Vocal Voices

We've been waiting since early January for the designer to finish the layout plans to send out to builders for tender - this was delayed a bit because she got an engineer out to survey the building generally, and there was a possibility of levelling the ground floor, which is currently on three different levels. The engineer ok'd that, so it meant totally reconfiguring downstairs and now it will be very much better. We have a meeting next Monday for the finalisation of the plans and hopefully the tender will be sent out to some builders in the next week-10 days.

In the meantime, we've asked the bank about possible bridging finance - no way Jose So we will probably be putting the house on the market sooner than planned, as we would need proceeds from the sale to finance the build. We'll ask on Monday (a) how long the tender process takes and (b) how long they think the build would take. Based on that, we will then talk to the estate agents and get that part of it going. We had really hoped not to have to rent, and maybe we won't - SIL was saying this morning that we could stay with them, something I would be resistant to, but a short term let would be hard to find anywhere let alone in this area. He and Miss Osc have obviously given it some thought, as he said they could turn one of their bedrooms (they have four) into a sitting room for us - might have to consider that in spite of my reservations. We once had my parents living with us for four months and it was very hard for everyone, although in fairness we would have a different relationship with Miss Osc and SIL than we had with my parents, so we shall see - it would be stupid of me to totally discount it.

You don't want to know what the last bill from the architect was but hopefully their expertise will be worth it in the end

Flamin' banks

Hope it all goes smoothly for you Osc x

Banks make my blood boil

That's really kind of Miss Osc, I know you all get on well so hopefully it might work as a short term solution? I must admit the two months we spent with my MIL in 2009 when we first moved back to Gloucester were very trying, but to be fair she wasn't well at the time and I was upset about moving so far from the children so it wasn't ideal We have recovered from it and are good friends these days

Osc you and G seem to have a great relationship, and I know yours with your mother was fraught, so it would be different this time, I'm sure xxxxxxxxxxx

So exciting for you good luck

Such a shame that the banks won't help Osc

Glad that you're not totally discounting moving in with Miss Osc for a while, it could work out okay seeing as you'd have your own space, plus I dare say you've got some long weekends away planned too? xxx

Not too many weekends planned at the moment, Jo - one in mid-June and then our cruise in mid-July - we have a few weekends before then which would be before anything would happen.