It all feels so foreign. (Well, apart from the guzzling the cheap Chard and watching reality game shows).
I am unsettled this evening. I've vacillated between being overly excited and crushed by impending sense of doom. Once more I am living my life on Rightmove.co.uk, where I whiled many an hour away last summer trying to determine a place to rent for this entire fricking life move thing (sorry to be a stuck record. I am seriously boring myself with it. so. uh. sorry). Renting is all well and good, and thanks to the sage of advice of a few good souls (thanks Lindy) we found ourselves in probably the best possible area for newbies like us. The house is fine, even if the bathroom is a touch rank, and if it was ours... well, Changing Roomss/Trading Places eat your heart out. I have a husband who knows his way around a sander/nail gun/slab of dry wall. (and I, ehem, have good taste in decor) (if you give me a good magazine or summat).
But renting is not owning, and renting feels like biding time. So it's Time to Start Looking. We have secured a mortgage in principle that would buy us a fricking MANSION in our former home town (and MANSIONS for our friends, on US!!!) and tomorrow morning we embark on the first tour. Three in one day. With a five year old and a baby. Are we insane???
I think what has me rattled is the fact that each house will be shown by its owner/inhabitant. In the good ole U.S. of A we get to not deal with the actual homeowner, thankyouverymuch. Just me and my realtor -- true luv! But here, apparently, you have to deal not only with your own hopes and desires as you tour a home, but also those of the desperate sods who are showing you around. It's one thing to comment to the realtor about the living room the size of a pack-and-play, but I know I will gripped to just stroll around saying "ooh!' and "aaah!" and "how luverly!" as I smack my son's hand away from some porcelain object bought in Lourdes. And as someone who's just been through all that with their own home, it's hard not to empathize (update on that: the house is now being rented, with a clause that they will buy within two years. hoorah!) Cold blooded anonymity of American Capitalism, how I miss thee! (on this occasion)
(How about that Obama, eh?)
(p.s. UK Politics? Sucking serious ass right now. booorrrrring... When I left this country I was an ardent Labour Supporter. Gordon Brown? Gordon Bennett!)
Oh, and the other reason this house-hunting has me rattled is because I am still in quite a bit of denial over what it is we have actually done here with this little ole move and everything (is it time to just laugh this whole thing off and go home yet? no? well fuck y'then.)
This is one of them. The houses we're creeping over tomorrow. It looks quaint. I fear it is like a TARDIS but in reverse (for the uninitiated, just google tardis. but basically it's a time machine that looks much smaller on the outside than within, where it is mega. (fyi: Tardis's are very huge in our house right now, since Jack has become utterly and completely obsessed with Dr Who. Beats Lazytown, so we're in)
I shall report back on whether this is a time machine or not forthwith.
19 comments:
Oh, to be a homeowner again...I bogged down my blog the past few months on the joys of selling the dream house we built and thought was ours forever. And then finding a place to rent. And then moving into a place half the size. The idea of moving again is nightmarish.
I hope you find something that you love, that makes you feel rooted in English soil and eases your uneasiness. :)
We couldn't seem to get a showing in this house without the sellers present, or coming home while we were still here. It was awkward, and I remembering telling WH "DO NOT tell these people how much we love their house. Don't even say it's nice!".
It was very interesting, though, because I got to grill them. What way does the house face? What kind of light do you get in each of the rooms? What about broadband access and tv signal? What's up with the intercoms? (really, our house is tiny!) So, I gleaned valuable information that my realtor would have had to check on, and it wasn't so awkward.
I'm sorry is that 2 posts from you in one month? Wow!
;) I tease because I love...
Oy. We were present for many of the showings of our NJ apartment, and it's excruciating to listen to people criticize your home to your realtor or theirs while within earshot of you. We actually took such comments into consideration when deciding among offers.
That said, fingers crossed that the home pictured is not in fact an anti-tardis, and that it is just as lovely on the inside as it is on the outside.
when you have purchased your anti-tardis, you will be able to post sumsuchthing as 'we live in a Kott-idge. Dontcha know.' And the pride of having 'cottage' in your house tag will be so great that the size-issue will be whisked away whilst you think about the English country garden you will plant whilst the tea is a-brewing. I'm sure of it.
I love me some house hunting.
But I would completely shut down if I had to face the owners whilst hunting. I mean, there is just no way I can keep my tongue in check and avoid the dreaded foot-in-mouth disease.
Hope you do better than I would! Have fun and may you find a brilliant home to call your own.
I was concocting something interesting and supportive to say, but then you got to tardis: dude! that's what we named our car! (a toyota echo) Of course I get it! Yay.
Um, sorry the house is going to look big on the outside, and small on the inside.
Listen woman I am here to be used and abused. If you need someone to watch the kiddles while you and hubs oooh and aaah you have my digits (always wanted to say that).
Good luck w/ the house search. I'm sure you'll find the cutes quaintest little english cottage in a great school catchment area with an easy commute to work for a steal. Did that sound sincere? I was going for sincere.
That one looks about the size of ours...
And I've a friend who didn't realise at a showing that the agent WAS the owner and made some nasty remarks about the updating that the current owners had done. Boy, was her face red.
I find househunting exciting, though it just depresses me here in the UK. Though I've been here for over five years real estate is the sole thing I still convert into dollars, and how disappointing is THAT when you work out those figures?
let us know how it is inside, will you? and post more potential house pictures, promise? it satisfies the learning channel viewer in me.
cuz it IS all about me...
Ugh, househunting in the grossly overpriced UK. I feel your pain, as we finally bit the bullet and re-entered the housing market in November.
After six months of looking with a baby and a 2 year old in tow... and I hated, hated, hated being shown properties by owners. So very awkward. So very un-american.
But at least we've finally moved and we're now able to focus on getting settled!
I wish you much much luck in the house search... and wow - I really wouldn't like the owners to be showing me around either... yikes!
Outside looks very promising. Must.See.Inside.Pix.
Outstanding blog
sara
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These is one of the out standing blog. In these blog there are so many things which is really very great. I think what has me rattled is the fact that each house will be shown by its owner/inhabitant.
These is one of the great blog which you can share over here is great. It's one thing to comment to the realtor about the living room the size of a pack-and-play.
We have seen what may be a growing trend. In the past six weeks, we have to make more households to buy an apartment, than in the past six years. Very interesting.
I love House-Hunting. I think you are very lucky in the house search. And WOW,I really do not like but to show me the owner. Thank you!
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