Amazingly, we have now exchanged on the house, and even got an OK price for it, taking market conditions into account. After the previous buyers I wrote about fell through, I decided not to tempt fate next time by broadcasting my excitement to everybody and, guess what? It seems to have worked. So last Friday we finally exchanged, and are due to complete on Dec 19. For tax reasons it's best for us not to arrive in France before January, so we are going in the first few days of January, in time for the kids to start school.
So it's all very exciting. In the meantime we've been back to France to inspect the incredibly-slowly proceeding works, visited the kids' new school again to meet the new headmaster, bought some bed side tables from a brocante which is probably set to become our version of IKEA, panicked a bit about everything and now we're getting down to practicalities. I rang the kids' school to tell them Toby would be leaving at the end of this term and Livi wouldn't be needing her reception place, which made me quite sad. And the thought of their first few days at a school where they don't understand the language makes me want to cry. But they will thank me when they are bilingual, or course (or not.) Toby is being very stoic about the move but I wonder if that's because he hasn't really taken in exactly what it all means. Livi I don't think has any idea at all really.
Back to planning our leaving party........
We've accepted another offer on our house - and I really think this one might go through. The buyers love the house, are really stretching themselves to buy it and I imagine realise they are getting quite a bargain.
But now I am terrified. What if it's all a stupid mistake? Is it all horrendously unrealistic? What if the kids are miserable? How will I manage without my favourite hair mousse? This wasn't helped by Alex saying "Why is everywhere else in France nicer than where we're going?" when we were watching yet another of those programmes about people moving abroad. I don't agree - and I don't think he really meant it anyway - but it's still left me wondering if this whole thing is a bit rash and silly........
We had a brilliant holiday in the Alps - we stayed here. It was the first time I've been in the summer and it was just fabulous. We swam, sunbathed, mountain-biked and walked, went up in lifts and visited ice grottos at 300 metres, ate loads of meat and cheese and drank kir. Fantastic. And of course the best thing about mountain biking or walking in a ski resort is you can get the lift up so only have to walk or bike downhill. How great is that?
Meantime the three-time viewers put in an insulting offer on our house, which we rejected and have two second viewings booked in. Summer is nearly over now - no more lovely family friendly spas for now (click here), donkey trekking and Alpine holidays for now. Back to hassling architects and walking to school in the rain......
....seem quite interested. They have been for two viewings, apparently staying for about an hour during the second one, and then yesterday the female half came with her baby for about an hour (while we and the agent were all here too - which was slightly awkward) and sat in the garden feeding her baby while she had a think about whether she could deal with the trains. I was quite impressed with her doing this - apparently most house buyers spend less time looking at a house than they woudl spend looking at a pair of shoes before they buy.
But according to the agent, she decided the trains were OK. So we were hoping to hear something today, but apparently they are still thinking. Which I don't think is a good sign so I'm not holding my breath.
In other news, I had a mole removed today which was a really bizarre experience. Really strange lying on a couch chatting to the charming doctor about the local area as he lives round the corner from me while feeling blood run down my sides and watching smoke rise as he cauterises a blood vessel. Very odd.
Some people over the road put their house on the market for about £50,000 less than ours, the bastards. After getting their agent round to look at our house, check out their house on the website and generally giving them some nasty looks, we undercut them. Their house is a bit bigger but arguably not as nicely done. We got an offer and drank champagne. But now the offerers girlfriend, who has not even SEEN the house - has decided she doesn't like the trains at the end of the garden and so he had pulled out.
So annoyed. But we have another viewing tomorrow......
We went to visit the house this weekend. It is far from the "almost ready" (hmmmm) the architect had implied if not explicitly said, however it does now look a bit like a house one could actually imagine living in. It has some new doors and windows (but no shutters as originally promised), floor tiles down but no bathrooms and some really horrible French-style design decisions such as wall-lights in the corridor and a downstairs loo where you can't really get past the door. But there is no getting away from the fact that it is amazingly beautiful and tranquil and we really, really want to move.
Another viewing here on Wednesday. Fingers crossed!
We've just had our (long awaited) tax etc advice/projections from an accountant. Apparently, once we move to France I shouldn't try to earn any more money than I do at the moment (which is not masses as I only really work part time) as if I did, the next 8,000 Euros would in effect be taxed at 100%. Woo - hoo! So I will rest on my laurels. If we ever go of course, which at the moment is not looking any more likely. Even so, we are off to see how the building works are going this weekend. It's 31 degrees over there at the mo, Really wish we were able to move this summer...........
One of the viewings went very well and they even came back for a second viewing. It was all looking very positive until I had a call from the agent yesterday. The female half of the couple has been offered a ten-week studentship posting in Nepal (or something), has to give up her job and then apply for a new one, so wouldn't be able to get a mortgage at the mo.
FFS!!!!!! In a list of things which might cause a house sale to fall down, "Moving to Nepal" must come pretty low, normally. But we do have another viewing on Saturday, so all is not lost, possibly.
Meanwhile we had a fab weekend in Jersey on a press trip which I would highly recommend to anyone - lovely climate and gerat beaches. Can't wait to go back.
Today is Toby's sixth birthday - happy birthday to him. I can't believe he is six already - it feels like he is almost grown up. I have spent what seems like most of the week and a HUGE amount of money preparing for his and Livi's joint birthday party this weekend.
Instead of swapping estate agents, we have dropped the price and secured two viewings. TWO!!! Count 'em! Very exciting. The estate agent has just left with the first one and I am desperate to call and find out what they thought but am holding back as they are probably still with him. I feel like I'm back in my youth, have pulled someone I really fancy and am trying to play it cool, ha ha ha. Actually these days when the phone rings I hope it is the estate agent, which is a pretty tragic state of affairs.
Meanwhile the architect in France has said he thinks that the gite should be ready for August, and bearing in mind he is usually very non-commital I guess there is an outside chance it might be. It is very wierd not being able to make any plans for the summer as we don't know if we will be here, there, in the process of moving or what.
Feeling that doing something is better than doing nothing, I have handed our notice in to Foxtons and have been looking around for a new agent. So agent 2 came round yesterday - who recognised the house as he has been round before as for the last few years we seem to have had the house valued about every six months either because we think we are on the brink of moving, which we never are, or so we can redo our budget. He recommend we lower the price by another £25,000. After a chat we Alex we decided this was probably the best thing to do so I sent him an email last night saying we would sign up with him once our contract with Foxtons is up - about two weeks from now. Today, an agent 2 sign is up in front of the house.
Am I wrong to be annoyed about this? We haven't even signed a contract yet and no one asked if I wanted another sign up. I feel like someone has taken my pants off without asking my name. Or perhaps I am over reacting......
I rang him, he was on the phone and didn't return my call. FFS. I HATE dealing with estate agents.
In other news, after watching the F Word and the lovely Gordon saying they needed diners I thought "ooh yes me!!!" I filled in the online form, complete with who I would be dining with, attached the first photo I found and sent it off. But they need photos of all my fellow diners too, just to make sure everyone is lovely. It's all soooooooooooo telly. Gordon, I am disappointed.
