Helen1964

I'm afraid I agree with Pistolpete. This whole thread is utterly moronic.

Moses2013

No offence but you're not being forced to read the thread.

Helen1964

Indeed. You're right. I'm off to do something more interesting instead.

UkWinds5353

Who knew property was a four letter word

That link shows a beautiful view and one worth more than the price of buying a property. It feels serene. Knowing my wife and the kind of place she'll want to call home the place we pick will include a sense of serenity. We're plain folks and not pretentious at all and having friendly neighbors is very important to us both. In this selection process I'm about one-third of the vote and the Mrs is the CEO because we are moving to the UK for her. My wife is the ultimate chess player and she is keeping some of her thinking about where to move to herself and doing so in order to include everyone's goals. I can tell her mindset includes a place that feels peaceful and I think that is part of the reason why she was ok with not moving back to the Manchester area. I think she wants something a bit slower but with amenities and options. It's her opinion that we will find our home somewhere in the region Dorset over to Brighton.

Have you spend anytime in the Portsmouth and Portchester areas?

This trip as most vacations do will move faster than we're anticipating but alone the way we hope to take a little time to take it all in.

UkWinds5353

I'm noticing a few more recently added properties on the various real estate websites which is nice. And it's particularly good to see more grade 2 listed options at or under our budget. Seem like anything under one mil that is a grade 2, sells quite quick in the Surrey, Berkshire area. Really looking forward to house touring very soon.

Moses2013

Took the ferry from Portsmouth before and haven't spent much time there to be honest. I'm sure there are nicer parts, but to me the town looks a bit rough and I don't know if it would be my choice. I suppose a lot of larger ports and seaside towns have that problem.

UkWinds5353

That's a good tip. Will research the better coastal areas for settlement before coming over. And weather is a consideration.

UkWinds5353

We are getting ready to start the process of getting rid of things that we don't use or need and collecting dust in rental storage units. Some of the items we'll put up for sale online and others will go to consignment and there is the inevitable garage sale as well. It's important to start early and get as much done to avoid stress if possible. Just thinking about all these things to get rid of does remind me how much easier it is to keep everything simple and avoid too much consumerism. It has me wishing to find our idea house but in a smaller version because it's just the wife and I. All we really need is four bedrooms and a few dedicated rooms for entertainment. Total maybe 3500 sq feet. Unfortunately there are not as many well appointed properties but on a smaller scale.

Jerseygirl

When we moved from NJ, we donated most of our things to the local firehouse. The sale of which helped them to raise funds for the firehouse and local causes. We didn’t want to go to the bother of selling things ourselves and we certainly didn’t want strangers coming to the house.

UkWinds5353

That is a very good organization to donate funds to. We've gone the charitable route many times for spring cleaning and before a few moves. There are so many things to get rid of before this particular move that it makes sense to max out the resale value on their true worth. I'm sure there will be a number of items that will be sent over to a couple charitable organizations. More than likely furniture and what not. It's never possible to sell it all. We usually try to include entities that help lift up the greater community. Salvation Army that type of thing. And they will come out and pick up large items like a washer & dryer.

BuckinghamshireBoy

If this concept exists where you are it's cool. When quitting CH a few months back, we moved a chunk of stuff into the garage, furniture, picture frames, lamps etc, and between Salvation Army and a similar charity they cleaned us out. Both even said "if you need a second sweep when the removal lorry is packed, just call". I felt a heck of a lot better knowing that there was a potential second life for these perfectly functional yet surplus to requirement items.

UkWinds5353

I know what you mean. Many of the charitable outfits and especially the Salvation Army are very reputable community based organizations and their business model is essentially a win win for everyone involved. And we've never had to feel concern that the items donated wouldn't go directly to the community as oppose to the people working for that charity. We like the idea that a family somewhere in the community are able to basically furnish much of their home and make use of perfectly fine items. Furniture, washer & dryers, exercise equipment, they pretty much will accept everything in good condition. My wife has donated entire bedroom suites including dresser, night tables, armoires, sleigh and platform beds. They do make a difference. And the fact they pick up at the donor's home contributes to the idea of doing what it takes in making the community a focal point.

spouse of scouse

It's a great thing to do and a lovely way to support your community. Selling stuff yourself is such a faff, everyone wants a rock-bottom bargain and no matter how good the item is you're never going to get anywhere near the price you think it's worth. Unless people need the money, donating their excess possessions will give them a warm glow, save them time and hassle, and most importantly give a helping hand to those who need it.

UkWinds5353

Hotel rooms are booked and we are in count down mode. Hopefully our timing is good and the weather will cooperate while in Europe.

christmasoompa