Blog Fail

I should NEVER have so blithely declared that I'd post every day this month.  Sigh.

I have been so busy since we got back from Maryland (and consequently so tired) that I've been collapsing into bed at 9.00 most nights.

The news so far:

1. The sellers agreed to give us an escrow check for the ENTIRE amount of the re-roofing quote.  They originally countered with half, but our realtor, the awesome Phyllis, pointed out to them that there was an identical house in the next street over selling for £50,000 less and that if they wanted us to buy their house, rather than the cheaper one, they'd better offer some incentive, because the roof was a deal-buster.  The reason, by the way, that we were going for this house, rather than the cheaper one is that the cheaper one was a short-sale, and it can take 6-9 months to get an offer accepted on short-sales.  Also, the house we chose is move-in ready.  All we are waiting for now is the valuation for the mortgage lender, and a background check to make sure there are no liens on the property.
2. We've had contractors round our house here to give us quotes on some of the work that needs to be done to get it up to scratch for renting out.  There are a few things I can't do, like removing the old gas fire or replacing the toilet cistern (it's one of the old fashioned two piece toilets), and a lot of things I could do but which would take me much longer and much more effort, like fixing guttering and resealing the bathroom and kitchen.  So the contractors are going to do most of the repairs on the house, and I'm going to do all the painting and decorating.  We are getting a certain amount from the Conference towards the costs and I got a small tax rebate, so that will cover the contractors work, and the materials I'll need, with a little bit left over for emergencies and getting professional cleaners in at the end if necessary.
3. Evie has settled in really well at University, is getting on pretty well with her course, but has really found her true love in RUCAS (Reading University Circus Arts Society) and contact juggling.  If you've ever seen David Bowie in "Labyrinth" you'll know what contact juggling is.  If you haven't, this is the sort of thing...and she's getting really good at it.

The plan is still for David to go mid-March and for me to finish up with the house here and follow at the end of March.  If everything goes smoothly we'll be able to move into the new house shortly after I arrive (although we'll have to get a few pieces of furniture to tide us over until our shipment arrives).