Was that move a brave one?

 It was very brave to buy that house, you're right Kirsty, but it appealed to me as soon as I stepped through that front  door.

After paying the costs to move I had less than £30 left in my every day account, and enough in my bill account for one month, altho I did have some money in savings account, but I had to give 3 months notice to withdraw some, so not easy. But I had to do something to change the way my life was, I was stressed and at my lowest ebb.

Why did that house appeal to me?

It had a good size hall, so it didn't feel small. 

A reasonable size garden, very important!!

An inside wall that wasn't joined to next door, for my beloved piano!

The road itself, all the houses had tidy front gardens so looked pretty.

And that was all I saw!! 

Against it .....It had a very small galley kitchen, it had false tudor style beams on the walls in the lounge/ dining room (ugh) a horrible dirty carpet, it smelt, and no double gazing, and it needed a good clean and a stained pink bathroom. It had dormer bedrooms with flat roofs, which the surveyor said would need replacing with a 18 months. I'd left a large house with 2 bathrooms and and her toilet and in perfect condition.  Was I mad buying it? It meant no mortgage, and I wouldn't have that job that I felt was making me ill. 

So I stepped out in faith.. that first night, two of my sons who had helped me move, bought fish and chips. then later the dog, Boysie  who I had then and I went to sleep, with boxes all around, but I was happy. 

I did no work that first week, but with my youngest son, we took the false beams off the walls, and bit by bit lifted the carpet and the awful dog pee soaked underlay and dumped it all outside.  He sawed the one work surface in the kitchen, to fit in the washing machine and the dishwasher and then I used their tops as work surfaces. I then painted the doors of the two wall cupboards and one base unit, a mellow yellow, as that's what a friend had going spare! It was lovely, I thought.

Then I did supply work, but only 4 days week, to allow me to get straight....  the garden first of course, I had loads of plants in pots and seeds.. it was May,  so nice gardening weather.  I saved the money after the bills and with no mortgage or endowment  to pay,  I had quite a bit. I gradually changed the windows and all the doors, had the walls plastered and sorted out the floors. I had an unexpectant a large tax rebate and so bought what I had always wanted, a raspberry pink carpet throughout downstairs, the hall, stairs and landing.. I had been there 2 years before I had that carpet and I was 60, so I had my pension.. 

Then in time I had a large extension, kitchen/ breakfast room, down stairs loo and new bathroom built.. plus the new roofs, on the dormer bedrooms. I redesigned the front garden, had paths and steps laid and enjoyed my home and garden. It took close on 5 years before it was really finished. 

 Pic is to show the carpet.. much later with Nell!

Parts of the new kitchen 

 

And the garden when I left there.

Not big, but just right for me at that time.

Chrisxx