see but add a few touches that will bring me a lot of joy.    This approach will save me money this year but also help me focus on the renovation work I actually do. Rather than doing everything I "would want to do" I've a new focus.

Watty1

LadyWithAPlan said:

Watty1 said:

r)

Some of those rooms are fabulous ! The high ceilings and huge spaces and for a Londoner like me £2.1m seems v cheap - that’d buy a 3 bed by me with a small garden  ! 

The lamp sounds lovely - well worth the hassle 

The rooms were fabulous, although Daisy is on hoovering those carpets!   There were actually 3 cottages in the grounds too.  The price differential is astounding though, you could get a 3 bed with a garden near LaPlan, whereas 5 to 6 hours a way you could buy all that land, huge house, 3 extra houses and so on.  Crazy.

I think I am slowly coming round to the idea I do not want to move to far from where I am.   If I do, then it would need  to be on the outskirts of a village with a pub, a cafe, a nice social side, a church and with a great equine vet nearby too.  (Oh Watty that is what you have here just no countryside bridle paths or woodland to explore)

It took me a while to build the life I have.  When my relationship with PPH hit the rocks I had very few people around me now I have a good life. I'm not sure I want to start over with that and after a good look at houses on line, I also realise that I just don't have the money to gain nice countryside to ride in local to me.  

I will keep thinking and work on this years goals for now.