We have moved

Greenan Bay.

Wow, June seems so long ago now, and now we are back in Scotland permanently.

It has not been an easy transition in some respects, but very easy in others. 

Given the current market conditions, our house sold remarkably quickly. However, it wasn't as straightforward as we had hoped, as the buyers were tough to deal with and offered unacceptable conditions. Even our realtor got exasperated with them. I was unhappy because they were getting a house below the market rate but still making unacceptable demands. In the long run, it worked out, as it meant we could buy the house we are in now without sinking into our savings. 

When we came over in June, we thought we would need more time to find a house. We had several houses we were going to look at, not just in the Ayr area but as far away as Crail in Fife.  This was the second house on our list.  All the other houses were older, and we intended to buy something other than a newer home. As we looked around the houses, although they were in good condition, you could still imagine the work needed in the coming years. We didn't relish putting in new windows, updating kitchens, etc., which would eat into the time we intend to put aside for other more enjoyable things.   

After two days of looking and returning to see this house again, we made an offer. It just ticked all the boxes: It was only two years old, so it needs very little maintenance, in the Ayr area and is very close to the sea. We were surprised the offer was accepted, as we had been told the market was hot, and we offered below the recommended buying price in the house report. Buying houses is different in the UK and Scotland. You put the house on the market with a guide price with offers over, expecting offers about  20% above the price marketed. That was our mistake in the US, as there it's the reverse, so if we had put the house on the market above what we expected, we would have received offers nearer the price we wanted. C'est la vie!   

There was a minor hiccup with the sellers as the house they were buying was part of an estate, and additional documentation was required two weeks before the closing of missives.  Then, one of the executors went on holiday, and they needed to sign the document. They were in a place with little internet access, so it looked like the missives wouldn't be signed on the agreed date.  I think our solicitor put some pressure on the seller's solicitor; as we wrote, we would pull out of the deal if the matter wasn't dealt with in a timely manner, as we had found an alternative house we could move into almost immediately.  Suddenly, everything went at lightning speed, and we were able to collect the keys very late in the day; on the agreed date, there was a minor hitch with a missing paper, which our solicitor quickly sorted out.

Home sweet Home

  

The house is on the market!

Time goes very slowly in real-time, but it also goes very fast! This time next week, I will be worrying about our trip to Scotland as we prepare to leave for two weeks. Our connection time in Dallas is very short! In June, the chances of storms have diminished chiefly, but with only 50 minutes between flights, I suspect it will be a mad dash to the gate! 

Anyway, the photographs turned out really well, and the house looked suitably empty to the realtor. It is like living in a dentist's waiting room, but as Gordon said, without the magazines. It looks very bland, like most real estate pictures in this area. I was going to say, "Like most real estate pictures in the US," but I have no idea what real estate looks like in another state.  

They are not lining up to see property here, unlike the area of Massachusetts where my Zoom friend lives. Apparently, one of the houses in her neighbourhood was up for sale, and there was a line around the block the day it hit the market! Since Friday, we have been twiddling our thumbs, waiting for something to happen.  

Front room and dining area

On Friday, zilch. On Saturday, I had to attend my daughter's baby shower, and Gordon stayed home, waiting. I got back about 4pm. Zilch! Gordon settled himself down to watch Jeopardy and a can of beer. Just as he took his first sip, his phone rang. Our realtor called to say someone wanted to view the house in about 5 minutes. Of course, we said yes! A quick dash to clear the clutter on the surfaces, strap up the dog and we were gone. As we drove around the corner, the realtor texted Gordon to say they would be an additional 20 minutes later as they were looking at the much more expensive house around the corner. We went to a local brewery because it would be a bit longer than anticipated.  I think we might have few more visits before the house is sold, as it too hot at this time of year, to go for a walk in the park.

Living room 

On Sunday, we had another day of waiting for nothing. In the evening, we met friends for dinner, and on our return, we saw we had a request for a viewing tonight at 5:30 pm. Today, we sat twiddling our thumbs for most of the day, with a brief cleaning period before evacuating our house at the allotted time. I doubt we will have any other viewings this week. Our home is one of the cheapest per square footage in the area, but it doesn't have any upgrades people expect these days. The realtor said young people don't want to do the work required but expect the upgrades to be done already.  I am sure that isn't true, but our house is definitely not a starter home, as it is so large. 

Kitchen

This waiting around is so boring! I cannot wait to visit Scotland and look at houses next week.  Hopefully, we will find one we like in the twelve days we have allotted ourselves. It might not be our forever home, as apparently, people who move to a new area when they retire will often move again within the first few years, but hopefully, it will be. 

The photographer is coming on

 Friday, we were sent a list of things to do before they arrive. 

I have just copied and pasted the email: 

The photographer has a precise schedule to follow and has been given a specific amount of time to shoot according to the package we ordered. To ensure the creative process is not disturbed and for best photographic results, please have this list completed PRIOR to the photographer’s arrival, and plan in advance a bedroom or office for you (and children/pets) to hang out during the shoot.

 

The photographer’s schedule does not allow for time to move items from room to room during the shoot, wait for this list to be completed, nor can the photographer help move furniture for liability reasons. If you are not home for the shoot, they will turn the lights on and off upon completion.

 

Whole House:

• Turn ON all of the lights and lamps and check for burnt-out bulbs 
• Blinds and shutters adjusted open to let light in. You can lift your blinds all the way up as well
• Turn OFF all ceiling fan blades as they will show blurred in the picture
• Hide stacks of papers/bills/magazines
• Kids toys in storage containers
• Clean all windows of streaks and dirt
• Remove pet carriers, crates, pet dishes, and visible litter boxes from sight

Bathrooms: 

• Remove ALL items from bathroom countertops – exceptions can be decorative items
• Towels hung straight and remove towels/bathrobes on hooks
• Put the Toilet Seats DOWN
• Remove Bath rugs 
• Remove the Shower of Shampoos, Soaps, etc.. – you can hide inside the tub

Kitchens:

• Remove ALL items from kitchen countertops/islands – exceptions are decorative items
• Remove EVERYTHING from the outside of the Refrigerator
• Dish Towels/Sponges put away
• Hide trash can and remove rugs

Bedrooms:

• Remove ALL items from table/countertops – exceptions are lamps/decorative items
• Make Beds and straighten pillows
• Hide trash cans and diaper genies!

Living and Dining Areas:

• Remove all personal items/remotes from tabletops and open shelving – exceptions are decorative items
• Straighten pillows, chairs, blankets/throws

Outside:

• Remove your car(s) from the driveway
• Mow the lawn and mulch if necessary
• Remove ALL lawn equipment, debris, recycle and trash cans from sight 
• Roll up water hoses and hide sprinkler attachments
• Open patio umbrellas

I am exhausted again just reading that list! I will be more than happy once the house is on the market and sold. It has been depersonalised to such an extent that it barely feels like our house anymore. I admit I was surprised they didn't request we remove all the artwork on the walls. That would have been a real pain.

Our trip to Scotland has been booked. In three weeks, we will be chasing rainbows in the hope that we can find a house in the two weeks we have allotted ourselves. 

I am exhausted with this move

 In 2000, when we moved to Texas, it was so sudden we didn't have time to be exhausted. We didn't even have a look-and-see visit like all the following ex-pats had. Although the idea of the transfer was mentioned in December 1999, the visa process started in late January, and once it was approved, it was go, go, go. We decided to put the house on the market as it was old, and being empty for more than a year would not be a great idea.  Fortunately, the company arranged for everything, apart from selling the home. 

We have been planning this move for at least a year. Gordon originally planned to retire at the end of January 2024, but the company made an offer he could not refuse, so it was pushed out to the end of April.  

We have accumulated 24 years of stuff that neither of us wanted to leave behind. Gordon has his collection of musical instruments, and I have my art room. Both of us hoard books!  In the nearly 50 years I have been making my art, I still have most of it. It would have been all right if I stuck to just painting, but in 2006, I came across bead embroidery. Since then, I have gone on to explore and make many mixed-media pieces of work.  I have never sold anything, never even attempted to sell anything. The thought of working to order, arranging to sell things, and all the business side of being an artist just didn't seem possible. At best, I am a hobby artist who has built up an impressive amount of work. 

Selling a house is a lot different from Scotland. We have spent months painting and repairing things. Everything has to be neutral. It must not reflect you, but the buyer needs to be able to imagine it as their home. The realtor came around the other day and left us with a list of things she recommended we do before the house is photographed this Friday and how we could showcase the home for a prospective buyer once it goes on the market the following Friday.  Now, we are frantically going around doing the things she recommended. They are all little things but annoying. 

My art room has been the biggest challenge, as I still use my sewing machine. I am about to finish embroidering luggage tags for our bags going home. I have been boxing up stuff left, right, and centre! But I still need some sewing supplies to be available. Also, have loads of notebooks out as I plan our move to Scotland.

Yesterday, we had a video walkaround with the shipping company agent. We had too much stuff! However, that isn't an issue, as most of it consists of items we can easily replace once we return to Scotland. I sealed most of the boxes we packed. It turns out we should not have done this, as the shipping company needs to have a visual of the contents for the inventory. 

This side of things is coming to a head, and although the market is very tight at the moment, hopefully, the house will be sold fairly quickly. It's a matter of pricing it right. 

In three weeks, we will be in Scotland, house hunting. We hope to secure a home before we return, but unlike here, the housing market seems to be speeding up, so we must be quick but not hasty. Is that possible? 

Today, we met with the Realtor!

 A brand new blog to chart our journey from a town in Texas back to Scotland. 

A little backstory. In December 1999, after a short trip to Massuschetts to see some friends, my husband said, how do you feel about moving to Texas for about a year? I was taken aback. I had enjoyed my time with our friends, celebrating Thanksgiving with their family in Maine, but I knew I no longer wanted to move to the USA. 

More background: Ten years previously, we spent ten months on a work assignment in Worcester, MA. I loved my time there, but when we moved back to Scotland, I was a bit underwhelmed by the move. I was six months pregnant, and everything seemed so crowded. For the best part of the intervening years between leaving MA and this announcement, I had wanted to move back!

I didn't have the heart to say, "No, as I am pretty happy here", and it was only for a year. I could cope with that. It was an important work assignment, and Gordon was an integral part of the plan. It could mean continued employment or no employment. It wasn't a hard decision. Once we decided and told the kids, we were ready to move in March 2000, once all the visa paperwork was done. Alan and Emily, our two youngest, were OK with the move, our eldest daughter, not so much as it interfered with her Standard grades. We were very naive about how all this would affect the kids' schooling. On March 30th, we left Edinburgh airport for Texas. It was only for a year to 14 months at the most. 

View from North Berwick beach. 

Now, 24 years later, we are finally moving back without the kids, as their lives and families are here. It's a huge undertaking, and we know that life will not be a bed of roses, but it's where we feel most at home.