Caution is a winter disease

Saturday February 9, 2008

It seems we’re at the beginning of a calm, dry and sunny spell so we’ve moved operations outside. Yesterday the front fence got painted, and the first coat was applied to the front door. Both are jobs we’ve been eyeing for ages.

Of a sudden the house has gained a major boost in ‘kerb appeal’.  When the front door is finished, today hopefully, we’ll turn our attention to the back garden, which is ready for its end of winter clean-up.  Then, windows.  Lots of windows.  All the windows in the house.  Graham will do the outsides and I’ll lend a hand indoors.

The house, already attracting knowing and admiring glances from passing neighbours, seems almost to be preening itself and puffing up its chest.  “Look at me! Look at me!”

It’ll sell.  The last house took about a year to sell.  History may repeat itself but my feelings are still good on this one.

As the days get longer, and particularly in this sunny spell, my spirits and energies are lifting.  I’m going through a minimum pain period just now, too, and that helps enormously.  Being able to walk up and down two flights of stairs without knee pain might not sound like much but I’m here to tell you that it makes a major difference to my feelings of optimism and enthusiasm.

Stairs are a problem when you’re subject to arthritis.  I don’t mean in the obvious way–of course pain is, well, a pain.  It’s the psychology of it that needs careful thought.  All the while you can manage stairs, even on bad days, they are a convenient way to keep limber.  A bungalow, with no stairs at all, has its appeal but I’m wondering if the ‘use it or lose it’ principle doesn’t apply.

I think we’ll avoid houses with more than one flight, though.

Looking at what’s on the Internet, it’s clear that there are lots and lots of houses for sale in our target areas.

The main Internet services, like www.rightmove.co.uk, give no more than a general indication, though, and need to be treated cautiously.  Some agents don’t use them at all.  Most agents seem to use them only for a rolling display of selected properties.

It’s clear that, when it comes to it, we’re going to have to go and pound the pavements the old-fashioned way.  I’m not looking forward to that.

Overall, though, with high spirits and recovering energy levels, it’s a time of hope.  Caution is a winter disease.