Spent a good while last night awake worrying over all the things I have to do pre-move: cancel the council tax, contact BT, la la la... Having tossed & turned a bit I got up & made a list.
A l...o...n...g.. list as it turned out :-(
Then I watched TV for a bit (OK so it was 2.30 a.m. Lewis Collins in old editions of the Professionals looks good any time of the day. Or night. And I've discovered that TV at that hour has fewer adverts....
Eventually went back to bed & straight to sleep.
Today I've sorted the insurance for the place - house and land, apparently essential because if it is flattened by a hurricane, washed away by a flood, or whatever, we would still have to buy it.
Just how do you calculate the value for contents for refurnishing a home though? Here in London we haven't really got much as its not a big house, but at "Windfall" we'll have another bedroom, a study for me, bigger sitting room, bigger kitchen, utility room, two bathrooms - and the outbuildings (not that I will be furnishing the hen house! LOL)
One thing I do know - insurance is essential.
When we had the fire in our previous home 7 years ago which started in the upstairs flat - his bedroom ended up on my daughter's bed - I was so grateful for the insurance people. (and the firecrew who attended the fire!)
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| My daughter's bedroom ceiling - what was left of it! |
I remember a few days after the fire we had to assess what could be salvaged, what could be claimed for etc - he was such a nice man. I had a few tears half way through (shock finally took hold) and he gave me such a comforting hug and told me it would all be OK, and pointed out that stuff could be replaced, people couldn't. He was right. Boxes and boxes of our belongings went off to be professionally cleaned and/or dried - bed linen, towels, clothes, coats. Pictures, my books. Kathy's dozens of rosettes that had been in a plastic box in one corner of her room. Everything came back looking like new (apart from the items that were too badly damaged to be salvaged) Most of it had been smoke or water damaged - apart from the items in Kathy's room which had been burnt - or deluged in water
The insurance also immediately sent us a cheque because Kathy only had the clothes she stood in, and a few that had been in the linen basket in the bathroom ready for the laundry. Nearly everything in her room was either destroyed or damaged beyond repair.
Thank goodness, Kathy had been out that night. I called her on her mobile & told her not to hurry home - there's no bedroom for you to come home to. Must add here, the friends she was with that night were also fantastic - thanks guys, if you can remember who you were!)
Anyway, to wind up this entry.... insurance is essential.
I'm now going to be worrying if I've estimated the right amount of cover though....
Oh and by-the-by it is also wise to have third-party insurance if you have horses. Touch wood, we have never needed it, but if you own a horse and it kicks a car, say, you will be responsible for paying for the damage. Join the British Horse Society (UK obviously - not sure if the US/ Canada / Australia has an equivalent?)
Oh and I've booked Pickfords Removals to come and give an estimate for moving us. I'm getting them to do it all - packing an' all. More expensive, but what cost saving an aching back?
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Thank you for leaving a comment your interest is very much appreciated! It will be published as soon as possible - depending on whether I am at my computer or walking up the lane, or being chased by the goose or helping mend fences after the pony has broken through YET AGAIN.... :-)
Helen