More house hunting

Well yesterday we saw another two houses and it was too of the more odd ones. One which makes good common sense as in right location and right price and another which looked to be an emotionally good house as in the sort of house you kind of dream of owning. What was weird was that seeing these two houses turned everything on its head.

The one that from the pictures in the advert and general locations seemed like a dream house fell short of what we were expecting. In fact my wife who was the biggest fan of this house seemed to like it the least of all the houses we went to see. It had two issues. One is that if anything it was slightly too big and the other is that despite feeling that I quite fancied rural living that was taking rural a bit too far for us. Which is a shame really as it is a lovely house and will make some family very happy I am sure, just not us.

The second house which is the very sensible option but did not seem to grab out attention on the pictures was the exact opposite. We walked in and liked pretty much everything we saw. My eldest daughter was getting so excited she was desperate to whisper to us that she thought this was the one.

Much deliberating and we have a plan of attack now. The 'sensible' house is also luckily the one that we all seem to like and we are going to try and get that one. I am currently trying to get my mortgage provider to play ball and then we will look to making an offer. But we have a backup as one of the houses we saw the day before was another very strong contender. Interestingly it was also the house from that day which we did not expect to like as much.

I hope the lawyers, mortgage lenders and everything line up soon. I cannot wait to move the wife and kids up here so we can start our life in Shetland properly.

Oh and the best bit was we went and had dinner in Frankies Fish and Chip shop in Brae. http://www.frankiesfishandchips.com/ They make the best chips I have ever had and the scampi was amazing. Might have to visit that a few more times.

House hunting begins

Well yesterday was interesting. We were looking at two properties which were within about half a mile of one another. Price wise they were pretty much identical as well. What was interesting was the very different prospects they provide.
The first house is beautifully decorated with a kitchen which is pretty well near perfection. Only thing is there is almost nothing you could do to that house and it is probably pretty much worth as much as it will ever be worth without a general rise in the Market.
The second house was slightly different. Ever so slightly bigger. Bedroom sizes similar but every room had built in wardrobes so they felt bigger. The downside is the kitchen needs doing as does the bathroom. Every room in the house needs a refresh at the least. But as a result of this the price is depressed for what the house offers. Plus it has a view to die for. I doubt I could ever get tired of that view.
We are going to see another two houses today and I am Hopi ng it all becomes a bit clearer.
Interesting things I noticed about houses in Shetland.
1: they love utility rooms which are a great idea and makes big kitchens feel even bigger
2: they love big kitchens
3: they do not seem to go for huge bedrooms and sacrifice space the fir bigger kitchens/living rooms
4: bathrooms tend to be big with separate showers
5: they love big garages and I do mean BIG garages.

Feeling Down

Well it could not all be a bed of roses could it.
I am now feeling ever so slightly depressed and generally scared by this relocating nonsense. I am here in Shetland right now in a lovely little rental property. The downside is that I am here without my wife and kids and I miss them dreadfully.
Plus I am beginning to get scared that I will not find a house to buy. Or rather a house to buy that I could afford to buy.
I am not asking for much. Just a simple house 3 bed within an easy commute of my work and close to a decent school for my kids. This is not looking to be as easy as it sounds.
The really scary thing is I have accepted my job here now so there is no going back. I guess I just have to hope it all works out for the best.

On the plus side I am loving being in Shetland. The scenery around my rental property is quite unlike anything I have ever seen before (in a good way).

Anyone got a house they fancy selling? :-)

First moves

Well I have not updated this for a while and this is going to be a longer update.
A lot has happened. First I am actually writing this from Shetland so in that respect my move is proving successful.
I managed to find a lovely little rental property with a grand total of about four days to spare.
That did nothing for my relaxed nature but it did manage to distract me from the sheer logistical nightmare of moving up here.
And that was just for me. What on earth is it going to be like when it is the full family and a house worth of stuff?
No that worry is for a later date.
Anyway I did manage to pack up relatively in advance of the move which is a first for me.
I had decided to travel up on the ferry and the drive up was uneventful.
This was my first time in the ferry and I have to say it was kind of fun.
Dinner on the ferry was basic but nice. The cabin was small but very comfortable and I managed to get a good sleep.
Enough of a sleep that I could work the full day when I got here.
Today then was a whirlwind of running to sign leases, pick up keys and unpack while trying to work.
So now I am trying to relax and plan ahead.
I miss my wife and kids. I can't wait to get them up here.
Now all I need to do is find a house.