Whew! Well, the moving out was interesting. Four lovely blokes moving like lightning to get out furniture and belongings into the biggest van I've ever seen - well and van and trailer - on Friday. An excellent drive that evening down to Wiltshire (apart from a tailback around Bristol) and a hotel in the most beautiful of settings, in a manor house that was a gift from Queen Elizabeth I to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.
Saturday was a looking around day, Sunday we took a trip to the American Museum in Bath - we'd been before but it had changed quite a bit; lots more going on. The Lexington Minute Men were mustering in the garden, along with a contingent of British redcoats. The noise of a dozen muskets being fired was deafening; horrifying to think how loud a couple of hundred would be.
Monday was the day when the house sale was due to complete. It could have happened any time from nine o'clock onwards and we sat around waiting to hear from the solicitor that the money had changed hands.
And waited.
And waited.
The cut off point was three-thirty in the afternoon when the banks close for business.
There was a chain of four properties exchanging. The money from our buyers finally arrived at three twenty-five and Amanda, our lovely solicitor, managed to get it to the bank seconds before close of business so the deal was complete.
Desperately stressful for both us and the people we were buying from.
But it's a done deal. Tomorrow we move in. We are now living in Wiltshire.
15 comments:
Phew! Last minute stuff indeed! Glad it's done and hope moving belongings in goes smoothly tomorrow.
x x
Real last minute stuff. Match point but the other side not co-operating! Lovely to think you'll be in your new home tomorrow.
Sandra x
Moving is so exciting, but always tinged with stress at the same time. I'm so glad I haven't had to do it very often.
Good luck with the new digs, Liz!
Big, big day! It's always a big relief when the relocation part is over. May all the boxes unpack themselves.
Hope everything goes well today, Liz. One of my last links to the area is gone! The hotel sounds lovely.
Welcome to Wiltshire! Hope the unpacking goes smoothly and the settling in is lovely.
Hi Liz:
We have a saying in real estate here in the states: “It’s not sold until it’s closed.”
I’m glad it closed. But I am confused. Is Wiltshire a city or a county? Also will you adopt a new football club or will you stay loyal to Swansea?
BTW: Have you been getting any writing done during this endless time of stress?
Vince
Good luck with the move. I hope all goes well.
Well, we're in, Jan. Surrounded by boxes and with a ton of work to do - and the knees are saying STOP!
But we're loving the house and just wishing it would stop raining so that we can see it in the sunshine!
Toni - today we have to go out and buy white goods. :)
Hi LJ - we've moved many times in the past but it's been twenty years and it was a lot harder this time. More stuff to move and we're older!
Lacey - I was hoping to get up and discover that the china and glass had magically leapt into the cabinets. Sadly, this did not happen. :)
A bit of wrench leaving, Lesley, but I'm looking at this sweet little garden and thinking - whew!
Hi Charlotte! Great to be here. We've moved from stunning countryside, but it's absolutely beautiful here.
Hi Vince
Well, in the UK, you can usually count on it being a deal once contracts are exchanged. Normally completion is within a week to ten days, but the first mover in the chain wanted a delay and we said only if contracts were exchanged early. As the time ticked by on Monday, I did begin to wonder, but it's that old business of banks holding onto money until as late as possible.
Wiltshire is a county in the south west of England. We're now living on the outskirts of the county town, which is Trowbridge. We're 10 miles from Bath (which is in Somerset - next county over) and a quick jaunt away from Glastonbury, Stonehenge, Longleat and Salisbury. If it ever stops raining I hope to entertain you all with my excursions.
I don't think I'll be switching aliegance from Swansea any time soon. I imagine the nearest major football team is Bristol Wanderers. Maybe Charlotte will put me right. As for writing - I'm a long way from finishing the next book. I was about 4/5s through it when the move overwhelmed me. It's with my editor at the moment and when I can catch my breath we'll have a chat and I'll get on and finish it. Meanwhile my new office is just boxes!
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