We've actually gone and offered and been accepted on an old bungalow .....with Potential:rolleyes: !

We've been keeping our eye on the market where we want to go to - and realised that the crop of "decent" properties with a sufficiently large garden is drying up - and those that have been coming onto the market are either priced out of our range, or are not what we want :(

Suddenly an old bungalow has been reduced by a cool £25k, in the right area, with the right size garden.   So yesterday, we went, looked at it, offered a further £5k less - and had it accepted

So now, we are faced with a bungalow that virtually needs gutting and an extension built - but at a cost we can afford :D :D

We have done this before - 30 years ago, when we moved from an all modcon 3 bed semi to 2 decrepit cottages - we actually moved in and worked around things.   This time, however, things are going to be Different!!   I'm getting in touch with builders already (I've already drawn up the plans :D :D :D), so that we can get planning permissions going through early, so that once things are signed sealed and delivered, builders can get to work :D

So now, I'm going to have to negotiate with the Golf Club, that we can stay on here after we have completed (paying them rent, of course) whilst the work is done or (plan B) negotiate with friends to take over their caravan on Mersea and live there whilst its being done!

Haven't quite worked out what we'll do with the dogs if Plan B is put into action.............thinking on it :D

Margot

Wow thats great Margot! Sounds like you will have your work cut out but it will be well worth it in the end. Brilliant. :)
And good luck, hope everything turns out just the way you want it.

Ooh, good luck! I hope it all goes according to plan. :)

That is brilliant news!  It will be lovely when finished and you will have 'put your mark' on it!  Do you ever watch 'Grand Designs' and 'Property Ladder'?  I love those programmes (and similar ones), they give me itchy feet to renovate  As you say, places like the one you have found seem to be in really short supply probably because the property developers always get in before the people who just want to make a home for themselves.  Keep us posted with the development!!!!

Congratulations Margot. I hope it's your new dream home.

Regarding plan B, I hear another CDer is about to move to a new estate with lots of room for boarders :-D

Oooo, how exciting.  I'd love to have something to do up.

I love moving but only moved twice.  I told OH I could move every 5 years and he just looked at me as if I was bonkers :D

I am a tad concerned about it - in 44 years, we have moved only once .....and that was 31 years ago:rolleyes:

When we married, we moved into a new house with nothing....moved out 13 years later with a houseful of furniture and all the bits and pieces that go with a family with 3 children.......now 31 years later, we shall be moving with a houseful of furniture, a kennel-ful of dogs and cats, all the bits and pieces left behind by 4 children ......bits of pieces belonging to my parents.....bits of pieces belowing to Ad's parents.....all the bits and pieces associated with a quarter-acre garden and a hoarding husband .....................
HELP.......

Margot

Ah but.............you can make a house big enough for it all!!  :)  :)

:D  Maybe it's time to bring in Lorne Spicer and her car booty experts :)

I too have quite a bit of stuff and I'll tell you what was absolute bliss with our last move. We paid Pickfords to pack us. The difference in price between them doing the move and doing all the packing plus the move was something ridiculously low; under £100 I think. It eliminated the hassle of trying to find boxes and packing material that wasn't infested with critters or didn't cost us money. They packed everything one day and moved it the next. OH and I sat back with a cuppa and watched. I'll never move any other way again.

Lol!  Sounds like my move, I had the house full of furniture, 2 dogs, couple of tanks, 40 odd (big) fish, etc etc... took me three goes in the end I think!  If you can rent where you are now that'd make it easier - I was blessed in that I had time to do the trips, as I was moving out of my Dad's place and had a couple of weeks before he left for Spain.

I know what you mean about prices though, I had to move 200 miles to get somewhere I could afford with a decent garden.  I was lucky - I got a good price and a very big garden, but a knackered fence.  Always there is compromise!

Good luck with your move when it comes around, and the building in the meantime :)

Margot - I have a VERY similar problem, so I'd try very hard for Plan A (which is more or less what we are doing :D :D ) . Sounds wonderful and you should end up with exactly what you want which is essential for the 'Golden Age' :D :D :D Hopefully you are going to build into your dream palace a special doggy palace too :D :D :D

Keep us all informed - it's so exciting - I just hope that yours happens a bit quicker than ours :( We have only just got planning permission through, 9 months after buying the house and we doubt whether we will get any decent builder to start before 2008 :(

Daisy

Have a car booty at your current property
Only it's a rather large garage sale :)

Know what you mean though - I keep on at my mum who is also
a hoarder..she hates to throw anything away - I've still got a 1950/60's sofa bed
thingy in my loft that is hers. When I mentioned that it should be thrown or rehomed
she didn't speak to me for a few weeks and then tried to find it a home with her sister
as 'it's still useful'..:rolleyes:

Good luck, Margot, we're at the end of the planning/building cycle, and now have a house which is decoratively challenged but the main building work is done.

We're still at the NEVER AGAIN stage LOL. The pain is fading fast though ...

M.

Oh good luck -sounds very exciting!!

Oh Margot - how exciting!  Are we allowed to know what area you're moving to?  And let me know if you go into Plan B - what caravan site is it anyway - sure most of them accept dogs.....

Maxine

We're going to try & start going for planning permission asap - and as most of the neighbouring bungalows have already been extended/improved we should be okay..........fingers crossed! :D

Maxine - its in High Street North - so just a step to the bakery/bank/butcher/cafe/church/deli/greengrocer/library/pub .......there's even a wool shop :D :D :D   Friends have a big van on Seaview ......

Oh well - I'm starting to sort out NOW!!

Margot

Fantastic - hope you come and visit at Waldegraves when you settle

Maxine

Great News Margot.. you have done it already so you know what you are letting yourself in for :-D

Margot what wonderful news It sounds ideal ;)

If you want any tips on moving then give me a call as we have and still are going through the pain :D :D

Lucy
xx

ps pm me the link to the bungalow as assume it is on line ??

I've PM'd you!!

Margot x

What a lovely place with loads of potential

Lucy
xx