A story about our relocation

This is our moving story. Literally.
After Years of planning, saving, organising, thinking, planning and thinking again, we managed to acquire an address that we could call our permanent home.

We shortlisted five houses and narrowed it down to three for viewing. We lost the one we liked most in a strange circumstance. After viewing the property, we asked for the home report, but the seller decided to pull the house off the market instead—no reason given.

The first runner-up was smaller than it looked in the brochure. So, we settled with the second runner-up.  

I did not view the house before buying it, because I had full trust in the missus. When the sale was being finalised, I did drive past it once, though.

This was our first property purchase, and we were really looking forward to it; we didn’t know it could take months to finalise the sale.

When we finally got a thumbs-up to collect the keys, the previous owners were still loading their final boxes. They “kindly” offered to leave a TV stand, a large mirror and some carpets, which we reluctantly accepted.

The white goods were included in the sale, but the previous owners “forgot” about them and took everything, apart from an ancient-looking washing machine.

The house was empty, and yet, it was full of dreams and excitement. It was a new beginning.  We no longer had to worry about landlords paying unnecessary and unwanted visits. No more worries about landlords charging £60 to drop off a spare key, who lived around 850 yards away from the property. (True story) And no more attempts to charge £50 for an already broken toilet (another true story)

We explored the house and picked the rooms. The house was cold, but our hearts were warmer than ever.

As we finished our takeaway dinner on a rug and went to bed (Ironically, there was no bed), we felt the luxury of a star hotel.

The next morning, we discovered that the ancient washing machine wasn’t working at all. I thought that the previous owner included the white goods in the sale because they knew they were broken. Or it could be our luck. Either way, it wasn’t a great start to the day. So much for the excitement of becoming a homeowner!

The thoughts of the “luxury” of renting where repairs/replacements were a phone call away lingered in my mind as I examined the washing machine.

Well, freedom comes with an increased responsibility, we quickly learned.

The journey from a studio flat in the south of the UK to the “massive” four-bed house wasn’t the easiest one, but with great support from great friends, here we were, proudly and somewhat happily looking at a broken-down washing machine!!!

Jokes apart, without the support from our beloved friends, it wouldn’t be possible at all, and we are all forever in debt.  We paid the monetary debt, but the debt of support and encouragement isn’t something we can pay back. So, once again, a massive thank you to everyone who helped us to make this dream come true. 

One of the most valuable lessons we learned in this incredible journey was that people who share good times with you may not be there for you in your hard times. And those who weren’t there at your good times aren’t ignorant. Some friends pull/push/lift you, while others “friends” disappear under the radar and become unresponsive when you ask for help.

I don’t and didn’t hold any grudge against anyone. Instead, we kept our focus on converting this house into a home.

After a few paychecks, we were almost fully furnished. The air beds were folded away and replaced with proper ones. A dining table and couches were acquired, and we had a new carpet in the master bedroom, too.

Fast forward a few months, the guest room is still unfurnished; however, we aren’t expecting any staying guests for at least a few months. But we are confident that we can offer a warm and comfortable welcome when they do visit us. And oh, A housewarming is due, of course…. We might have multiple ones, so watch your Inbox for the invitation.