Sunday 4 November 2012

Sunday Salon: On Buying A House


Last week was the half term break for teachers and students here and it didn't come a moment too soon.  We had an unusually long first half term and we were all dead on our feet by the last Friday.  I cleared my desk, turned off my whiteboard, put everything in my cupboard and drove home without looking back.  I've not thought about work all week and it's been absolute bliss.  Because I've had such a good break, I'm looking forward to going back and getting stuck in again, recharged and ready to start over.

Most of our time this week has been taken up with house stuff.  I think I mentioned on here a few weeks back that we were putting in an offer on a house and the good news is that our offer was accepted about three weeks ago.  Since then, we've been finalising the mortgage with the bank, getting a solicitor, negotiating with the landlord to release us from our rental contract etc. etc. etc.

Things have felt like they are going very slowly but finally I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Our mortgage was agreed on Friday and the surveyor is going to the property next week.  Our solicitor is busily working on contracts.  I wish things could go quicker because I can't wait to live in the first house that will belong to us rather than someone else!

It's only a small house - a 2 bedroom terraced house in the center of town but good value for the very expensive area we want to live in!  What I like best about it is that it's built on the top of a hill overlooking a forest to the rear of the property.  So even though we are in the center of town (walking distance to the train station, library and shops), it still feels like you are away from the bustle, in your own world on top of a hill.  It's an upside down house too, with the bedrooms on the bottom floor and the living area upstairs.  I like that because it makes the most of the lovely views.  On each of our viewings, we could watch the squirrels running up and down the trees through the back windows.  At the moment we live in a lovely cottage on a very busy road so the peace and quiet will be much valued.

Today, we plan to continue sorting through our things and de-cluttering so we are ready to move.  Fingers crossed, we should be in by the end of the month!

33 comments:

  1. Your house and location sound lovely! All the best with your move and everything. :)

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  2. The house sounds perfect - good luck with your move!

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  3. House buying is such a long drawn out process! Hope you are in soon. Can't wait to see pictures of the bookshelves and the view!

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    1. Oh it is! We've only ever rented before and that it lightning quick compared to buying!

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  4. Congrats, Sam! Sounds like a great location!

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  5. Such exciting times! Congratulations! Please share photos when you can :)

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    1. I will definitely post photos. The good thing is it doesn't need much decoration so we should be settled in quite quickly.

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  6. Congratulations on your home! We bought 7 years ago and it feels SO much better spending money on something that is mine instead of giving my money to someone else. After the first 2 years our mortgage was less than what we were paying in rent. Now, after 7 years, we pay less than we did in rent with our home owners and taxes added in too each month.

    My daughter started teaching 4th grade this year and is loving it. I admire you teachers. You are not only a teacher, you are many other professions wrapped into one. Thank you for what you do. :) I'm sure you have and will touch many lives through your work.

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    1. I can't wait to be paying for something I own rather than filling someone else's pockets! Our mortgage will be considerably more expensive than renting for many years to come but still cheaper overall than what we have been doing, which is renting + saving for a deposit. Of course we have stamp duty, solicitors fees etc to pay so we'll be skint but happy for a while :)

      Glad your daughter is enjoying being a teacher. It's a tough job but on a good day it's the best job in the world.

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  7. Congratulations on the new house! Moving is so much work, but it's so much fun too! :D

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    1. I like moving and rearranging my books, but not so much the furniture! :P

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  8. Congratulations! It's a ton of work getting everything squared away but having found the place and getting things moving is the biggest part and you've done it! Hope everything goes smoothly and you'll be settling in your new abode soon!

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    1. We were so lucky, we found the house within the first week of looking, so just had to look at other properties to confirm it was the right one. Hopefully we'll be in there soon :)

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  9. Congratulations! It sounds lovely and a perfect location, buying your first house is such a landmark event, enjoy. I am so pleased you got the house you wanted, finding the right place can be such a challenge and stressful.

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    1. It does feel like a landmark event, we have been saving for the deposit for years. I'm happy we finally got that mortgage!

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  10. How exciting! So happy for you that things worked out! It sounds lovely and how interesting to have an upside down house. I am fascinated by English homes and gardens.

    I haven't been online much this past month, but I'm going to check out what you have been reading :-) I read Dracula this past week and loved it!

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    1. I think our houses are tiny and massively overpriced compared to those in other countries but full of charm. I will post pictures once we're settled in :)

      So glad you enjoyed Dracula, you knows it's one of my favourites :)

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  11. Congratulations! So nice to have both the view of the forest and an easy walk to shops and restaurants - hope all goes smoothly, and enjoy your new home!

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    1. Location was really our top priority as my husband doesn't drive and commutes to work on the train. I can't wait to move!

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  12. Happy news! How fun to have decorating to look forward to and bookshelves to fill. And peace & quiet sounds lovely.

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    1. I can't wait to get in there and start painting and rearranging!

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  13. Congratulations! House buying is such an exhausting process so I'm happy it all worked out well. It sounds lovely and always a bonus having a view.

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    1. The process is frustrating at times as there's so many groups of people to get in constant contact with and no one is going as fast as I would like!

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  14. How exciting! It sounds like a lovely place to live!

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  15. Happy new house! You'll have a great time making memories in your first home. Just make sure you know where all the bookshelves are going to go before you start hanging any pictures. ;-)

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  16. Congratulations on your purchase! I hope you'll share pics with us. It sounds absolutely lovely!

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  17. Oh this does indeed sound very exciting! I hope you will still have room for some books :) Glad it's all going well, though, even if a bit slow. I love being walking distance from town - I'm sure you will too.

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  18. Hello Sam,

    I have the impression like I was at your new home sometimes. You've described your mansion on a fantastic way. This story reminds me to one personal, where I was involved . New place to stay, happy couple, wonderful neighbourhood... Whish you all the best!!!

    Charles A. Davis
    Real Estate Specialist
    ForeclosureDataBank.com

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  19. Slowly but surely, well at least, there’s progress. Anyway, looks like you finally got the house! By the way, are you planning to make some renovations? Congratulations and Good luck!

    -Kathleen Salazar

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