Re: Tasmania??
 

Going to try 3 estate agents at once so they can slug it out. Might work you never know. Any one done this.

Re: Tasmania??
 

Eye tests here are bulk-billed to Medicare so no cost to you.

As to cost of frames and lenses, the situation is the same as in the UK in thatif you shop around you can get some good deals, but if you want designer frames and premium-brand lenses then you pay more.

A lot of people have private health cover which includes optical extras, and the place I work at at present has some good "no out-of-pocket" frame and lens packages which are entirely covered by the health fund.

Re: Tasmania??
 

It's bad enough dealing with one agent and the staff in that one office - dont think i fancy the thought of going multi-agent and having to talk to loads of them!.....but maybe i'll change my tune once we're more desperate! :sneaky:

Re: Tasmania??
 

Thanks for the info - much appreciated. :thumbup: It doesnt sound too bad over there then. I'll just get the one pair replaced this year then and wait and see about doing the other in Tas (unless we're still here next year! :()

How is your training going? haven't seen you on the thread for a little while, hope you're both well.

Did you hear about the lady that fell and sadly died whilst out walking with a friend in the Lake District? I thought of you and Peter (Oldgit) when i read about it - as you'd had all your recent discussions about the fells there..

Cathy
:)

Re: Tasmania??
 

Yeah, I agree with you Cathy, we're having enough problems with one estate agent and one solicitor - could throttle them all at the moment:eek:

Good luck though, whatever you decide

Sam

Re: Tasmania??
 

Hi Cathy

I don't know if this was just a fluke or what but our house sold to the first viewers at asking price!! (sorry didn't mean to make you feel sick!!!) :p
I bought a delicious room freshner, fresh linen fragrance from avon I sprayed this in all the bedrooms. Down stairs just before they arrived I brewed up an expresso coffee and wafted it all round down stairs to make it smell inviting. Plus all the usual made it look really showy, which I am sure you guys have all done. Try it, maybe it might work for you:)

Good luck
Kerry

Re: Tasmania??
 

Hi Sam, what's the latest with your house sale? has the guy got his mortgage sorted yet - or are they still playing for time?

I'm having one of those weeks this week when i just dont want to think about the house! :sneaky: But i'll feel differently next week probably.

I cannot believe the cheek of Andy's sister that lives in Perth - have to tell you this.... More than 6 months ago she paid for her, her husband and Andy's Mum's holiday to Malta (they go in July for another relatives daughter's wedding out there). She has now had the cheek to Email Andy and tell him that him and his brother should now contribute towards the cost of their Mum's trip and send her some money towards it!!!! I know what's triggered it - the fact that we've just booked ourselves a holiday. She has been really off with us ever since we told her one afternoon that we were definitely moving to Tasmania and not to Perth as we didnt like it there! :frown: Andy's not happy and neither am i... i cant believe some people, i know she's the oldest - but at almost 40 years old i think Andy's a bit too old now to be bossed about by his older sister! and when we refuse...it'll be us that is made to look bad or ungiving! Boy they'll be an atmosphere when we all meet up in July (after the initial air kisses and false greetings of course! :lol:)

Re: Tasmania??
 

Sorry to hear about your crap weekend Sam! Your inlaws sound like a nightmare:ohmy: Talking of inlaws, I've agreed to have Duncans parents over next Feb for 4 weeks:unsure: I wonder how long it will be before I throttle her:eek: Place your bets now!!:rofl:

Re: Tasmania??
 

4 weeks:eek:

Mind you, it'll be a nice time of year and they can be out and about, suggest they hire their own car so they can be independent!

I certainly can't manage 4 hours with my in laws without wanting to slap his mother (and I'm a very passive person normally) they have not actually stayed with us for years now as we have had so many bad visits.

Do you get on with Duncan's parents OK?

Sam

Re: Tasmania??
 

Hi Kerry :) I know what you mean - Andy's flat sold to the 1st viewer within 2 hours of him signing the estate agents contract - but that was 6 years ago....and things have changed drastically on the housing market in just the last 6 months...:( We're lucky in that we've had a few viewers as in reading other threads on BE some people have had none for much longer than the 3months our house has been up for. It was just bad timing on our part to put the house up the week the credit crunch was announced. The agents we had round to value our house were very confident it would sell quickly because of where we are....and most of the viewers have liked our house but havent made any offers... The only negative feedback we've had is that the house was either too small for one couple's needs and another couple said that the garden wasn't big enough - but at 75ft long i know that it's above average size for a UK garden around here....so that cant be helped!
Our place is always immaculate when people are viewing - we spend ages cleaning and we're not ones for leaving the place in a mess anyway. One agent said that if the 1st time buyers haven't got much deposit (and they need 10% now to get a mortgage) - because they're looking then at borrowing more than £220,000 at least to buy a 3bed house around here then they'd struggle and if both didn't work they probably couldnt afford the mortgage payments...that's reduced our buyer options somewhat...:(

I couldnt do the coffee trick myself as i dont drink tea or coffee and dont like the smell! But i've also heard the old bake some bread in the oven trick - that's meant to work but we haven't tried that one yet!!!! and seeing as i'm on a diet at the moment i'd better not try it - otherwise half a tub of butter and half a baked loaf would be gone in no time! :lol::lol:

Cathy
x :)

Re: Tasmania??
 

I am pleasant to them, but they do get my back up sometimes. I haven't had a cross word to say to them yet, but there is always a first time. Thankfully they lived way up in Yorkshire and we were way down in Milton Keynes so didn't see them that often any way. I was very upset with them the last day we saw them before leaving but I bit my tongue, because we were leaving in around 3 days after so didn't see the point in causing friction at that point. Duncan was also really upset with them and nearly said something, but again he bit his tongue. I'm not sure if we can bite our tongues for 4 weeks so it should be interesting to say the least.:huh:

Re: Tasmania??
 

Hi Cathy

What a cheek, if they want to pay for her holiday, then fine, but why do they expect you to pay?

As you say, probably sour grapes because you did not like Perth!

House sale going nowhere here, have told the EAs that if we have not had some positive news by Friday, them the house will go back on the market, she really didn't like that and said they will not tell the buyer as he will call the whole deal off!
Apparently the mortgage offer was issued 2 weeks ago and despite 2 copies going to the solicitors, they still say they have not received it! There has been a delay in the buyer receiving is copy as he has been away with work and lives abroad as well. So really don't know what to think:confused:

Sam

Re: Tasmania??
 

Blimey, i reckon we could do a poll on BE and ask whether anyone actually gets on and likes their in-laws!!! :lol::lol:

At least you've got plenty of time to pysche yourselves up for the visit! ;)

Re: Tasmania??
 

Oh its definitely sour grapes :frown:. I think they had it all planned in their head that we would either rent one of their other properties they own in Perth - or that we would rent the daughter that's coming over here in July for a year or so's house....and we scuppered those plans by not liking Perth enough to want to live there! :sneaky:

It always makes me laugh the way that EA's are always scared to "upset" the buyer - when the seller is actually their client and they're loyalties are meant to be to you! and as for the old "lost in the post" business with the mortgage offer - in this day and age of EMail/faxes/couriers etc etc that one doesnt wash with me anymore....we dont let anyone get away with that one at work - and we dont use it as an excuse ourselves i'm pleased to say!

I hope you do get positive news before friday though....i really dont want to see you have to put the house back on the market as things were going so well.... Fingerscrossed!!!! :thumbup:

Cathy
:)

Re: Tasmania??
 

Yep, "lost in the post" deos not wash with me either, have they not heard of fax or email?

I think the truth is that his solicitors are truly useless, the offer is probably sat on a desk somewhere, which makes me even more mad.
The mortgage broker (which just adds another 3rd party to the equation) has asked the building society to send another one out today by recorded delivery, so if it is not on their desk tomorrow, then something is definitely fishy:sneaky:
Buyer has already signed his and sent it from Oman by courier, on Saturday, so they shoud have that today or tomorrow as well. But again, if they say, they have not received that either, they are even more useless than I thought:curse:

Anyway, this is no good, I was supposed to be all happy and positive today, instead I am just full of worries and doubts about it all:(

Sam