Friday 21 January 2011

Promises, Properties and Pigeons

I have some serious issues... I'm going to have to refrain from specifying how often I'm going to write on here because everytime I do that I just embarrass myself by not following through. Perhaps less embarrassing than actually following through but that's another topic altogether.

In my defence I have been trying to figure out where I'm going to live as my mum and step dad are moving to Zambia at the end of February to run a game reserve lodge and I've been staying with them since I came back to Harrogate from London at the beginning of last year.

I've had offers from my friends Charlotte and Grace and there was the option to move back to London but as it turns out I'll be living with Steven who you may recall from an earlier story as the one who kept sending out mixed messages and doing runners throughout last year. But I took a leaf out of Cheryl's song book and I (passively) fought for this love. I gave him the space to get through his issues and things seemed to turn around in a massive way; I watched him change from this person I didn't recognise anymore to the person I remember him being - (we've known each other for 14 years).

I was fully under the impression that he was going to live with his friend Chris, known in some regions as Morridog. Then one evening, at the start of the new year, out of nowhere he said he wanted to live with me. I had mentioned in passing towards the end of last year if it was something he'd consider which he tried to avoid answering for a few days and then said that because he's waiting on where he'll be going for his teacher training he didn't want to say yes and then not be able to do it. Anyway out of the blue he decided that we would live together and the search began...

There are LOADS of properties on the rental market at the moment but there's always something not quite right. Early into our search we found this really lovely place which I don't think Steven was sure about because there was a dead pigeon outside. It looked like it had just sat down to have a little sleep at which point Jack Frost came along and did his business.

The flat would have been perfect had it not been for the lack of hallways, and the dead pigeon outside. The lounge was huge with a big bay window and led straight into the bedroom which was also really big with built in wardrobes and an ensuite. The bedroom led straight into the kitchen (weird) which had a little pantry-esque thing attached to it and then there was a private back yard which would fit a table, chairs and a car. It was right in town and the price included water. Had it not been for the fact that the bedroom went straight into the kitchen I think we'd have snapped it up.

The search continued and I started getting really pissed off that we hadn't found somewhere to live yet. It was getting to the point where I started throwing mini tantrums - never the way to keep someone wanting to live with you. Never the less we plugged on...

At the end of last week we went to see one a few doors down from my house which I've always peered into when walking home and it suddenly appeared up for rent. It was really gorgeous inside with a really cool bathroom - the toilet had it's back to the rest of the room so you didn't feel embarrassed pooing in front of the shower. The only fault with this place was the bedroom was tiny which Steven wasn't convinced about. I tried to persuade him that a double bed would fit by encouraging him to take hand to elbow measurements which I'd record in my phone so we could compare them to our beds later. Turns out I forgot to save the measurements so made him look silly in front of the estate agent for no reason.

Loo-nique

The next day was Saturday and we went to see one that I thought would be a bit small. The pictures did not do it justice. As soon as I went in I felt like this was the one. We both looked at each other like we were thinking the same thing. There were two bedrooms so we'd be able to put a computer desk in one of them and also have people to stay. The lady said she thought it was council tax band B or C which would have been too much for us but when I got home I checked on a council band website and it was A! Hurray!! We told her we wanted to go ahead with it so she said she'd send the paperwork.

The House
Monday came along and we had a flat booked in from before we'd seen 'the one' so we thought we may as well go and have a look. Well that went and put the cat amongst the frozen pigeons didn't it?!

There was a really heavy old fashioned front door and then in the communal hallway it had wooden panelled walls which looked like something out of a tutor castle and there were sheilds carved into the walls. There were definitely ghosts hanging out down there - I'm not sure how I'd feel about being there on my own. Once we got up to the flat it was totally different and modern and really spacious. It was a bit cheaper than 'the one' but then it only had one bedroom so I got in a bit of a stress because what were we going to do now?...

You walk up the stairs and this is the lounge
We went to mine and made a list of the two properties against each other and they came out pretty much equal in their pros and cons scores. Both had no freezer, both were about the same distance from town etc. etc. Bloody hell. In my desperation I reached out to Facebook and a Magic 8 ball for help but knew deep down we would have to make the F-ing decision by ourselves ignoring my screams of "I hate having choices!!"

You turn around and these are the stairs you've just walked up and the rest of the lounge - in the distance you can see the master bedroom.
I rang the lady dealing with 'the one' telling her our situation and asked if we could come and see it again at night to get a feel for it so on Tuesday night we went again and it was still as lovely in the dark.

Turn right and you'll walk into the kitchen. Go through the door...

...and you'll be in the second bedroom (which is minus this weird wardrobe)

As we were leaving we told Amanda we definitely wanted it. She said that she had people coming to see it the next day so was there any way of getting a cheque to her before then. I told her I'd go home and find my cheque book and we'd drop it off. I told her not to worry about it bouncing because there's enough money in my account. Amanda, Steven and my mum pissed themselves.

We got home and Steven told me they laughed because talking about cheques bouncing is a bit taboo and it was just really innocent of me to say it. Why am I unaware of these social conventions?

Come out of the second bedroom and this is your view of the kitchen. Go through the door and turn right and walk down the hall...
Anyway I found my cheque book and we've reserved loads of the furniture that mum and Sean are trying to find homes for and we'll be moving in on the 12th Feb!! Exciting!

Now I just have the enthralling task of packing and, given I save every receipt that has ever been handed to me, even for chewing gum, it is going to be a right bastard of a job.

...and you come to the master bedroom which has a lot more space behind where the camera is positioned.
(All pictures from rightmove.co.uk)

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