Panic
 

Removals are coming on Thursday and I am nowhere near ready. Don't know how I will manage without our computer, its my lifeline. House was supposed to exchange last Friday but buyers solicitor want a letter from Planning Dept confrming our conservatory is within specified limits so that it doesn't need planning permission, apparantly a copy of the building specs won't do! The letter can take 10 days to produce (?) and we are supposed to be completing on the 10th Sept.

Lady buying our house is tearing her hair out as well as she has already booked the removal van and the deposit monies are with her solicitor.

So we are sending off all our wordly posessions on Thursday, having a leaving do on Friday and leaving on Wednesday and we haven't exchanged yet!!!

On top of this we are now getting panicky that we are doing the right thing. We have a good lifestyle in a beautiful part of the world and we're leaving it all and taking the kids to the other side of the world for an adventure!

PANIC PANIC PANIC

Steph

Sure you are doing the right thing - if you didn't you would always wonder what if?

We live near you and have a pretty good lifestyle. Both got good jobs, nice house, good school etc but actual quality of life is somewhat lacking.

Good Luck!

oh christ now youve got me panicking about about permission for our conservatory ,we just took the company on face value that we didnt need it.
Let us know the outcome
good luck
donna

That's the annoying thing, we know we don't need planning permission, it didn't even come up when we bought the house 8 yrs ago. My solicitor can't understand why they are being such a pain in the backside as she can point out the regulation and provide them with plans but they want it in writing!

Call me a cynic but they are making a nice amount of interest on the deposit monies whilst we are waiting and isn't it strange that they only asked for the info on the day we were supposed to exchange?

Don't worry, unless yours is absolutey massive (ours is 12 by 11) you won't have a problem I'm sure.

cheers guys. I think it's all the "finals" that are making us panic. Last time we'll go here for a meal, last time we'll go out on this boat, last time we'll shop here... Silly things I know but it's getting pretty scary. I think once we've left Poole we'll be able to look forward a little bit more.

Re: Panic
 

Steph, your not alone, we (and I'm sure many others) are in the same position. We travel to Sydney on the 25th 2 of us plus 4 yr old moving out of house on the 19th. We have our last leaving do a week sunday, but everything seems backed up trying to get things in before we go. We firmly believe we could recreate what we have here if we needed to, and are trying very hard although not easy to look forward. I think there are some fantastic experiences ahead so try and stay positive although its challenging I am sure it will be worth it.

Whilst we have lots of really great friends and family here and have no money worries as such, we are acutely aware that there is more out their to see and do, and lots more interesting people to meet. Sometimes moving out of the comfort zone is necessary and not really that big a risk (though it feels like it) given that you can go back if really really want to.

good luck

James

Nice posts from you all. Good luck on your new adventures.

Whisky

Re: Panic
 

I was thinking of leaving the computer out of the shipping and getting a laptop when we are out there. This saves waiting for it the other end and means you have access to the internet to the very last minute before you go. You could always give the computer to parents to encourage them to email you.

Mind you, we are not selling up, just renting out, initially so maybe that makes it a little easier for us.

Anyway, don't panic and all the best.

Rob

At that stage now,everything was trundling along fine,but now everything seems to be going in fast forward with no freeze frame!
Movers here (went for Pickfords £575 cuft for £2250) in two weeks,notice for work in today,house should be completing on the 19th all being well,weekly partys start next week,fly out to Geelong on the 5th,three weeks sorting stuff out then start work on the 3rd November.
Every emotion you can think of hits you,packed myself up the Brecon Beacons at the weekend,sat at the top of the biggest mountain and watched the mist clear away below me,saw sights I'd never seen before even thougth I've been up there loads of times,amazing,leaving it all behind worried about schooling settling in housing,but you've got to give it a go,or like everyone says spend the rest of your life saying "if only"

hi steph,

we havent had planning permission for our conservatory either...
our buyers were happy with a one off indemnity payment(I think thats what its called)..about £150!!!..just incase they find out later that we shouldve got it..


know exactly how you are feeling steph..hang on in there and we'll see ya there!

Re: Panic
 

Hi Steph,
we too are in Poole, we're a long way off from the stage you are at, still waiting for the TRA!!!!
i'm off work this week and what i did yesterday was take my daughter to all the places i played as a child, took her to my old house, my first school, the beach hideouts in the cliffs etc! took loads of photos, people must've thought we were mad!
i can understand your panic, but like you say its a huge adventure and yes Poole is a beautiful part of the world, but just like in Australia there are some not so nice parts! Yes you are doing the right thing, enjoy every moment of it!
best wishes
rach and family
:)

Re: Panic
 

Hi guys - cant help u on the house front I'm afraid. (we had a conservatory and had no questions asked ( 13x10 ) !! You are doing the right thing. Be positive. Hope it works out ok

Re: Panic
 

We're also moving out of our home without the legal side of the sale being finalised. You just have to go with the flow, and we personally preferred to get on with things rather than put too much of a hold on plans.

Our buyer's solicitor also asked for a copy of planning consent for some building work done 19 years ago. Our own solicitor said they were just trying it on, and she told them to go away. Apparently that has worked.

The alternative view is that some solicitors are not on a flat fee basis and are trying to string out their work. Maybe that is being unkind, maybe not.

I had a phone call yesterday from my solicitor asking if we'd had ever applied for planning permission or for building regulation approval since our ownership of the property.

We have an extension, built by the previous owner so I immediatley thought that there was something wrong.

I feel a bit better reading these posts, we hope to complete by 12th Sept and fly on the 18th Sept, we had just worked up the courage to book the flights when we were asked the question.

We are reluctant to book them now until we exchange - STRESS!!!

Good luck everyone

Trayla

Re: Panic
 

i think other people will agree with this, when you are in the middle of the application process like we are it all seems so unreal, but when the time comes to actually move then i think that reality hits home

but what an adventure hey!!

arlene

hi trayla...we fly on 18th sept too...1145 hrs from manchester..malaysian airlines to sydney via kuala lumpar....who u flying with?????

I am an architect and I am sure your conservatory will not have needed planning permission unless your conservatory was a really big one.

Your local planning office will have a leaflet on "permitted development" which usually means that you are allowed to build a a certain amount of area (1/10th or something like that - I am not sure as I deal with much bigger projects) of your floor area and single storey without permission.

I would imaging a copy of the leaflet from the planning department should do it!!

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement. Made time today to take out my daughter and her mate so that they could make a video of all their favourite places in Poole and Bournemouth along with footage of previous houses that we lived in. It took 5 hours but is absolutely brilliant and will be a really nice keepsake for us all.

Feeling slightly better today. Have warned everyone in the house that anything that is not in a suitcase tomorrow evening is going to Oz so they'll have to do without it.

Also found out why there will be a 10 day delay on us getting a letter from planning.....the only person that can type the letter is on holiday until next week!!!!

Thanks for the advice Cam, the solicitors have the specs of the conservatory and a copy of the relevant regulation but still insist on a letter from planning. Stupid thing is that planning dept just asked our solicitor to confirm various points over the phone and are producing the letter on that basis.

Never mind, this will soon be behind us and we will be on our way. One big adventure coming up.

Best of luck to everyone, this site really helps me get through the worries and the doubts as well as providing realistic advice and warnings about what to expect.

Hi Yvsie,

We haven't booked the flight yet, and we are going to Adelaide.

I did see some flights Man - Kuala Lumpur - Adelaide at that time. When we book it I'll let you know, we might be on the same flight to Kuala Lumpur.

I have to be in Adelaide by the 22nd Sept so the Panic is setting in.

Good Luck,

Trayla

Hi Steph,
really feel for you at the moment with all the STRESS!! I feel it getting to me some days and we're not even close to going yet! You have made me think about our conservatory though!! Anyone know if there are any rules about doors between conservatory and existing house? We don't have any- just an open doorway between conservatory and kitchen and I seem to remember my brother in law mumbling that we should have proper lockable doors to pass building control! Would really appreciate advice on this as I would hate for it to be a stumbling block at he last minute if we should do something now!

In the meantime Steph take a deep breath and a hot bubbly bath and trust that it will all work out in the end! Us women are inclined to worry sooo much aren't we? Really hope it will be O.K. for you and it will seem worth it all soon!!

We weretold that we needed a door as well,but gave it a good ignoring,had estate asgents round,they didn,t seem bothered,but if the worse comes to the worse,just chuck some 4x2 up for a surround and chuck a cheapie door on for the prospective buyers valuer,don't think they will bother thougth

Steph - it'll all be fine once you get there and are not in limbo. Meanwhile, keep busy and don't think about it.;)

Rob - and anyone else who's worried about living without your computer for a couple of months like we were - it's simpler and cheaper to buy a secondhand laptop before you go unless you actually need a whizzo new laptop for ongoing use. You can copy all your email addresses and whatever onto it beforehand and have it all set up ready to sign up with an ISP when you arrive. We bought ours on ebay (www.ebay.co.uk) for £200 all up.

Cam the architect here -maybe I should set up my own discussion forum!- You do need a door for fire regs and heating and ventilation regulations. However, it is not a big deal to put up a door if needed. Best wait until asked though I think.

Well this will probably be my last post from my own computer as the removal men are coming tomorrow lunchtime. I'm nowhere near ready and am gong to have to get up at 6 to sort the rest out.

To top it all we were served a notice from the local council this morning. Apparantly 25 of the houses on our road share a drainage system for which we are responsible. There are 2 blockages that they insist we sort out within 10 days and share the cost. No idea what that will be but our buyer is a bit twitchy about it all, despite my assurances that our solicitor says we can leave a holding amount with her for payment of the share once known (hopefully tomorrow).

So the situation is, our wordly goods are being sent to Oz tomorrow, our leaving do is on Friday, we are supposed to complete on the 10/9 and we haven't even exchanged contracts yet! As most of our capital is in the equity in the house I am starting to develop a nervous twitch as we would have difficulty going ahead with our plans and trying to sell the house again/complete whilst we were out in Oz.

Going to bed now, maybe things will look better in the morning!

Steph