A Yank Searches for a House in 'Brum
Created | Updated May 17, 2007
My Irish Husband Tony and I moved to Birmingham in September of 2004. This past year we finally decided it was time to quit paying rent. This is a chronicle of our journey through the world of UK property buying.
Week Six: Another Week
Here's how we spent last week:
Sunday: Write blog. Drive Tony's daughter Kerrie and granddaughter Erin to see both properties. Kerrie votes for Upper Holland Road (1BR, first floor, in Sutton); Erin votes for both but thinks the cats will like Buxton Road (2BR, whole house, not in Sutton).
Monday: Put Kerrie and Erin on plane to Dublin. Walk over to Upper Holland Road and leave a friendly note for the upstairs neighbor, asking him/her/them to call. Have a lovely phone conversation with Sandra, who has lived there for 20 years. Yes, the other owner is a piss-face; yes, Sandra has a cat.
Tuesday: Ask Peter the Mortgage Guy if we can extend our mortgage enough to buy the whole darn place, thereby no longer sharing the freehold. Peter does the research and texts back, 'Can't do. Sorry folks.' Take ourselves out for carvery pub lunch. Eliminate Upper Holland Road. Fall asleep with the IKEA catalogue. Dream of cats looking out at birds from conservatory on Buxton Road.
Wednesday: Estate agent calls. Owner's solicitor says Upper Holland Road is definitely a leasehold. We would already own the freehold with the piss-face who won't double-glaze.
Thursday: Call our solicitor and Peter the Mortgage Guy with the wording1 from the other solicitor's letter. Both agree it sounds like leasehold to them. Me to solicitor: 'But who is the £10/annum leasehold paid to?' Solicitor: 'Well, no one, actually.' What a country. Fall asleep with the IKEA catalogue. Dream of cats looking out at birds from big bay window on Upper Holland Road.
Friday morning: Look at Upper Holland Road again. Measure to see how new wardrobe would fit in bedroom, how new sofa bed would fit in living room, how old litter box would fit in hallway. Then look at previously overlooked 2BR down the street from our current maisonette. Would eat up our whole-budget-plus to finish off the real wood floors someone thought it was okay to just slap varnish on.
Friday afternoon: Meet with Peter the Mortgage Guy. Sort out life, health and income protection insurance. Give him the details he needs to put in official mortgage application (pre-approved!) on Monday, whichever property we choose. Look through new ads in Sutton Coldfield Observer to see if another dream house has appeared. As before, everything else in our price range in Sutton looks like what Americans call 'the projects'.
Saturday morning: Look at Buxton Road again. Measure to see if computer table will fit in living room, if dining table will fit in conservatory. Could our indoor cats' litter box be attached to the outdoor cats' door?
Saturday afternoon: One of us looks at furniture at Homebase while one of us watches footie on telly (guess which one is which).
Both of us are comfortable with our Plan A/Plan B decision.
Guess which one is which. We'll let you know next week. Fingers crossed.
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