Two weeks - too fast!

Back from holiday tomorrow - but in two weeks we've had an offer (accepted!) on the house; started making wills; probably have a place to rent......

When did we find time to holiday??? Actually it's all been very stressful (not helped by a family situation that has throw things into a bit of a financial mess).

I would SO love to find a way to move and live in France straightaway. Sadly the reality means that income is needed and as my french isn't up to the standard for being employed (unless someone just wanted English conversation and I can't imagine there's much money in that) we are going to be in the very weird situation of owning a beautiful house which we can't afford to furnish, in a place we can hardly afford to visit (and which holiday time would AT THE MAXIMUM mean only 6 weeks a year)  - and it'll be like that for the foreseeable future. And all the time we'll be paying out vast sums of money to rent!!!

Even if we took into account the 'savings' on holiday accommodation - and the possibility of earning a little income from the house - we're sort of thousands of pounds a year down on the deal. I don't quite understand how on earth we think this is a good idea.....

I can feel some more sleepless nights coming on.......

Too many things at the last moment...

...so we're off on holiday tomorrow. Why does today have to be the day that we hear about a possible rental, get details from a solicitor that need urgent attention, and yet still have no sale (oh - and all my packing to do!!!)??

For the first time I can see how all this might work out - and I can begin to imagine letting go of possessions (that might be an enormous relief....). But we're on a plane at 2.30pm tomorrow... Thank goodness for email.

If you do read this and you could send a prayer (or positive thought...) upwards, please do.

To no one in particular!

Thank goodness no one is actually reading or following this because it's becoming rather repetitive! Another sleepless night - my head couldn't shake off the fact that the exchange rate is dropping, that we may not sell, that we could face all sorts of complications....
But this afternoon a family came round for a second viewing. It's not that we need lots of people fighting to buy the place - just one, at the right price.
But I also worry about the sense of owning a pricey place in another country, whether we'll be able to afford to go there, what will happen if there's a problem & we don't know about it, whether we'll be able to furnish it sufficiently to allow friends to use it (and us to stay there).....
But my fearswill now turn to flying - we head to the States on Thursday!

Just so complicated...

Wills, finance, opening a French bank account, not selling the house (OK - still early days!), inheritance concerns - oh, and real life to live! It was a sleepless night again - but I have to remember it WILL be worth it!

And of course it will - hopefully this time next year we will have forgotten the hassles!

Today R & E wrote - they are such delightful people to buy from! I can't even begin to think of halting everything because I couldn't bear to let them down. So we go on.......

Into a pattern...

Another viewing, another defeaning silence on the offer front!
We're going to France in just 5 weeks time to sign the vente a compris. That'll wipe out our savings - and mean we are committed, but it buys us time.
Each time I walk back in here I wonder how many more times I will do that. And mentally I'm trying to prepare myself for letting go of stuff! Even if 50% went I'd STILL have more than most people dream of (and I'd be doing a favour for whoever will have to sort outr my possessions eventually!).

Going.....

We received our first offer today - but it's 10% less than the asking price! We're on a tight (possibly too tight) budget as it is, so we can't accept it.
So the dilemma will be - will we get an offer that is closer to what we want? To be honest, the property is pitched at the very top of the range (though as we've done so much work on it there won't be any outlay for roof, repairs etc etc for at least 10 or more years!). However it must be worth hanging on for a while (after all it's less than 2 weeks since we placed it on the market), especially as there isn't a massive rush to sell.
Fingers, toes, kneecaps - all crossed!

And the neighbours know...

Not that it's a secret - but all this has happened so fast (and in many ways seems so illogical - to sink so much money into a property that we won't live in; to rent; to move from where we are comfortable) that it is hard to explain.
So on Friday we will share a takeaway and I'll have to face the start of letting go.

Make me an offer!

How long does it take to get an offer on a house? It's only been a few days so I shouldn't be too anxious - but it would be nice to have the audible gasps of admiration when people view the place to turn into firm offers of buying!
And my mind is turning to decluttering. There are no children who will pour over my trinkets once I'm dead - so can I prise them out of my grasp now? Do I really need to take decades of photographs (which I only look at when I move house) with me? And the boxes of crayons, paper & craft material? Surely I don't need to hang on to them (but they're SO useful for those odd occasions when a felt tipped pen is called for!).

Reality kicks in

The last week (is it really that long since I posted??) has been hectic.

3 or 4 people have been to see the house - but no offers. But tonight the people we're buyig from emailed. We need to go over there in November to sign the 'compris de vente'. This brings the anxiety back to the surface. How will we finance the 10% if we haven't sold? Will we find a nice place to rent?What if I lose my job???

But it's beginning to feel an acheivable goal. I just hope I live long enough to enjoy it....