Sometimes i get a bit teary about having to give up our own house so as it was happening a lot just lately i decided to look back at some of my old photos of the house which gave me mixed feelings ,
If you are new to my blog , We were once a couple of good earners and were in good health but my husband damaged his back and could not do his current job while he was recovering he had a stroke which left him with tremors He also developed rheumatoid and osteoarthritis arthritis in every joint there was no chance of him ever going back to work
We Had paid into a mortgage protection scheme which paid the mortgage for twelve months then after that we could not pay the mortgage on my wage alone so we reluctantly did mortgage rescue and rented the house back , In the meantime i developed health issues and had to give up my job i was earning a lot less as self employed and for various reasons we had to move to a smaller house.
Renting does not give you the freedom that owning your house does but there are the financial plus points that you don't have to worry about like the maintenance and affordable rent
The main plus side the area is nicer also the house is quieter, no noise from neighbours so this is what i found out from looking back
I really miss is my old kitchen , My husband built it to my design and specification before he had his health issues and i really loved it .
I miss the french doors onto the garden too and the outside appearance of the house , Local authority houses are not very pretty but that's all ,
The rest of the house we live in now is much better .
This is what we have done to this kitchen with the help of friends and family
Before
It looks pretty but behind the paint the cupboards are really battred when we moved in we asked for a new kitchen but they said it was quite new but unfortunately the people before us had neglected it so it looked a lot older that it is , The only option is now that we can have a kitchen done at our own expense but will have to pay a company that the housing association can approve to do the work and this will cost us thousands of pounds that we have not got , One possible hope is we had a visit from a surveyor who agreed with us on the condition so we might get one yet.
Here some other photos of our old house followed by photos of the new house.
Here are some of the photos of this house now and a few years ago as we have been here for 6 years now.
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My kitchen cupboards are awful inside too. At a guess they are 25 years old. I used sticky back plastic inside them, as I couldn't make them look clean, no matter how much I scrubbed. Fortunately, I found a huge roll of silver sticky back plastic at the car boot, which ties in nicely with the grey paint I used on the cupboard doors. The money that was earmarked for a new kitchen when we moved in had to be spent replacing the front door and glass panel to the side of it as the one we inherited was a burglar's dream!
ReplyDeleteHope your recent medical appointments went well. Xx
Hello scarlet , That's a good idea we could do that but the shelf edges are all blown too , I am hoping that we can have a kitchen just a basic white one would do and i can dress it up , I telephoned them the other day to ask the results of the survey and they said that the reports have not come in yet as the company who were doing the surveys have lots to do ,I will just have to be patient and i don't have much of that lol , I have an appointment on the 29th of this month i couldn't get an earlier appointment as the consultant is on holiday for three weeks , Hope you are ok xxx
ReplyDeleteYour beautiful photos shout “HOME” from every one. You have an amazing eye for colour and decoration and you make such good choices especially as you have to work on a limited budget. Have you thought of using the hygiene card when dealing with the HA-if the cupboard coverings are blown then it must be very challenging to keep clean and could harbour germs despite your efforts ? Any visitor can see your home is spotless and that you take great care of it so you would be voicing a genuine concern about a potential health hazard particulary in view of all the health challenges you both deal with each day. Just a thought on this windy and very wet Saturday afternoon. Hope your appointment goes well.
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ReplyDeleteThanks Catriona , I never thought of using the health angle with the HA , I will give it a try if we don't hear anything in the new financial year , Its horribly windy & cold here i am having a nice rare relaxing day today hope you are too xxx
ReplyDeleteThankyou for sharing the photos Eileen, both your old home and the one you live in now are really beautiful. I have moments when I think about our old house as well, there are advantages to renting as you say, we would never be able to afford this place we are living in now. xx
ReplyDeleteThanks marline , I am feeling a lot less upset now after seeing the old and the new photos xxx
ReplyDeleteI think your current home is charming Eileen. It looks so warm and welcoming.
ReplyDeleteThanks justine , It is a home now not just a house xxx
ReplyDeleteI think your current home is lovely. I agree with Catriona, sometimes you have to emphasise your health problems. Its worked for me. I didnt enjoy doing it but it worked.
ReplyDeleteThanks jill , I will probably be going down that rd soon xxx
DeleteYou have certainly made your current house into a beautiful home, hopefully you will get a new kitchen or at the very least some repairs to make it safe.
ReplyDeleteThank You , They have done repairs to the back on the sink until , What it really needed doing was coming out completely but that's what they do until you are on a plan to have your work done xxx
DeleteYour new house looks lovely. You've done a great job. it looks very homely. Sometimes its just not worth the stress of trying to hang onto something that you cannot afford. At least now you will have peace of mind and less financial worry and that can only be a good thing for both of you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ann , Yes it was a weight off our minds at the time and still is in that respect xxx
DeleteI'm so sorry to hear about your health and financial problems.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if you have anything like Habitat for Humanity where you live? They sometimes do repairs here in Baltimore.
I'm also wondering if you can get some free cabinets on Craigslist? Lots of people remodel and get rid of perfectly good cabinets. Of course you'd still have to get the old ones out and the new ones in, but it might be easier to get help if the expenses are lower.
I would love to be able to do that its something i thought of doing when we first moved here but the HA wont allow it , Its so frustrating , Basically they wont give us a new kitchen yet but if we do it ourselves they wont allow us to do diy its got to be a reputable or what they say is a reputable company and they cost money we don't have , Thanks for your concern xxx
DeleteThat is incredibly frustrating. But you have done wonders in turning your place into a welcoming home. All the best!
DeleteHello georgina , I would have done this without a doubt when we moved in but the HA work allow it , They say the only way around this is to pay what they call a reputable company to supply and fit the cupboards which as we know will be an utter rip of that's what is so frustrating xxx
ReplyDeleteBoth your homes are lovely. It must have been a tremendous wrench having to sell your home but you're both so good at making things and decorating I think you could create a lovely home whatever your circumstances. xxx
ReplyDeleteThanks vix , I was determined to make it as good if not better but we can't with the kitchen ,Its to small and on the front of the house xxx
DeleteI think your home is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks jean , Its really nice of you to comment xxx
DeleteHello....I am new to your lovely blog and wanted to tell you what a wonderful job you have done designing and decorating your home. You have such a good eye for color and putting accessories together. I wish I could do half as well! Happy 2019 to you and your Husband.
ReplyDeleteThankyou , Barb Oaker , Happy 2019 to you too xxx
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