On the move.....
Well that should give you a clue about what I've been up to recently! Packing frantically ready to move ....
Kim, one of the agents marketing the house, called me to see whether I'd thought of letting the house short or long term. In fact, it was something I was beginning to consider, along with moving back to the UK until the sales market picked up. When she and I finally met to discuss it I was extremely surprised to be told what the monthly rental could be and decided to go ahead. Two hours later she was on the phone with a potential tenant wanting to view that afternoon - and, best of all, for €100 more per month than we'd agreed. I had two or three more viewings the same week and finally saw a couple who'd flown in from the UK specifically to view the house - they are now my tenants, or they will be in a couple of weeks. Originally they proposed moving in the middle of January but changed that fairly quickly to 12th December!
Meanwhile I am moving to Alcalali to share a house with a friend - I haven't got time to find a rental of my own at the moment. Nick offered me room at his place. I emphasise that I am sharing the house with him, not living with him as in a relationship! That will never happen. We are great friends and I hope our living in the same house won't ruin the friendship.
My new tenants are making Spain their new home, bringing all their own furniture and possessions with them. However, they only have a contract for 11 months, the maximum allowed under Spanish law, so they must move out at the end of next year - unless they choose to buy the place, which is what I would love to happen!
I shall be moving out on 9th December. Some of my things will be stored here (with the tenants' agreement). Other things I might need but not immediately will be stored in Nick's underbuild, while my bedroom furniture will be shoe-horned into his second bedroom (I hope!), at the moment it looks frighteningly small but then it is crammed with a lot of his stuff that he's never touched or moved since we moved him in there last June!
Everything has happened so quickly it's taken me by surprise and I must admit I'm beginning to panic just a tiny bit. So wish me luck and watch this space for news of how everything went!
Other news - first Doreen's visit which I mentioned was about to happen in my last blog. We had a great time! Her visit coincided with the opening of John and June's bar and we spent quite a bit of time there, met lots of people and she met lots of my friends. At last she knows what my life here is like now! She loved John's singing of course! The weather was a bit iffy but we just went with the flow and did what we wanted. I seem to remember quite a bit of chocolate was involved, along with copious amounts of alcohol!
In my last blog I also mentioned that Correos had managed to lose a parcel Sara sent me. Guess what - it turned up two weeks ago! Sara had heard from the UK Post Office just the week previously that it hadn't turned up and she should regard it now as lost. Can't say how disappointed I was when she told me. Imagine my surprise to hear the gate bell one lunchtime - when I went outside to see who was calling on me unannounced I saw a parcel come flying over the gate! Thankfully it was light and there was nothing breakable in it. It seems that Correos are now doing the sensible thing and allowing the post-persons to deliver small parcels to the door. She actually had two for me! I was so thrilled to get Sara's - in it were two lovely summer outfits (a bit late now but they are gorgeous and they fit!), a lipstick she'd got for me from Avon and these little darlings - poach pods! I have tried and failed to find a traditional egg poaching pan here but I can recommend these whole heartedly - they are brilliant - available from Lakeland and Amazon, to name just a couple of stockists.
Kim, one of the agents marketing the house, called me to see whether I'd thought of letting the house short or long term. In fact, it was something I was beginning to consider, along with moving back to the UK until the sales market picked up. When she and I finally met to discuss it I was extremely surprised to be told what the monthly rental could be and decided to go ahead. Two hours later she was on the phone with a potential tenant wanting to view that afternoon - and, best of all, for €100 more per month than we'd agreed. I had two or three more viewings the same week and finally saw a couple who'd flown in from the UK specifically to view the house - they are now my tenants, or they will be in a couple of weeks. Originally they proposed moving in the middle of January but changed that fairly quickly to 12th December!
Meanwhile I am moving to Alcalali to share a house with a friend - I haven't got time to find a rental of my own at the moment. Nick offered me room at his place. I emphasise that I am sharing the house with him, not living with him as in a relationship! That will never happen. We are great friends and I hope our living in the same house won't ruin the friendship.
My new tenants are making Spain their new home, bringing all their own furniture and possessions with them. However, they only have a contract for 11 months, the maximum allowed under Spanish law, so they must move out at the end of next year - unless they choose to buy the place, which is what I would love to happen!
I shall be moving out on 9th December. Some of my things will be stored here (with the tenants' agreement). Other things I might need but not immediately will be stored in Nick's underbuild, while my bedroom furniture will be shoe-horned into his second bedroom (I hope!), at the moment it looks frighteningly small but then it is crammed with a lot of his stuff that he's never touched or moved since we moved him in there last June!
Everything has happened so quickly it's taken me by surprise and I must admit I'm beginning to panic just a tiny bit. So wish me luck and watch this space for news of how everything went!
Other news - first Doreen's visit which I mentioned was about to happen in my last blog. We had a great time! Her visit coincided with the opening of John and June's bar and we spent quite a bit of time there, met lots of people and she met lots of my friends. At last she knows what my life here is like now! She loved John's singing of course! The weather was a bit iffy but we just went with the flow and did what we wanted. I seem to remember quite a bit of chocolate was involved, along with copious amounts of alcohol!
In my last blog I also mentioned that Correos had managed to lose a parcel Sara sent me. Guess what - it turned up two weeks ago! Sara had heard from the UK Post Office just the week previously that it hadn't turned up and she should regard it now as lost. Can't say how disappointed I was when she told me. Imagine my surprise to hear the gate bell one lunchtime - when I went outside to see who was calling on me unannounced I saw a parcel come flying over the gate! Thankfully it was light and there was nothing breakable in it. It seems that Correos are now doing the sensible thing and allowing the post-persons to deliver small parcels to the door. She actually had two for me! I was so thrilled to get Sara's - in it were two lovely summer outfits (a bit late now but they are gorgeous and they fit!), a lipstick she'd got for me from Avon and these little darlings - poach pods! I have tried and failed to find a traditional egg poaching pan here but I can recommend these whole heartedly - they are brilliant - available from Lakeland and Amazon, to name just a couple of stockists.
Although the parcel was marked 'Return to Sender' in Spanish I don't think it ever left Spain and someone must have decided to send it out again - make that person a saint please!
We've had some lovely weather again, sunny and warm; however, as I write, it has turned chilly and is raining though it isn't expected to last and should be back to 'normal' tomorrow or Tuesday.
Apologies in advance if I don't manage to get christmas cards sent this year, or at least get them over to the UK in good time. There is so much still to do but I'm hoping I'll get some sent after the move!
Meanwhile I must leave it here for now, still a few things to do before I can take it easy today. Hope to be back with an update before Christmas!
posted by CaroleW at Sunday, November 29, 2009
0 comments
