HAPPY BIRTHDAY IAN!
Weather news: no rain yesterday (Friday) at least not by 12.30 when I am writing this. The sun is out, the air is cool, it’s pretty cold again in my front room, and the last of the drops is still coming through the living room ceiling into the big pan, but the kitchen has stopped doing what it does.
We are feeling a little bit up today because we’ve had some good news and we are kind of at 80/100 on the ‘suitable house’ scale. Thanks to a lead from The Symi Estate Agent (who have been very helpful in joining us to a potential landlord and answering our questions), we have another viewing of a potential house this afternoon. I don’t want to say too much as I don’t want to jinx things, not that I am superstitious. But, if all goes according to plan, and if nothing else leaps up before we sign a contract, we may have found a new place to live.
I say new, it’s old of course, and needs some work doing to it, which we will undertake once we have got everything sorted. But if it comes off it will suit us because it is in the village, close to work and everything, and a decent size and completely quirky, which we like. There is a little concern about the lane outside as it’s used by small cars and motorbikes, but it is not a main road and we reckon Jack will stay home anyway, he doesn’t do much wandering, he will have his own space and he’s much more of an indoor cat now. So, continue to watch this space and I will fill you in from time to time on progress (or not).
That progress will include the full details of packing and arranging to move the contents of a two bed house across the village; although there is a ‘road’ at the other end, there is no road here, but there is a pretty direct path on foot. But all that is for later. And I am thinking ahead and we’ve not double checked the property (doing that later) or signed a contract yet, not that contracts are particularly watertight anyway, not around here. In fact, I shan’t be completely satisfied we have been successful until we have the keys to the new/old property and it is empty.
We are looking at a timescale for roughly four weeks to take over the property, then two weeks to make it ready while still being in this one. Making ready also includes switching the phone and internet over, something we rely on these days. So, we are hoping to be moved by the end of February. That is how things stand as of yesterday.
What’s nice about a place like Symi is that when you’re doing things like moving house there are a lot of people around offering to help with stuff. We’re going to start packing things up bit by bit and have a sort out while we do so, but if anyone passes any empty boxes and then our house we’d be grateful for having then dropped off. You can always drop them in downstairs if we are out. As for moving, the aim will be to shift things bit by bit as we clean and paint up the new place (wherever it may be) and then have a day with paid assistance to move the big stuff like cooker, fridge, cat.
And there we go. That’s the house move update on day five. We have already seen or considered 10 properties, and this one is the most suitable (that is available) so far. Fingers are now crossed that all goes smoothly over the next six weeks.
