*collapses in a heap*

[dolorosa_12]

We're on the final stretch now! Today, our marvellous friend E drove over to our place and, together with Matthias, moved three carloads of our belongings to the new house. These were the sorts of things that it's hard to move in typical moving boxes: cleaning equipment, open bottles of olive oil, fancy glasses still in their boxes, suitcases of clothes. Matthias and I don't drive (he has a license, but has never driven in the UK and hasn't driven in Germany for at least a decade, I have never learnt how to drive), and without friends with a car this would have been a complete nightmare. Obviously everyone was masked at all times, the car windows were open, etc, etc.

It ended up being very fortunate that this happened today, as we got notified by Virgin that they were sending the new equipment to set up internet at the new place today ... to the new place, even though we'd requested that they send it to our old house. So Matthias was able to wait there for the delivery, while E drove back to me to load and collect the last carload, and then pick Matthias up after the delivery had come.

Meanwhile, I packed up our entire house: seven bookshelves, all the kitchen stuff, and the remaining bedding and towels to cushion the glassware. I'm feeling particularly smug that I have saved every piece of bubble wrap every received in packaging for the past eight years — although we've stayed in this house a long time, I have moved house a lot in my life (including one month when I moved three times, three international moves, and the time when, aged eighteen, my fourteen-year-old sister and I basically packed up and cleaned the massive, four-bedroom, three-storey — plus study, family room, and separate laundry — family home in preparation for a move to another city, into a three-bedroom flat), and I never forget all the little things that make it slightly easier.

We've managed to get rid of two of the three large items of furniture we wanted to give away — via Facebook Marketplace. The third I will be advertising tomorrow, and I'm hoping it follows a similar pattern: multiple people interested, with someone able to collect it on the same day. With that gone, everything is ready for the removalists on Tuesday.

For obvious reasons, I am completely shattered. We deliberately tried to cram the remaining packing and moving of carloads into today, so that we could have tomorrow to rest, before going back to work on Monday, and then the move on Tuesday. I'm glad we finished everything, but it was exhausting!

The whole thing has completely broken my brain, so I will have to let the various posts I've seen on my feed pass me by. For those of you who saw in the new year in a happy way, I raise a glass of virtual champagne, and for those of you who summed up all the difficulties of your 2020s and all the hopes for your 2021s, I also raise a glass of virtual champagne. I hope this year is a kind one for you.

Now I'm off to sleep for many, many hours!

Comments

[corvidology]

I understand you must be exhausted but well done on getting ahead on your moving needs!

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you! It's such a relief to get it done!

[naye]

A HEROIC accomplishment to start off the new year! So glad you were able to get the internet despite Virgin's total fail. And GO YOU with the saving bubble wrap and getting everything packed up! You deserve a wonderful sleep. ♥

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you! I've realised from doing this house move that I do not deal well with having uncompleted tasks hanging over me when I'm trying to sleep — I've been sleeping really badly up until last night, when, having completed the packing, everything suddenly felt a lot easier.

The internet still isn't set up as we're still in the old house until Tuesday, and we organised things so it should last until midday on Tuesday, then switch over and be ready to connect on Wednesday morning. I'm crossing all my fingers that this goes smoothly, as otherwise I'll have to come in to the office to go to work.

[naye]

I really hope it all goes well! Keep us updated when you have the energy.

[bruttimabuoni]

Cheers to you for a deeply productive time, and a well deserved rest!

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

[rmc28]

Well done! Moving is HARD. Fingers crossed for it all going smoothly on Tuesday.

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you! And yes, it really is hard, although this is probably one of the easiest moves I've had to do in my life, even with the pandemic.

[superborb]

I am impressed at your organization for moving!!

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you! I just have a lifetime of bitter experience of the sorts of things that can go wrong whem moving house, and they're always there in the back of my mind, along with all the various little tricks I've developed to prevent such things happening again!

[merit]

Sounds like a massive day! Best of luck moving officially into your new home :)

(also if it took three months to settle when I purchased a house in AU, I probably would have cut someone. three months!)

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you! I hope it goes smoothly.

It actually took more than three months: we made the offer on the first Tuesday in September, and the sale was completed on 21st December. (Compared to my sister in Melbourne who I think took about a month from offer to completion.)

My understanding is that in Australia the buyer buys the house basically at their own risk, whereas in the UK the buyer's conveyancer thoroughly investigates all kinds of things like whether planning permission was obtained for any renovations, when boilers, wood-fired stoves etc were installed and whether they have up-to-date safety certificates, whether the house lies on a floodplain, etc etc. All this stuff understandably takes a lot of time — I've been told that six months is the average. (And basically if it's not done the banks won't offer you a loan, even if they've approved you based on your income and other factors.) It's frustrating, but hopefully gives a greater measure of security.

[trepkos]

... well done!

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

[charlottenewtons]

Moving is exhausting, enjoy your rest!

[dolorosa_12]

It is indeed!