Just a little update from Being Anne…

By | February 1, 2017
71 Comments

house

Those of you who are lovely enough to follow me here on Being Anne and unfailingly share my posts (and who I don’t thank anything like often enough…) will have noticed things aren’t quite back to normal yet. I’m still here in Wales with my mum most of the time, camping in a house with hardly any furniture left, trying to bring the sale of the house and the purchase of mum’s flat to conclusion. Just as we were ready to fix exchange of contracts, completion and the big move, the buyers of the house (I have other rather less polite terms I sometimes use…) decided that those “issues” raised on the survey prevented them paying the knock-down asking price that they’d been happy to offer, so we remain (frustratingly…) locked in negotiation. Things are – it’s fair to say – a little fraught as a consequence. But we do have our solicitor’s backing, and we’re still hopeful that the move can happen before the end of February.

I am managing to read a bit through it all. I’d intended to start Claire Fuller’s Swimming Lessons at the weekend – a book I’d really been looking forward to. I’m usually a kindle reader, and my copy was a paperback – sadly, I found that I really struggled with reading the print. I must stress that the print in this one is no better or worse than in any other paperback ARC I’ve received – the problem is all mine, old tired eyes and poor lighting (how I miss the reading light over my chair at home!). I now have a kindle copy, so I’ll be making it my next read.

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Instead, I picked up Sealskin by Su Bristow (with thanks to Karen at Orenda) – another book I’d been really looking forward to. My word, it’s wonderful! I’m getting through it quite slowly, but not only because my reading time’s limited – it’s a book that really deserves to be lingered over and savoured. I’ll be publishing my review before too long, I hope – and I’m really looking forward to the launch party on 8th March at the wonderful Goldsboro Books, my first book-related outing in some considerable time.

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I’ll be back with you all again soon – if all else fails, most definitely for my stop on the blog tour for Secrets We Keep by Faith Hogan (this was such a good read!) on Monday 6th February…
SECRETS WE KEEP - The Blog Tour

…followed on Tuesday 7th by a feature on the new book by Liza Perrat – The Silent Kookaburra – with the chance to win one of several copies.

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I do hope to be back and firing on all cylinders again before too long…

Much love, Anne xxx

71 thoughts on “Just a little update from Being Anne…”

    1. Anne Post author

      Thanks Jill – hoping today might be the day things finally get moving… x

  2. Rosie Amber

    The buying and selling market gets worse, you hear more and more stories about money hungry people who want either ” a last minute cash incentive” to sell you their house or to buy yours, all low life money grabbers who know exactly what they are doing and try to take advantage of innocent people so stressed by it all that they’ll agree to anything just to move. Be strong where you can.

    1. Anne Post author

      Thanks Rosie – today’s the day we’ll find out if being strong has worked!

  3. nellpeters

    Everything crossed for a swift and satisfying outcome, sweetie – keep on drinking the wine! xxx

  4. lindasbookbag

    We are missing you lovely lady and hoping all goes well over the next few weeks so we see you back in full blogger action again soon. Thinking of you xxx

    1. Anne Post author

      Thank you Linda – keep your fingers crossed for us today! xx

  5. Ros Rendle

    Very best wishes. Been there with Dads bungalow. People are so….!!!! All will be well in the end.

    1. Anne Post author

      Thanks Ros – and yes, people are so…! Hoping today might be good news day x

    1. Anne Post author

      Thank you Morton – we’ll get there! x

  7. Judith Barrow

    Hope everything falls into place for you soon, Anne. What a stressful time. There are always people out there ready to take advantage. Keep the moral high ground (or take the age-old revenge… tuck sardines under the edge of the carpets when you leave!!!) Only joking… of course. xxx

    1. Anne Post author

      Judith, you’ve achieved the near impossible just at the moment and made my mum laugh! Thank you xx

  8. suemoorcroft

    Sorry about the buyers, Anne. Unfortunately, some do feel that waiting until the end of the process to bring up ‘issues’ is a surefire route to a discount. It’s not very good form, in my view. I hope all’s resolved very quickly. x

    1. Anne Post author

      Thank you Sue – here’s hoping! xx

  9. Sue Featherstone

    Stick to your guns re the ‘buyers’. They’re being exploitative and mean and, in the long run, the nasty trick they’re playing will come back to haunt them, Re Swimming Lessons, I heard Claire Fuller on Woman’s Hour yesterday – she seemed a very nice lady. Take cate. x

    1. Anne Post author

      The longer it takes, the more determined we become Sue! xx

  10. adrienneauthor

    Thanks for the update Anne, take care and let things take their own time … as you know sometimes that’s what life wants to happen anyway. X

    1. Anne Post author

      Thanks Adrienne – it just seems so much longer when you’re waiting and just want life to be normal again xx

  11. lollyrugs

    Awww Anne my fingers and everything crossed for everything to be completed soon. In the meantime take care sending you big hugs x x

  12. Karen

    How very frustrating (and annoying). Keeping everything crossed for you that it all works out. Xx

  13. Cathy

    Keeping everything crossed for you, Anne. I like Judith’s suggestion 😉 Buyers beware! Take care xx

    1. Anne Post author

      Me too, Cathy – I’m thinking prawns and curtains…! xx

  14. damppebbles

    I think about you often Anne so thank you for posting this update. I hope you get the house sorted soon and life can return to your new normal ?

    1. Anne Post author

      Thank you Emma – I can’t wait! xx

  15. Janet MacLeod Trotter

    How very frustrating and stressful Anne – here’s hoping it’s all resolved quickly – I’m sure it will be as the buyers presumably wouldn’t have come this far if they didn’t want it. Deep breaths! x

  16. Kathryn Freeman

    Ah, the frustrations of selling a house…I do believe I’ve used the words you’ve been too polite to mention. I hope it all gets sorted soon – it usually does, once they’ve flexed their tiny little muscles and realised you’re stronger than they are xxx

    1. Anne Post author

      That made me smile, Kate – I hope they’ll soon get the message! xx

  17. Mrs Mac

    Anne – just to say thinking of you – I am sure things will feel better once all the paperwork is signed, so am sending love and encouragement. xx

  18. Cass

    So sorry to hear of the frustrations, Anne! Pleased to hear you are managing a little reading time, though.

    1. Anne Post author

      A great relief to me too Cass – I was afraid my mojo had gone for ever! xx

  20. LinnBHalton

    Sorry to hear about your Mum’s selling/purchase woes, Anne, and I have to say (as a serial mover) that things are the worst they have ever been in my experience. After 14 moves we’ve seen most of it, including a purchaser demanding a further £5k reduction as they sat in their solicitor’s office ready to sign. We were in a chain and if we hadn’t agreed the fallout would have affected three other families. So we agreed to take the hit. But it’s bad karma and people have to be honest in their dealings. Just hang in there and I’m keeping my fingers crossed this gets resolved quickly. You must both be so stressed, so sending a virtual hug! x

    1. Anne Post author

      Gosh Linn, how awful! Thanks for the hug – and I am sorry (again!) I’ll only be managing a promo of your book for the blog tour rather than a review. Rather hoping we might get better news later today… xx

      1. LinnBHalton

        Ah, Anne, you have more than enough to occupy you, so absolutely no worries. I feel for you as often it’s game playing and that’s so unfair. Our current one goes on the market this afternoon, so we have all of this to come again ha! ha! Hope you get the news you await asap! xx

  22. Clare Chase

    I just wanted to add my good wishes, Anne. It all sounds really stressful and the last thing you need. I do hope things are resolved soon. x

    1. Anne Post author

      Thank you Jane – thoughts much appreciated xx

  27. carolcooper

    Sorry to hear things aren’t quite on track yet… Here’s hoping for smooth sailing soon. I loved The Silent Kookaburra, by the way.

    1. Anne Post author

      Thanks Carol – and, as well as yours, I’ll look forward to catching up with The Silent Kookaburra later xx

    1. Anne Post author

      Thank you Hayley – that’s lovely of you xx

  30. Iona Grey

    Such a difficult and emotionally fraught time for you Anne; my heart goes out to you and I’m keeping everything crossed that things are resolved very soon. On a happier note, I loved Sealskin too. It’s a book you can really lose yourself in, which is lovely at times like this. I’m really hoping to make it to the launch too – it would be wonderful to see you! xx

    1. Anne Post author

      Now that’s made me all the more determined to be there! xxx

  32. alison brodie

    What a fantastic view from the house! It’s magical! If your buyers mess you about, put it back on the open market. With such a magnificent vista, as well as being bright and light inside, that house will be snapped up. (Pity your estate agent didn’t take the photo on a sunny day – it would make all the difference). Good luck, Anne. x

    1. Anne Post author

      Do you know Alison, it was such a shame – despite good weather in bursts, every estate agent visit + every viewing was a dull day. If there’s no progress in the next 48 hours, we’ll be back to the market looking for a cash buyer… xx

  33. beadyjan

    Hope you get your oomph back soon, I struggle with print books too WHY do they make the font so small when theres ton sof room to have it bigger? I thought you’d like Sealskin I adored it x

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