Wednesday 18 March 2009

I officially owe lots of money to the men in suits..

So, I have a mortgage. It's official and to prove it the bank has just nicked nearly £600 out of my bank account as an 'arrangement fee'. Translation - money in return for them lending me money which will be repayed threefold over the years. I might set up a bank - I'm mystified as to how they all have lost money in the last couple of years as I have never been so conscious as I am at the moment of how they make money off you at every single bloody opportunity.

Anyway, enough whinging. Spring is after all officially here. The geese have arrived back from their winter holidays, parents and three children in noisy and ebullient form. They are currently practising their formation flying over the house then landing in the field and discussing in their loudest voices who did the best.

The crocuses (crocii?) are in such full bloom that they have fallen over under the weight of their own blossoms and there are bright green leaves unfurling on the dog roses.

It's odd to not be gardening but there seems little point as I should be in the new house in the next six weeks. There is plenty of garden space there but no actual garden - a lot of lawn and a few bedraggled shrubs. I'm not sure how much actual top soil there is either - this is Wales where you often discover granite mere cms under the soil. I'm planning on taking as much of my current garden with me as possible but will first have to find somewhere to plant everything at the new house.

I spend a lot of time at the moment imagining myself living there to get used to the idea and to wean myself off the current hovel. I think it is working. I nearly drove to the new house after my meeting today I was so convinced I already lived there. I was going to go for a walk round the reservoir and everything.

The estate agent board has a 'sold subject to..' sign on it and I have a mortgage - it must be real. Up until now I have been convinced that the whole thing was an elaborate hoax and that something would go wrong and I wouldn't get the house. From this point on if the whole thing falls through it will be very expensive as I will have paid for the survey, have incurred solicitors charges and the banks arrangement fee. Fingers crossed nothing goes wrong. How odd that by May I might be living in my own house though. For four years I have been agonising over the house search, despairing of ever finding anything and wondering if I should just give up and stay where I am. Now, in the space of just a few weeks, my whole world has been shifted like a kaleidescope and there is suddenly a new view ahead of me of what my life will look like.

14 comments:

Cat said...

All that waiting has paid off. Just think about how satisfing it's going to be putting your garden in and knowing that it's going to stay put. Everything you do no matter how trivial will be equity in your home. It's all good except for banks. They are so full of crap. They pull you in for the next 30 years for a their lovely payments and then hit below the belt with "necessary" add ons. Think happy thoughts.

katyboo1 said...

Hooray! That's it really isn't it? Hooray!

Mr Farty said...

Hurrah! Keeping my fingers crossed that it all goes smoothly.

F***king banks, grrr! *cough*

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to see pics of the new pad. Am sure you'll love it once you're in - just ignore the bank statements and you;ll be fine

Anonymous said...

Congrats -- maybe your blog title should now read, "Single and Surviving (in my very own house!)"

:) Lisa

The Singlutionary said...

I am so proud of you Welsh Girl! You can start up a compost bin right away with your food scraps and you'll have some fertilizer in a few months!

(I have a compost bin in my backyard into which I do throw food scraps but I think they are mostly carried away by squirrels since I leave it uncovered).

Anonymous said...

Brilliant news! Your own house (not flat mind you!) AND a garden! I am truly jealous.

justme said...

Yes, definately good news! Apart from the banks. Necessary evil however.
How exciting that you will be in in six weeks. That's no time at all.....!

Anonymous said...

Hi there, I saw you on the tot list and thought you may enjoy meeting other British Mummy Bloggers at http://www.britishmummybloggers.ning.com. Hope to see you there.

Milla said...

this all seems so very fast. am impressed. arrangement fees, ha! am snorting in resigned recognition at the mulit-faceted fleecing that goes on wrt moving. £600 for some poor wretch to do a bit of typing and the coffers swell some more. makes me sick. YOur last two posts have covered the bulk of the bad bits. teh solicitor bits actually seem sort of good value in comparison.

Welsh Girl said...

Cathy - that is definitely one of the things I'm most looking forward to. A garden that I can plant with a long term view. Good happy thought.
Katyboo - so nearly it, just need to make it through the survey and local searches, oh and make sure that they aren't about to put the worlds biggest wind farm behind the house which I heard about on the grapevine today...
Mr Farty - so eloquently put, as always.
Home Office Mum - as soon as it is really mine then photos will be forthcoming.
Lisa - I must do that bio thing for you - sorry to have been so rubbish. Perhaps I should retitle as Single and Surving but in a very disorganised sort of way...
Singlutionary - I know have this vision of you as a Disney heroine with her helpful animal friends clearing up after her!
Mud - I still can't really believe it is real (though the drain on my bank balance is helping with that). If it happens I will either be broke for ever in a house I can't afford to fix up, or ecstatic in a house that I can stay in for years to come. Weird eh?
Justme - too exciting to feel real. Moving day will be exciting (and terrifying). Imagine that first night in a new house in the middle of nowhere. Eeeek.
Modern Mother - thanks for dropping by. Do I have to borrow a child to come on over and visit or will the Loyal Hound do as a substitute?
Milla - God I hope so though have just had an e mail about the cost of the searches and land registry fees. Ouch, ouch, ouch...

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Wow, moving so fast! Scary but wonderful. Now if you find you have thin and stony Welsh soil, give me a call. Not only am I slowly becoming an expert on what will grow in it, but because I am addicted to propagating stuff I can give you some!

Mr Farty said...

You're a Mummy Blogger now? I totally missed that post, congrats!

I dare you to sign up as Loyal Hound's single mum.

Welsh Girl said...

Elizabeth - fabulous - I'll be calling!!
Mr Farty - I didn't want to make too much fuss about it. You know me; modesty at all times. Might take you up on that dare though...

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