Friday 15 March 2024

1000th post!

 


I can't believe this is my 1000th post!  When I started this blog in 2012 I had no idea how much my life would change.  I had a crazy plan to save £40k in 4 years so I could stay in the family home.  Since then there have been so many plans, some working out and some falling apart.  Sometimes due to my own mistakes or sometimes spoiled by other people changing their plans.

The biggest thing I've learned about myself in the last 12 years is that I am perfectly capable of being financially independent and I definitely do not need anyone in my life telling me what I can or cannot do!  If I'd had the confidence I have now back then I would have done a few things differently.  But everything always works out in the end.  Just not in the way you think!

So if you've been with me all this time, thank you!  If you've just recently found me, thank you!  The next part of the adventure starts soon and every single decision (or mistake!) will be mine 😊

Wednesday 13 March 2024

A bit of meal prepping

 

I popped into Tesco yesterday on my travels and got some meat bargains in my top up shop.  The chicken breasts (5 of them) were seasoned with garlic and herbs and baked in the oven.  The beef olives were fried off in a pan and baked with a little chicken stock.  I also chucked in some potatoes to bake to fill up the oven!  I cooked off the lamb mince with some carrots and onions.  Everything was portioned up and chucked in the freezer.  Another few weeks of meal prepped ingredients sorted!

I also did a batch of scones using some buttermilk and butter from the freezer.  I'm getting better at them although they still wouldn't win any prizes on Bake Off!  They do taste fab πŸ˜‹

I also made some Turnberry soup, which is really a cream of vegetable soup.  Recipe and story behind it HERE on one of my old blogs.  I added some extra cream πŸ˜‹

Today has been a day of painting and cleaning.  The for sale sign is now in my front garden with a 'coming soon' sticker on it.  I feel a wee bit sad.

Tuesday 12 March 2024

Things are moving!

 


I viewed another house this morning in a small town about 9 miles from Stirling.  It was the absolute limit beyond Stirling that I would consider.  It's a 2 bed semi bungalow, bit quirky in a quiet area.  It didn't have any central heating but it did have a woodburner and lovely wooden floors.


And I loved the recently fitted kitchen.  It was huge but very cold.  The owner apparently thought the house was warm enough so never bothered to fit any heat sources.

I rather liked the house but it made me realise I want to stay within Stirling, not least so I can keep my allotment.  So it was worth going to have a look. Which means the small house is still the front runner!  But I am going to view the one with the weird bedroom off the lounge on Thursday after all.

The estate agent selling my house has been to measure up and I've signed the paperwork!  My house will be on the market in the coming weeks.  Things are moving!

Friday 8 March 2024

Safe and boring

 



It's funny how everything can change in a few short days.  I was really excited about the house for sale with the weird layout.  And I loved all of the suggestions!  I took a drive past it and I'm glad I did!!  It was rather more dilapidated than the photos suggested!!!!  Despite it being in budget, it didn't even look liveable while you worked on it.  The estate agent's photographs were highly 'edited' and that's a polite adjective!  There was a water pumping station next door and that was 'edited' out of the photos!  I know they say you should buy the worst house in the good areas but it was bad.  I won't be going to view it now!

So I viewed 4 other houses for sale and the current frontrunner is a safe and boring small 2 bed semi in a totally different area.  It's in move in condition, dΓ©cor is a bit dated but it's been well cared for by an older person.  I would not need to do anything straight away.  It has a safe enclosed garden for Luna and maybe some chickens again πŸ” I've been for a second viewing and my solicitor has put in a note of interest.  This means they can't accept an offer without notifying me, giving me a chance to make an offer myself.

Of the other 3 houses I viewed, one was frankly disgusting and in very poor repair (again photos didn't show it.)  One had a septic tank and a separate garden away from the house, neither mentioned on the estate agent particulars.  And one was in immaculate condition but had no parking and was way too close to other houses.  Plus it was just out of my realistic budget.

I'm only just starting to do this seriously and I'm already losing faith in estate agents.  I'm still waiting for the valuer to come to my house and to get a home report done.  Hopefully that will be done by next week 🀞

Thursday 7 March 2024

NHS dentist

 


Last October I broke a tooth and saw my NHS dentist in November.  He gave me a temporary filling and hoped that he'd be able to save the tooth by doing root canal treatment.  In January it became obvious that the tooth couldn't be saved 😞  After nursing it along for several weeks (while I got a plate made) the tooth was removed yesterday.  Not nice but not as bad as I thought 🦷

After he removed it,  he told me it had a huge abscess at the root that hadn't shown up on my x-ray.  No wonder I'd had toothache!!  I'm a bit sore today but absolutely fine.

Total cost of all the treatments and a new plate (which actually looks good!) was £160.28.  I dread to think what I'd have paid if I had a private dentist.  I know I'm lucky to have that option here in Stirling but a lot of people don't.  This is why we have to fight to keep our NHS dental services πŸ’ͺ

Things are moving quickly on the house front 😱  I've viewed a few properties already and have instructed my lawyer that I'll be needing their services very soon.  Viewing properties has been 'interesting' and definitely merits a whole post πŸ˜²πŸ˜‚  Watch this space...

Tuesday 5 March 2024

Weird layout!

 

I rather like quirky and weird houses.  And the bungalow I'm really really interested in has a very weird layout.  One bedroom is off the lounge and the other is off the dining room.  It has the original 1970s pink bathroom (!) and someone has built on a porch/new entry with a full shower room.  Neither bathroom is anywhere near a bedroom.

I've got a viewing appointment next week (there are no viewings until then) so the timing is good for me to get this house ready.  I've read the home report very carefully and it needs a lot of work.  New windows, new kitchen, new bathroom, loft insulation, new boundary fence etc etc  It's been owned by the same person since 1972.  That's why it's in my price range.  It would be a huge project.  But I won't know if it's worth it until I see it.

Just for fun, how would you reconfigure the layout on a budget? My first thoughts are knock through the kitchen into the dining room creating a larger dining kitchen and build a new wall to create a new entry into the second bedroom.  Then knock through into the pink bathroom to create a master bedroom with en suite.

Or knock through the kitchen into bedroom 1 to make it the dining kitchen.  And turn the dining room into a bedroom.  Ooo, the possibilities!! 

Huge thanks for all the positive vibes!  I really appreciate it. Keep them coming 😊

Monday 4 March 2024

Final push!

 

I finally got the craft room finished today.  Mainly by putting all my crafting materials into 3 large packing boxes and dumping them in the garage!!

Before and after reminder!

It's looking very tidy and a bit sparse!  I put away all my colourful boxes and kept out the black and grey ones to match the fridge freezer.  I did buy a white roller blind to put at this window but I've decided to not put it up.  I'll be able to use in either my next house or my son's flat.

I kept the colourful floor rug for a wee splash of colour.  But it all looks lovely.  Shame I'll never get to actually craft in there.

I also split my peace lily (retirement gift from school) and re potted it.  I got 3 free plants to put around the house.

I'm trying to do the final push this week as I want to get the house on the market ASAP!  A 2 bedroom bungalow went on the market today in exactly the area I want.  It's under budget and needs a bit of modernising but not too much.  So I'm asking everyone to send me positive vibes to get this house sold quickly and let me buy this bungalow! 🀞