General Chat

Morning all from the wild, wild west! Howling winds and torrential rain meant, i did not sleep well at all and its still blowing a gale.

Anyway, no damage and we are all safe so better off than some in the world.

Joan, the puppy sounds adorable and hope he didn't leave you a trail throughout the house lol

Linda, hope the viewings are going well. You have been luckier than us in getting people to view! We have had no interest now since September so we shall just have to be patient and see what happens.

Re no oven, well my dad only recently connected his gas cooker! He has been cooking in a microwave for 4 years. Partly because he said it was cheaper. But then his carer moved in and so they needed to cook proper meals especially last xmas and so now uses both. he said it is doable, you just have to adjust the meals you want but personally, i much prefer my electric fan oven and hob.

Just small basket of ironing today and some other chores.

Def not putting my head out the door and risk being carted off by the wind lol

Hope everyone safe and ok

Florence in the hebrides

I have a microwave combi oven Florence and it is much cheaper to use that as an oven rather than put he big oven on. Having said that, I much prefer the large oven.

We stayed over at my daughter’s new house on Monday night It took me a while to get to sleep, being in a strange place. I woke up with a start at 5 am and realised Esme was shouting for her mum. As I didn’t have to get up, I was able to go back to sleep, but we had the alarm set for 6.15 am so OH could take my daughter to the station at 6.30, so I was awake after that. Esme was very amenable and let me look after her before and after school. As it was Tuesday, I had to make Taco’s for dinner, even though OH and I don’t like them :-(.
As Tuesday is swimming day at school Esme even let me wash her hair without making a fuss, which is a first. We collected my daughter from the station at 9.40 pm, then drove home.
I went straight to bed and slept like a log until about 6.30. I read my iPad for a bit as I was wide awake, or so I thought. I must have gone back to sleep and didn’t wake up until 9.45 There was a cup of lukewarm coffee by the bed which OH must have left before he went out to Probus. The shower in the en-suite was wet, so he must have had a shower when he got up and I didn’t hear that either.

We looked at a few houses in Harrogate while we were there, we are going to see another three on Friday morning. One we saw yesterday was nice and we could see ourselves living there. It has been on for a while, but apparently someone made an offer on it the day before we saw it. The estate agent didn’t know if the offer was going to be accepted, or if the people who had made it were in a position to proceed.
We can’t do anything until we have an offer on our house of course. There was another house we liked the look of, but our viewing was cancelled because it had gone under offer.
We had two viewings booked in here for this afternoon , but one was cancelled this morning, however that one has been replaced by another person who has accepted an offer on her house. We also have another one booked in for Friday. So we are having a good interest in the house, but of course, none
of that matters unless one of them actually makes an offer.

Good morning all It is 17 degrees now and very grey and there was a short shower earlier. so looks like the end of our second little summer. No gardening for me, although I have been down in the shed sorting out some seed trays and cells in case anyone need them at our garden interests meeting tomorrow. Won't be able to do it in the morning as hopefully 'the gas boiler man cometh'. H/W for me as i have the garden interests group here tomorrow afternoon. Not that it is dirty or untidy but must make an effort. Might do some card making then.

Oh my linda, what a busy time for you just now!

Well the sun has appeared and rain temporarily stopped but its still very windy.

Was just reading on BBC news website that parts of Scotland may get snow next week eeek !!! Hard to believe that really. How extreme :-S

I know what you mean AnnG when people do come. My house is always fairly clean and tidy but when you suddenly know visitors are coming, you notice a bit of dust don't you and then have to quickly flick the duster round, check the bathroom, clean towels out etc.

The postie just delivered me 2 balls of chunky wool I ordered so I can start on another hat for a family member they will appreciate when they are out fishing and it's cold!

I counted all the cards and we have made 160! never realised we had made that many plus 50 bookmarks.

Right lunch time now I have finished all me chores and paperwork. Shall look in later on.

Florence in the hebrides

Re "no oven" -

about 30 years ago I moved into a house which had a hob but no oven.
I bought a microwave combi oven, and that was fine.

However, I was glad that there was a "real" oven in the next house, about 5 years later.
I was then able to sell the combi oven and replace it with a normal basic microwave.


What a lot of cards, Florence! You've been busy. I hope they all sell well.

Morning all

Finally its calm outside but I think later the gale will return :-(

Yes AG I hope they do sell but I hope the fayres are well supported. That's the thing here, you can never tell. I have been to fayres where they are full of people and some have 20 stalls and just a handful of people turn up, so few sales. We can only be hopeful.

Daughter is back later so washing machine's holiday is over and the tumble drier lol

I went outside for fresh air and to look at what is still flowering on the garden. Oh my I still have many roses and new buds :-S

Carnations, fuchsias, Lavataria and my hydrangea are all in full flower still but i feel the temp has def dropped today. There is almost a wintry chill in the air!

I find I only use my microwave for heating things like peas or a bowl of soup etc. I never actually cook a meal plus in my big fan oven I have 3 shelves so can get loads of things in all at once.

Well better crack on with usual chores.

Hope everyone ok today

Florence in the hebrides

Afternoon all.

Oh my the wind is just horrendous and no let up! Its been blowing a hooley for 2 days and my head is so sore. The whistling noise through he kitchen vent is driving me up the wall :-P

Have been finishing off the crafting cards and gifts tags. I put 10 gift tags with silver "string" into a clear 6x4 bag for £1.00.

I'm not making any more things now but getting on with me knitting else the scarf wont be ready by xmas or the other hat i started.

I was going to wrap some xmas presents and parcel them ready for posting next month but too tired today. Sleepless night with the howling wind,

I made a brown loaf in the breadmaker yesterday and I oiled the paddle but guess what?.....it still stuck inside the loaf arghhh However it was very tasty.

Not sure about tea tonight as i'm not feeling very hungry today.

Hope everyone is ok...Joan? Hope you are ok.

Florence in the hebrides

It is annoying when the paddle sticks in the bread Florence. The last bread maker I had always stuck no matter what I did, but the one I have now never does.

The house viewings are coming on. Someone came for a second viewing yesterday, but we haven’t heard anything more. We have another viewing in a few minutes, then tomorrow we have another second viewing. So fingers crossed someone will make an offer soon.

We went to see another three houses this morning, but ruled them all out. There is just the one house we are keen on, but we can’t do anything until we get an offer. Of course, by the time we do, it will have gone :-(

Hello all, Hope everyone is ok.

Our weather today is horrible, windy and very wet. I put the heating on today for the 1st time . The noise the wind makes is awful so I sympathise Florence.

I have been looking online for things to get family for Christmas presents I have no idea what to get anyone. Family abroad get money but family here I haven't a clue. I don't like to give just money so they may just get socks and a selection box each lol.

Well got to decide what to do for tea , so many decisions lol

Take care all

Ginnie

I decided i needed some comfort food lol So pan of penne pasta, sliced up lots of mushrooms and used up 1/2 a cauliflower luring in the veg tray.

Then once cooked a large jar of tom pasta sauce with chunky veg. i just mixed it all together with black pepper and put in a large dish with a covering of grated cheese. Its now in the oven.

So with the bread i made yesterday, this will be comfort food indeed!

Glad the viewings are going well Linda, fingers crossed for an offer.

Yes JustGinnie, doesnt matter what room you are in, there is no escape from the constant whining and whistling of the wind grrr

Right better check oven as dont like burnt pasta bake!

Good morning to all, though it's not actually a good one weatherwise.
It was VERY windy all day yesterday & it carried on all through last night along with the rain, the noise was terrible & it is still blowing a gale today, though the rain has stopped. It was really cold yesterday

I am NOT looking forward to the 26th of Oct, we are having our electricity switched off for work to be done 2 villages away from us, sometime between 9-00 am & 5-00pm.
Typical them doing such work at THIS time of year, & our daughter will also be switched off.

Oh that's our son just arrived so I will say cheerio for now, back later.

Joan.

It is very cold here as well Joan, windy, but not a gale

Gosh Florence, you have made a lot of cards, so I hope you sell them.

I am just waiting for a couple to come for a second viewing on the house, we had another second viewing a couple of days ago, but haven’t heard from them, so I guess it is a no. The people coming today want to move very quickly, but we haven’t got anywhere to go. We heard yesterday that the house we really wanted had gone under offer. That is really annoying as we can’t find anywhere else we would want, that we could afford that is :-(. If they do make an acceptable offer, I don’t know what we will do.
We went to see three houses yesterday, but they were all dire. There are a couple of possibilities, but they are not where we want to be and are cheaper than we were expecting to pay. That might not be a bad thing of course, but it probably means the area isn’t good.

Brrrr its freezing here! We have had several showers of hailstones and yes the wind is still howling!!

So heating is on already and staying in sitting room as that is the warmest room. Been busy knitting away and should have the hat finished by tomorrow.

Leftover pasta bake tonight so no need to cook today just reheat. always tastes better the 2nd day I find.

Oh dear Linda, that is a nuisance if they make you an offer and you havent found anywhere but don't be hurried. if you are not happy with the houses you have viewed, then wait until you find what you are looking for otherwise you will regret taking something you were not really happy with but good luck.

I would always ask, why someone is selling ? if people are looking to downsize that's ok but you have to wonder sometimes as maybe the neighbours are dire?
It's a big thing moving to a another area when you have lived in a place for many years.

Haven't heard a beak from our estate agents since I spoke with the young lass who thought it best to reduce again and I said def NO!

Joan, hope your visit from your son is going well. Nice to have some company isn't it.

Joan, I guess maybe some poles need renewing before winter sets in and they will be checking them all in your area after the great storm last year. But as you have plenty of notice you can be prepared. have you got a large flask? If not buy one and then that should last you for several cuppas whilst the power is off. You also put the heating on first thing for an hour until it goes off...just a thought.

JustGinnie, i have bought my dad 2 books this year for xmas. One is all about Eastleigh and surrounding areas with plenty of old pictures as he was born there. I know he will find it interesting. Do any of your family read maybe?

Well my fingers are so cold, its awkward typing so off to make a hot coffee and warm my hands on the mug lol

Shall look in later on maybe.

Florence in the hebrides

Linda I know it would be an upheaval but any chance if they make you a good offer, that you could rent and put your furniture in store short term? Would it be worth it I wonder?

The viewing went well and they are going to talk to the estate agent. No doubt they will make a low offer, but we won’t accept it.
If they do offer something acceptable, we would put our furniture into storage and move in with our daughter, payback time for the two years they were with us :-D
I have just spotted a nice house which has just come on the market today, on a good bus route as well. It is on the opposite side of Harrogate from where we would ideally like to be. Of course, there has to be a downside, when we looked on the map, it backs onto a pub beer garden. Honestly, you just can’t win.

Linda, I'm sure your daughter & S in L would take you in should you get a good offer on your house & had to move out before finding another, :-D

Joan.

We spent quite a lot of time today driving round Harrogate ruling out areas where we had seen houses which could potentially be of interest. We ruled them all out because we didn’t like the areas, either because they were a bit run down, or in the case of the modern estates, they were choked with cars parked everywhere.
In the end we decided to look in Knaresborough which is actually closer to my daughter that some of the parts of Harrogate we were looking at. There are two houses we are interested in, or at least OH is. We will try to go and look at them, although one I am not sure about. Of course we can’t do anything until we get an offer on ours, fingers crossed for tomorrow.
I have just been wading through the numerous pages the solicitor needs for the sale. All filled in now, apart from the buyers details. We needed three types of proof of identity each. Passports and driving licences are fine, plus a utility bill each. Most of the bills are in OH’s name, but thankfully the phone is in mine. I will make sure the utility bills are split between us, so we both have things for proof of identity

Since 2008, in Scotland the seller (ie - the current owner ) has to have a Home Report done by a professional surveyor before the house or flat can be advertised for sale.

The Home Report includes a survey and valuation, an energy report (EPC) and a Property Questionnaire. It can cost several hundred pounds, depending on the size of the property.

This is good for potential buyers, but an extra expense for sellers.
A neighbour had to pay £660 for a Home Report about 3 months ago, before advertising their 4-bedroom house.

A buyer can still pay for an independent survey, if they want to satisfy themselves that the seller's Home Report is accurate.

Good morning everyone.

Early rise today as daughter went away 6.45am!! She has an appointment in Glasgow so caught the first plane.
I didn't go back to bed and just pottered with my coffee.

Just phoned the estate agents and reminded them that we havent had any updates recently and what are they doing to market the property? They said the market is very quiet and dont think it will pick up now until after New Year.

I had a look online and there are the same properties for sale that have been on since we put up for sale. So not a lot of flats selling at all.
I have some wrapping to do so better crack on. By doing the xmas gifts as I get them saves a huge task in November.

We have got transport for 2/3 for the fayres, so thats a relief .

All calm here after the gales but looking ahead to mid week/weekend is looking awful with huge amounts of rain in many areas eeeek. The river will flood again no doubt.

Just waiting on the bin lorry to come so I can get it in asap. Neighbours cat was on top of the bin one day trying to get inside it :-D :-D :-D

Fingers crossed Linda with your house hunting and viewing. I remember very well the pages I had to complete earlier in the year!!

Hope al is well with anyone looking in today and yes its very chilly again so heating will def be on later in the afternoon.

Florence in the hebrides

Well, we haven’t heard anything from the estate agent so far, so that isn’t looking good. :-( :-(

I rang to make appointments for the two houses we are interested in. Amazingly we have an appointment to see the one I like this afternoon It has only just come onto the market , but will go very quickly. The other one we can’t see until Saturday, but it has just had an offer made on it, but it hasn’t been accepted yet.

The good houses are still selling quickly round here, but others are on the market for ages. We have had a very good initial interest in this house, but I suppose that will settle down now. Good job we don’t actually have to move