We’ve moved!

Well it seems like it has taken an eternity but Richard and I took possession of the keys to our new house yesterday.

We have been searching on or off for the last 2 and a half years and it’s been an emotional slog. We had a very near miss 6 weeks ago and have managed to bounce back in a very small amount of time to view, consider, purchase, complete and own a house in a part of the UK which was not on our original radar.

I haven’t mentioned the house or the move that much as it has been very stressful and to be honest we have been to tired to not want to go on and on about it. I also feel that some things should remain private and have been of a view not to announce anything until now when we have the keys and are confirmed home owners.

I say “have the keys” as we took ownership yesterday, upon doing so we set up a few bits and loaded the car. It’s not the easier of moves as it’s 70 miles from where we are now.

We’ve also exchanged and completed on the same day as the house we have bought is brand new and was ready to move into.

So after 9 years in St Albans, we say goodbye to Hertfordshire and hello to Colchester in Essex. Yes I am a little apprehensive about the move because I know little about the town or the country, but to be honest that is the same situation I was in when I moved up here from Devon 11 and a half years ago!

We tried various places in the UK with a varying degree of success with viewings etc. Ultimately we have to be commutable for London and can get to Liverpool Street in approx. 55 minutes so it’s not too bad. The railway station is a short walk from the house so that is a huge bonus.

We’ve purchased a 3 bed, 3 story town house and it is giving us much more than we could ever wish for. An equivalently priced property in St Albans would get us a studio flat.

I have enjoyed St Albans but the place has lost it’s shine. It’s too expensive and the people think they are more important than any one else. St Albans has the highest tax rate in the UK and probably one of the worst rail lines.

There is a big disconnect between those who have money and those who do not and I will not miss the void in attitudes that this place brings.

Colchester is a Garrison town and reminds me a lot of Plymouth which is where I grew up. Although it’s a town it is bigger than St Albans and the people seem much friendlier. We may not have the high street on our door step any more but we do have the ability to park our car in our garage or on our own drive. (Believe me I am not looking forward to parking the van in St Albans over the weekend!).

We “officially” move in tomorrow – what I mean is that we are moving a lot of bulky stuff up to Colchester tomorrow and Brandy is coming with us. Tomorrow night will be the first night we spend in the new house and I am really looking forward to it.

I have busily spent the day packing up the house in St Albans whilst Richard sorted out all the tech in Colchester and waited around for the gas man (we had the gas turned off last night as we had a leak – oh the joys of owning a new home 😉 )

The house has been a major focus for the pair of us for a long time and I really have kept fairly quiet about it online so you must excuse me if I start going on and on about the move for a while.

Ultimately this is a new chapter in our lives and I am very much looking forward to getting settled in Colchester and seeing what Essex brings…

Wish us luck!