I’m wondering if it would be helpful if other cyber friends could tell their stories of house moving. Either it will cheer me up,knowing that our experience is not unusual and things DO work out in the end, or make me lose the will to live knowing that it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

OH tried to be helpful by tracking down a place in his home town in East Anglia where you get a much bigger bang for your buck – for the price of a studio flat in our not-all-that-posh part of North London you can buy a 4-bedroom detached house. Only problem was it was within walking distance of the now sadly-demented m-i-l, aka the Frau Obergruppenfuhrer, Attila the Mum and other names indicating a position well to the right of Genghis Khan. I would no doubt find it easy to move to a new permanent address in your actual North London, i.e. Holloway Prison, to serve life for murder.

Good morning everyone from warm grey Melbourne.
I’m no help with house buying stories Hermaj, but fingers crossed that the perfect house comes through for you.

I’m still going well now that I am planning meals, and keeping to my plan. And, for the first time since I started maintaining a couple of months ago, I can see those upper arm flappy bits have decreased in size, so I feel very happy.

Hello BigBooty, yay for your bike riding, all power to you!

@back2thefuture How are you going. Did the feedback help at all?

Barata I hope those 2 kilos are budging now!

Cheers everyone else too! It is Sunday Fast Day for me, planning to make it a very fasty one!

It is fast day today.

Herm, I’m so sorry your (Trumpington?) house buy fell through. I know someone who managed to get a mortgage on a steel framed property in Cambridgeshire about 20 years ago. I remember it was a major pain in the a**e, but I don’t remember the detail. I’ll see if I can find out.

Re: losing your buyer. As a non-Londoner it seems that the property market there remains pretty buoyant? But if the numbers stack up you could sell, then rent something in/near Cambridge while you find your forever house?

Hi all. Hermaj, sorry to hear you missed out on your house of choice. But as far as advice goes… what they said 🙂 Better to take the time to find your happy home. There is a stunner, just waiting for you – and well away from MIL! Well done on the weight loss, with what is going on in your life.

I have just done a count-back on our moves, and from our first flat when we were married, this is our sixteenth abode. And we have recently passed the mark that this home is the longest stay yet. Comes of OH not deciding he doesn’t like his job, and initiating a move!

Cinque, not only are those two kgs sticking around, my arthritis is back with a vengeance 🙁 This is not the month for taking any action, and next might not be either, if this month’s work is not completed. And April is my second-busiest month of the year anyway.

No sleep-ins this weekend, so starting to droop. Must be wine time!

Dear P – better – or worse? There’s no competition, I did get dragged around the world a bit – with children the first time, sans fil et filles the second (French not being a subject I have learned, excuse errors.) And when we were in Christchurch wages went down and interest rates were stratospheric, so a move was necessary to reduce the mortgage of the day.

I don’t expect this will be our last home. Retirement in Wellington is not on my plans. North, I think, but no time frame for retirement.

It’s been a lovely day here, although the wind is up. 23 degrees and lots of gardening done.

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions re house moves. I don’t think rent and store would work, on grounds of expense – rental rates are extortionate even if we made a temporary move to a dodgy neighbourhood, as is storage. Our books alone would take up half a warehouse. And the thought of having to do two mega-moves, first from our weird first-second-and third-floor flat to warehouse, and then warehouse to new home, makes my blood run cold. Also I did suggest it once. From the reaction, you’d think I’d suggested starting up a kiddy-porn website. As it has taken blood, sweat and tears to get OH onside, I don’t want to rock the boat unnecessarily.

We had the first sale (at above the asking price) fall through, after the buyer’s dad came and looked and decided it wasn’t right for his daughter, even though mum had also inspected and approved – twice! However, the moment the flat went back on the market we got endless viewings and some very good offers, including the current one. My instinct, therefore, is to keep on looking so that even if the current buyer does drop out, there is definitely a market for the property and the fact that we had somewhere to go would in itself be a selling point.

Happy, I understand that, even now, mortgage lenders aren’t quite so worried about steel-framed buildings, but equity release providers are. We tried several and were instantly refused – not an uncommon experience as I found via Google. At least now we don’t have to be embarrassed about living in a place after the Transatlantic Twat with the bad hair.

I’m a great believer in fate Herm. Something will happen and it will be 😊
In the meantime, enjoy life to the full, as you always do. ☺P

Herm,

I tend to go with the flow and try to be happy where I am. It will be as it will, and that will be OK.

I must admit I wouldn’t want the hassle of renting and a double move, but in its favour you’d actually be experiencing the area you want to move to (greater certainty that you like the location, not just the house?), it might make viewings a bit easier (not an expedition out of London), and you’d have no chain/ be a cash buyer (very attractive to people who might need a quick move or might lose their dream home!).

However, for me, unless I really really hated where I was living (and you don’t) I wouldn’t sell up and rent. You don’t need to (you’re not moving for a job, etc) and there’s not much prospect of the bottom dropping out of the London property market. As you say, fate will sort it out, and for the best 😀

We’ve been in this house for 30 nearly and won’t move as we could walk to everything we need if we had to give up driving.

I don’t think I could face the selling hassle, Herm. And I’m so relieved that we didn’t buy a holiday place in Florida, as I’d be paranoid with the present exchange rate.

I’m a firm believer in serendipity,; it doesn’t always seem so, but things tend to work out.

Pol

Herm,

Ha. Well if you’re a nasty miserable old git, then what am I? We moved from an edge of village location, with fields front and back, and semi-detached….to proper rural, detached, nearest neighbour 3/4 of a mile away! And I still get annoyed if I can hear their kids screaming and the dog barking in the distance 😀

Sounds like you need to get out of there hermaj for the sake of your mental health.

We’re like you Polly, lived in this house 39 years. Went through the idea of downsizing (although this place isn’t huge, would just be seeking different configurations of spaces). We looked around, really couldn’t see anything we liked and it was going to cost quite a lot more to buy. When compared with where we are we were better off staying. We are in a great location and have everything within walking distance for when we may not be driving. We have a number of rooms we don’t use now but our kids moved away and so now they all stay with us when they visit, so I still need those rooms!

My dad is still in the first house he and mum built 62 years ago! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! 😊

Sometimes not having the choice can work in your favour. We had to move when I retired , almost 8 years ago – combination of house which went with the job, rules about moving off the patch so as not to be a witch to successor (who, me??!!) and finance – from wonderful, spacious house in glorious countryside with no neighbours and space for chickens, pigs, visitors (in that order) to a perfectly pleasant but undistinguished smallish bungalow in suburbs. Much mourning. We now realise we have everything we need within walking / mobility scooter distance (healthy for me, and better now that OH has had to stop driving), no necessity to get the car out for everything, down to a newspaper or pint of milk, smaller utility bills (though council tax was a shock!) enforced decks-clearing of ‘stuff’, for which our offspring will no doubt give thanks when we depart,, neighbours who are pleasant, non-intrusive but there for one another if needed (I know we’ve been lucky!) and Internet/mobile signal that works, without having to climb on top of hen house. Lots I still mourn, but as we get older I acknowledge it has some compensations. And left to ourselves, we would have put it off indefinitely – and probably had to face it when we were old enough to find it harder to settle into a new community, make new friends, join new activities etc. It’s tough whichever way you do it, but it’s not all loss.
Sorry it’s all being so complicated and protracted for you, herm – but it sounds as if whatever it turns out to be will be an improvement, and it’s worth every bit of time, delay and frustration to make sure it’s really right. Just imagine getting it not-quite-right and having to choose between putting up with it and doing it all again next year!! Aargh!!!
Having said all that, I’m struggling at the moment with what I think is a combination of end-of-winter SAD, too-many-anaesthetics-in-too-short-a-time, and a version of ptsd- caused-by-some-recent-stuff-going-on flat syndrome. I shall catch up with life, and people, properly soon, I hope – but the urge to interact is distinctly intermittent at the moment. Apologies – hope I shan’t be long!!

Isn’t life grand, Herm? ☺☺P

Oh dear, Herm, I can see why you want to move. Successful living in a flat is dependent on neighbours in so many ways. Let’s hope things work out for you. And you’ve lived in great places!

Fast, I’m intrigued. Are you able to say what you did before retirement? Having to move from the patch is strange. You do sound as if you’ve got the weight if the world at the moment. Hope things improve fir you, too.

I’ve had a funny week on maintenance, feeling unusually hungry, so I’m wondering whether I’ve become a bit too complacent. I did have two of those small chocolate bars, when trying to get into and make notes on our book group tome, Flood of Fire. I sucked my thumb until I was 10! Subsequently, I always found I needed to suck a Mintoe or something when doing reading which requires great concentration! Now if course, I’ve spoiled my sugar boycott!

Tai chi this morning. I’d better move myself. Cheers, all.

Pol 🙋🏼

Thanks Herm. Twill be interesting reading.
You’ll be experts by the time you find the perfect buy. P 😊😊

PS I’m watching “Sugar Free Farm”….what a pack of whingers!!!

Herm , that cauliflower Peshawar naan sounds great, Oh had a rare flop yesterday, mushroom and chickpea burgers. They were too dry, mainly because he was tinkering – always knows better!

W went to the cinema yesterday. I had an ice cream, which I haven’t done since starting 5:2. Coffee bean, a Baskin Robbins one. It was lovely and not sweet.

Pol. 🙋🏼

Yes, I caught some of Sugar Free Farm, enough to think they were mostly a pathetic bunch of spoilt…babies! I had little patience with any of them. But then you probably do have to be a certain needy type to be the sort of person who wants to be in a reality TV show. Apologies to anyone here with aspirations to make a prat of themselves on international telly 😀

Good onya, mate! Enjoy your ‘Aussie for a day’ Day 😊😊😊

I’d consider it a sign of being completely sane. It is truely weird wanting to watch others making fools of themselves. It’s probably more a reflection of tv companies saving money. ‘Reality’ tv is much cheaper to make than dramas or documentaries. P

Good morning, all. Indulged in the loveliest chips ever last night. Just as well, the rest of the meal wasn’t up to much. Confession to sticky toffee pudding with custard, too. I did confess, in my early days on this thread, that I’m a custard addict and do not trust myself to make it at home and have a reasonable portion. Soooooo – having a controlled portion in a restaurant would be better – or so I claim.

Actually, I haven’t indulged all winter. Last night was the first and I have wriggle room. Yesterday I was in danger if seeing 8st xx in the scales.

We had an expensive day yesterday, stocking up on new underwear in Marks, luckily most of mine in the sale. When I was cleaning my teeth, I could feel my knickers sliding down! I would have been in trouble on holidays if wearing a skirt! 😳 OH bought three new pairs of trousers as well as undies!

Wales v Ireland tonight. Stupid Friday night games, very hard to get home after it, so TV. Hope the boys up their game.

Pol. 🙋🏼

Oh, no, Carol, I meant 8st something. I’m 5’3″ so not tall.

20 years ago, when I did the F Plan I couldn’t stop losing and ended 7st 10. Photographs show that I looked bloody awful, in spite of being proud of size 8 trousers! There was no maintenance strategy with that, so I gradually put the weight back on. I’m still trying to maintain, having gone 6lbs under my original target. I really don’t want to lose more.

Weighing every other day seems to be working, keeping me around 9.2.
Pol

Well last week I unexpectedly saw 58.6 on the scales two days in a row, a bit lighter than I want to be. I didn’t think I went mad at the weekend, but was 60.9 at the start of the week 😊 I had a good fast on Tuesday, then overate (all healthy, just too much!) on Wednesday. Thursday I wasn’t a ravening beast, but still heavy this morning, so I’ve done a 24 hour fast, broken with a glass of wine…medicinal you understand, to calm my nerves watching Wales v Ireland….

Polly, I always hated the Friday night fixtures, but actually this one starts my weekend on a high 😀 AND frees up a couple of hours of daylight that can be usefully spent preparing the veg patch! But oh for those bygone days when my ambition would have been a lost weekend in the pub…very often the sole Welsh supporter amid a sea of Sais!

Ha ha, you need a Welsh-English dictionary! …Englishmen!

Happy, wine was essential last night, during and after that fantastic game! Both teams played superbly and it could have gone either way until Dr. Roberts’ try! Hope Scotland do the job this afternoon. Won’t you watch the games, Happy? Veg can wait.

English friends, we are not generally anti-English, only when it comes to rugby! And Celts support each other.

Im not sure what 60.9 is in imperial ‘scoring’. I do agree that rugby weekends used to equal an extra few pounds: breakfast at Servini’s, then Guinness in The Gatekeeper, meal at Ask after the game.

Pol. 🏉🏉🏉

Hi,

I started fasting 10 months ago after seeing myself in a mirror at the physios and realising I wasn’t as slim as I thought I was! I’ve always exercised but even that didn’t seem to be moving the excess weight over the last few years which was quickly turning into ‘middle age spread’ (I’m now 54) and always remember a gym instructor telling me it was 70% diet and 30% exercise. My diet was probably too high in carbs and low in fats.

My weight in May 2016 was 13st 11lbs when I first looked into fasting – I watched the 5:2 Horizon documentary and having two days of 600 calories per week looked too daunting so opted for doing 16:8 daily fasting 6 days a week.

My weight’s currently at 11st 2lbs so am looking into going into a maintenance routine as I don’t want to lose any more so have started doing a combination of 6:1 (Monday is my 600 calorie day) and then 16:8 daily on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I also do 40 minutes of HIT 6 days a week and also walk two miles three times a week.

However, I’ve lost another 1lb this week so either need to eat more or fast less!