Cleaning

I have had this week off work and have spent most of it cleaning, or more accurately, not cleaning enough.

The storage facility people came on Monday, but not until 12:00 (they did ring to tell me) instead of 9:30.  I tidied up a few things and packed some things to come up to Hill House.

On Tuesday I cleaned and vacuumed my room and the little bedroom and did a bit more tidying up and sorting out. A bloke came and took away the skip, which was full to the brim.

On Wednesday Julia and Baby Theo (who is 4 months old) came around and helped smash up the wooden boxes which we had had for 5 or 6 years and had grown vegetables and raspberries in. Julia has organised for someone she knows to come around on Sunday to take away the smashed up boxes and other things, I assume to the tip.

On Thursday I did some more cleaning and tidying. Lindsey came down and we went to Bunnings for supplies of sugar soap, which I don't remember having used before. We had a toastie and some chips at Tim's Toasties. We went to Wilson's for some veg. I did a bit more tidying up and sorting. We had chicken Kievs and veg for dinner.

Today I did a second clean of the bathroom, plus the toilet and laundry. I have swept and washed the dining room floor. I have pretty much got everything out of the house; just a few odd bits and pieces still to go. There is a lot of cleaning yet to do. I haven't even touched the kitchen and there is still the lounge room carpet to sort out. An estate agent and a representative of the new owner came (by appointment) for a final look around. The representative wants me to take away the compost bins and the free standing herb beds. Plus there is stuff in the garage and some other garden stuff  to organise.

Fortunately, Lindsey is around over the weekend and I'm sure we can get most/all of it done. Settlement is at 2pm on Monday so if necessary I can do a bit of extra cleaning in the morning. If nothing else, I'll put the bins out ready for pick up on Wednesday morning. If there is nobody about I'll bring them in again once they've been emptied.

In the meantime, things seem to be proceeding on the purchase of my new flat.  I have filled in a form for the State Revenue Service applying for a reduction in stamp duty because the new place will be my principal place of residence. This is a substantial discount so well worth filling in the form. I think that everything else is in place apart from confirmation of finance.  My mortgage broker doesn't seem to be expecting a problem with the loan. We have approval for it, conditional on a valuation survey which is happening first thing on Monday morning. I would be very surprised if the valuation survey was a problem but in any case, I should have just enough left from the sale of Tani to pay for the new place and the associated expenses if the loan falls through. I hope it doesn't though. I would like the financial buffer of a small mortgage so I have some savings in case things break, fall apart or otherwise need replacing in the next couple of years