Moving house...

[icomefromalanddownunder]

I tried a Homebase yesterday, but was unlucky enough to ask an assistant who leered heavily at me and was no good at all. Bought paint though.

Munch

You still get leered at? Half your luck - I'm at the invisible stage.

xx

[icomefromalanddownunder]

Oh - And a visitation from the Surrey Police Helicopter, which posed for me to pause and photograph it !

Oh no, JR - are you sure that they weren't obtaining photographic evidence of you (contravening water restrictions or something)?

xx

[Angela Woodford]

I tried a Homebase yesterday, but was unlucky enough to ask an assistant who leered heavily at me and was no good at all. Bought paint though.

Munch

You still get leered at? Half your luck - I'm at the invisible stage.

xx

Homebase assistant pilgarlic in every way. Chose wrong and useless person to ask about paint!

The locksmith arrived very late in the day. The most adorable man! His trade name is "A. Short Locksmith" and I addressed him as "Mr Short", but his real name is completely different. He is rotund and maybe 4' 10"? I had to find him a chair to stand on to to grapple with the bust bathroom window lock.

"Plenty of people climb in frew the barfroom window" he chuckled, and went on to entertain me with a story of an amorous approach made to him by a client's Alsation.

At this point my current husband was heard arriving. "You go on down darlin'" he twinkled at me "don't want 'im finding us upstairs togevver". He is obviously experienced in negotiating these tricky moments.

Then he had to leave to get tarted up for his 27th wedding anniversary dinner at a romantic restaurant. He has re-decorated their bedroom in an erotic dark lilac with co-ordinating candles. I can't wait for all the details.

I reckon he is worth every penny he charges us.

Painting today!

Munch

[Ajarn Philip]

the barfroom

A room where one goes to barf...?

[Angela Woodford]

Absolutely not, Philip. How can you be so cruel?

No unseemly activities may now take place within that cleansed and polished bathroom. Perfection perfection perfection.

Reproachfully, Munch

[Great Plum]

I never understand the redecorating of a house just before you leave... if you spend all the time and effort making it look good for people, why don't people a) do this years before or b) stay in the house?

[Mid A 15]

I never understand the redecorating of a house just before you leave... if you spend all the time and effort making it look good for people, why don't people a) do this years before or b) stay in the house?

It's the perversity of human nature.

People look at a house and if it needs decorating they think it needs a lot of work and get put off.

However if / when they buy what is the first thing they do, finances permitting?

You've got it - redecorate!!

[J.R.]

Oh - And a visitation from the Surrey Police Helicopter, which posed for me to pause and photograph it !

Oh no, JR - are you sure that they weren't obtaining photographic evidence of you (contravening water restrictions or something)?

xx

No water restrictions here !.

Actually we discovered last night the helicopter incident was prompted by our Grandson who had gone fishing at a local pond with friends and had become deeply concerned by three young men who seemed to taking a deep interest in him and his mates. After a mobile phone call to his Mum, the police were called who attended almost imediately and eventually arrested two of the men after searching their car and finding suspected illegal substances.

The third man ran for it - Hence the helicopter.

What a good lad our Grandson is !

[blondie95]

I never understand the redecorating of a house just before you leave... if you spend all the time and effort making it look good for people, why don't people a) do this years before or b) stay in the house?

It's the perversity of human nature.

People look at a house and if it needs decorating they think it needs a lot of work and get put off.

However if / when they buy what is the first thing they do, finances permitting?

You've got it - redecorate!!

Although saying that if you saw the house we bought, you wouldnt go near it! The carpet was almost as old as the house (victorian cottage) the kitchen was a mish mash of 60,70 and 80 units with tiles that were once white and are now black. Everything had an inch thick layer of dirt on and every wall was either wallpapered or painted in lurid colours!

However afte one week of serious slog by me and the fh the walls were free of the nasty wallpaper, painted or almost re-plasteresd (upstais plaster came off with the wallpaper) and a new kitchen was almost totally fitted with new tiles! Now 4 months on, every room is painted and you wouldnt recognise it!

If we were to move in the next couple of years no way on earth would contemplate redecorating

[Angela Woodford]

Some of the the tips from Venetia seem to be -

Be as spotlessly clean as you can be

Be as neutrally decorated as you can be

Be in as good repair as you can be.

If you have a pet that smells, keep it out of the way - Ferdinand, beware! (But who wouldn't love that adorable cat??)

Have a front door which looks nice

Beavering away at it -

Munch

[Angela Woodford]

I never understand the redecorating of a house just before you leave... if you spend all the time and effort making it look good for people, why don't people a) do this years before or b) stay in the house?

Your own taste may not be neutral enough to be appealing for the average viewer!

[englishangel]

I think the discussion on Henry's bedroom ointed that out. Most people think you can't cover dark paint, but of course you can.

Would you buy a second hand car with one wing mirror missing that stank of fags? of course you wouldn't, and a house costs a darn sight more than a car.

[Great Plum]

It just seems such a lot of work... I hope to move from the 2 bed flat we are in now into a family house and live in it for the rest of my life! Less hassle!

[Euterpe13]

off on a tangent here -
my mortgage brokerage goes forward, but having been away for so long, I do not have a solicitor to do my convenancying, and am a bit leery of having the brokers' "tame" solicitor look after my side of things.

Any solicitors ( not you, J.R.) on the Forum , or anyone who can recommend theirs to me ?

Ta muchly,
B.

[englishangel]

My brother lives in Southend, I'll ask him if he knows anyone.