The house is falling apart. There have been problems since we moved in back in August, but in the last couple of weeks, things seem to be collapsing in front of my eyes. My husband has been convinced that we need to leave since September (when the contents of the bath came through the kitchen light fitting) but I have grimly hung on, haunting the estate agent, emptying little bowls of water from under the boiler, and tripping over the broken fireplace.
I reached tipping point a couple of weeks ago. I waited for people to come to fix the leaky boiler, when they did arrive (very late of course) they messed around a bit, but the boiler continued to leak. Another crowd appeared to look at the bathroom. Heads were shaken, photos were taken, but again, nothing was done. Finally, it was the (newly) leaking washing machine and the broken shelves in the dishwasher that reduced me to tears. The thought of having even more things to chase up on while I mopped water off floors and wrestled with the wonky dishwasher, sent me over the edge. So, we began the hunt for alternative accommodation, and, this weekend we move. Again. And while I will be relieved to leave the leaks, creaks and many other problems I could bore you with, the thought of once again packing our lives up and moving is not alluring.
That said, let’s focus on the positives… The move is within Greenwich – we are moving to the street just behind us. Therefore we have no cars to sell, no schools to sort out, no visas to obtain, no planes, boats or containers to arrange (previous moves have needed some or all of these). It’s a rental, so we don’t have to beg for a mortgage, or to wait in agony for people further up the chain to get a move on, and we won’t have to sit outside the new house, with the contents of our life in the truck, until we get the nod that the money has been paid. The house is roughly the same size and shape – and we know our furniture will fit… (Flashback to 2006 when our sofa couldn’t get through the door. It sat outside for a week until we could get someone to put it through the window. Life lesson, use a measuring tape.) To boot, it is safe to say that the DiaryOf family are experienced movers. My daughter is 5, and this will be her 7th home – I can hardly believe it as I type – and we have naturally picked up some tips along the way. (Maybe that is my future career, a move planner…. Not as glamorous as a wedding planner, but a valid idea, eh?)
All this experience of moving means I am well acquainted with the negatives too. The kids being unsettled, the difficulties getting the Telly /phone/ interweb sorted, the missing bottle-opener (when I am moving, I need the bottle-opener a LOT), to name but a few. But these problems will pass. Soon I will be ensconced in a house with a functioning dishwasher/ washing machine /bathroom /boiler, the kids will be happy, the Telly man will have brought back Masterchef, and I will have remembered to put the bottle opener in my pocket. In other words, all will be well. Until the next move.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Diary of is a regular blog written by a regular Greenwich mum. Sharing her experiences as a local parent (and member of this website) she’ll be writing about everything and anything. And being completely anonymous – you never know – you could have stood next to her in the Post Office or behind her in Cafe W…
_______________________________________________________________________________
Submit your review | |
About DiaryOf