Well, the deed is done, the house is on the market. Photographer been round this morning and taken lots of images for the brochure. So if anyone wants a small semi-detached cottage with an internationally famous garden, they can have it.
Don't want to move, but my wife has been warned that she is at serious risk of heart problems and neither of us are fit enough these days to keep the garden to the standard we think it ought to be, so we are going to have to leave. Bungalow with a smaller garden hear we come.
sorry to hear that however best of luck in your quest and im sure your new garden will after you have worked your magic be fantastic
If you could just move your house and garden to some Our house is also on the market where around Berwick on Tweed, we're looking to move up there. :happy7: Our house is also on the market after 31 years- it's an emotional roller coaster, in't it! Are you moving locally?
That is going to be a wrench! I take it you have already started taking cuttings, divisions and seeds of plants with special significance.
We brought a trailer load here but, whilst touring private gardens of new gardening friends in the Vendée gardening club, I can't help wishing I'd brought more.
Still, best to move whilst you have the energy to make a new garden as you want it t be and in a form you can manage without feeling it's all too much now. I wish you all the best for a successful sale and a satisfying new home and garden.
Thinking of you, that must be such a hard thing to do but take your best bits with you, so to speak, like others have said take cuttings, pot up plants etc. At least alpines would still fit into a smaller garden ;) and you could have your tulip border on a smaller scale.... I hope all goes ok and you find a nice new home. A new garden can be exciting on a smaller scale :)
We are staying local, though not too near so no temptation to come back and look. We have not even looked for properties as we don't think this place will sell as quickly as the state Agent seems to think.
Would take very little with us, buy new. (Except for M.i.L's rhubarb which she grew from seed many many years ago.).
Would like to add my best wishes to you both. I am sure it is a big decision but you know when it is the best time to make the move. Wishing you happiness in your new home. My snowdrops are still a reminder every year of your kindness to me.
I hope you find a buyer for your house soon, Palustris and that you find a suitable home for yourselves. Maybe something with a small garden but with lovely views would compensate for having to give up your beautiful garden.
I am sure this will come to John and I as well in the not too distant future. We have 1½ acres and each year it becomes more of a struggle to maintain. I know what you must feel having to give it up, especially as you have put so much work into your garden and it has been your pride and joy.
Well the For Sale sign is up. Not had the brochure yet though.
We really need to move while we are still fit enough to do it. Shame , but my back is so bad now that half an hour at a time is all I can manage before the pain gets too much. The garden needs more time in it than we are fit enough to give it.
OH wants to move, so will have to give my allotment and my lovely Bramley apple tree, hopefully someone will love it. We have such lovely neighbours, known them for over 40 years, seen the children grow up. Just need to get away from London, to a 2 bedroom bungalow by the sea and a garden without all the traffic up the alley and the pollution, which is not helping his breathing/moaning problem. Trouble is I love this house, and it is very hard to move. Charity shop should be happy with all the stuff we have collected over the years. We will have to take beloved Dulcie (cat) with us but he hates change. We haven't put the house up for sale yet, as I do not want a lot of people looking at MY HOUSE. So maybe I do not want to move. :BangHead: :BangHead:
I know what you mean. We've had three viewings so far and I find myself hoping they don't like it. At the same time I know we're ready for a change. I'm hoping it'll feel different if/when we find a house we like.
We did this last year. Decided to sell and get a simpler house while we had the energy to make it as we wanted and needed. Did a bit of clearing and a bit of decorating and then put it on the market but shell-shocked when it sold in 10 days. In Belgium there's a set schedule for sales to complete once agreed so we then had just 4 month to sort what we were keeping, what we needed to dump and take cuttings and divisions of treasures with special meaning.
Here we are now with a simpler house - once all the mods and decorating are done - and a bigger but simpler garden to create and maintain according to our needs which include a potager suited to this gentler climate.
It does involve a lot of work initially but it has been a liberating experience to shake off the perceived weight of the old house and garden.
The trick is to embrace the change and make it a positive experience and that means shedding lots of attachments which weigh you down more than you think.
Good luck.
Bill and Ben amd Jemma are not going to be happy moving from a huge hunting territory to a smaller more urban one, but needs must.
Biggest problem for me is the sheer volume of rare plants which we have accumulated over the years. Some of them are probably unique, but we cannot take that many with us.
Maybe organise a plant sale to people you know will appreciate and care for the specials? The cats will adapt, eventually, but better get them chipped, just in case.
Enjoy the adventure i am sure you will find this is the best decision for your health and its hard to leave but harder if you stayed and seen the jobs you could no longer do pile up.
Hugs
This is what you would get for your money.
https://imgur.com/a/USUrQ
Quote from: Palustris on September 29, 2017, 16:47:04
This is what you would get for your money.
https://imgur.com/a/USUrQ
Now
that is a truly fantastic garden. Well done- you have worked hard and I envy the one who has the privilege to follow in your footsteps...
Palustris what a lovely garden you have there! I am sure someone will snap up such a tidy house. Next year I am planning to move into my partner's house, from a flat so I will be gaining an enormous garden, good news for me! But as his house already has HIS stuff in it, I am starting to wonder how we will fit it all in, and I know we are going to have to do a big cleanout and I will have to get rid of loads of stuff (in actual fact, crap!). Still I agree with Obelixx, have to embrace the change! And we still have to move my allotments plants out to the house (dreading that because it will be a total mess!!!). Good luck with the move.
It's quite a process sorting thru what must go with you, what can go with you and what you can, either happily or regretfully, leave behind. I spent ages measuring our furniture to see what would fit wherein the new home and what needed giving away or binning. At least you will have time to discuss that with your new partner Antipodes so he can make space for your treasures both in the house and in the garden.
Palustris, I wish you well with your house and garden hunting and the start of a new phase in your lives surrounded by what is most precious and/or useful and with space for new adventures, treasures and memories to be made. It will be a wrench but I hope it will also be exciting for the right reasons.
Eric, having had the honour of receiving a personal guided tour around your garden, I am sorry I read that you are planning to leave it, but I can completely understand why. Blimey, I'm tempted to come around with my spade and whip away a few 'spares'. Mark and I wish you lots of luck with your move x
Quote from: Mrs Ava on October 27, 2017, 16:05:43
. Blimey, I'm tempted to come around with my spade and whip away a few 'spares'.
As you know, you would be most welcome, but you would need more room than you get on a motorbike!
How is the selling going? House next to us sold in minutes. Did you get planning permission before you sold?
A few viewers, but no takers. No planning permissions applied for.
Sane here- 7 or 8 viewings and one silly offer. We've now had an offer accepted on a house we want, so fingers crossed we get someone interested before it gets into winter.
Just needing to rant! We got an offer on our house last week from someone who had a cash buyer for theirs so it was all looking good. Then got a call today from the Scottish solicitor to say the people who had accepted our offer had withdrawn their house from the market. :BangHead: :BangHead: :BangHead:
Sorry. That is very disappointing for you. We have accepted an offer for ours, we will see what happens. Found a property we like, but need to go and have another look and someone has put in an offer. They cannot proceed , but we could so it would be down to the vendor.
Good luck!
Sorry Caroline. I was under the impression that in Scotland once an offer was accepted the sale had to go ahead.
Obviously I got it wrong.
Hope all goes well Palustris.
Apparently so-I think it hadn't got to the "signed and sealed" stage.
They came and put a 'Sold' sign on ours while we were out, so no going back now.
That's a big step Palustris. Did you go and see the one you liked again? Have you made an offer? You must be in a strong position now but the fun is just starting. How are you doing with clearing and sorting of contents, inside and out?
We are going to look again today. Not done anything much about moving. Still doing the garden though.
Best get started. Can't tell you how much time it took us to sort out 23 years of stuff stashed in the attic and barn as well as what furniture and contents would make the move. Like you, I was more worried about making sure I got the plants I needed........
Trouble is that the chap has accepted an offer from someone who is not in a position to buy, which we are. All we can do is put in an offer to the Estate Agents and go from there. Off to look at other place now.
Is gazumping still allowed in England? Don't understand accepting an offer from someone who can't proceed. Isn't there a "subject to contract" clause?
Hi Ya, Sorry to hear of your dilemma Palustris, surely the people who accepted the offer realise they can't complete, if so why accept? It is a big anxiety time we had a offer accepted and the day we were to exchange contracts the vendor pulled out. We still sold ours and moved our stuff into storage and lodged with Mum in law. Bless her. Then we found another property and set the ball in motion when and about 5 weeks after the estate agent rang and said she had put back on the market. I sounded interesting and when they rang back 2 days later said no thanks. We had paid for all solicitor and searches etc. The estate agent had the cheek to say she is all up for it and waiting now. I said tough. It turned out better for us though luckily. Any way lets hope no hoorrprs for you and good house hunting.
We don't understand the protocols either. The vendor is in danger of losing the property he wants to buy unless he can sell his. We are going to put in an offer and see what happens. He can either accept or wait for the other folks to sell. Nothing much we can do.
Quote from: Palustris on November 29, 2017, 14:19:25
Nothing much we can do.
It's that feeling that everything is beyond your control which makes the whole process so stressful, isn't it? We've decided we're going to wait until the new year now before looking again,unless something stunning comes through on the email, and if we end up having to rent so that we can find something we really like, so be it, rather than settle for something just to get things moving.
The Vendor accepted our offer so now we are in the hands of Solicitors etc. We do not need as mortgage so no problem there. We do want a survey though and we are waiting for our purchasers surveyor to get in touch.
Not getting my hopes up.
Hope it goes thru OK P. Stressful times.
Back on the market. First house in the chain has lost its buyer.
So if you want it, come and get it!
That is so frustrating for you. Good luck wit finding a shorter chain!
Sorry to hear that how frustrating.
I share your pain! Having tried to put the move to the back of our minds over Christmas we're now starting to look again, hoping the New Year will bring some new properties to the market. :BangHead:
Any luck yet, Palustris? We're still here- got a house and a purchaser but it's all looking rather precarious as we're having to buy a piece of land from our neighbour to satisfy the buyer (long story!) and the time required to process that is a "piece of string" job!
No, we are still here. 4 interested but they cannot sell their properties either.
So frustrating. :BangHead:Enjoying another spring in my garden but had hoped to get away before the perennial sweet peas start growing like weeds!might as well have kept my allotment on at this rate!
And weeding for hopefully someone else is not my idea of fun.