Petrol 112.9/litre
God I feel rough. A night out in St Albans coupled with a dodgy chest infection and boy do I feel it this morning. Sweating like a pig, lovely!
So one house exchanged last week and that's good business at the moment. It's the first money that's come in in months. I still think we'll be closing in December as I can't see the financial fog lifting for a long time yet, especially when Alistair Darling announces that we're entering an 'economic crisis' after months of saying that actually everything's fine. It's like some random swingometer that doesn't stop in the middle. It's either fine or it's a crisis. Great!
I can't believe the prices some houses are down to now. Seriously low. Some have dropped by up to about 30% and still no interest. Yet people are still putting their properties on the market and still being surprised at how low their valuations are being.
And some more good news in the shape of a completion at the end of next week as I've just witnessed the signing of a mortgage offer so that should all happen pretty quickly now with any luck at all.
Saturday, 30 August 2008
Friday, 22 August 2008
Alba, Alba, Alba!
Petrol 112.9/litre
Oh dear, Alba's seriously pissed off with it all. Says she's this close (which doesn't really translate to a blog does it) to quitting. She just can't leave her work at work. Way too personally involved. I really wonder how long we'll be staying open for. the owner just popped in and was using words like 'dire' and 'straits' which, let's face it, is not too encouraging!
I'm feeling crap today. think the boy's tried to give me whatever he's had for the past week or so and I feel rough. However, I'll feel a lot rougher if this place closes down. It really is time to start looking. Can't afford to go without work for any time at all.
Ah, some random bloke who knows Alba has just walked in and started chatting to me so I guess I'll leave it there for the day. Anyway, more doom and gloom ahead!
Oh dear, Alba's seriously pissed off with it all. Says she's this close (which doesn't really translate to a blog does it) to quitting. She just can't leave her work at work. Way too personally involved. I really wonder how long we'll be staying open for. the owner just popped in and was using words like 'dire' and 'straits' which, let's face it, is not too encouraging!
I'm feeling crap today. think the boy's tried to give me whatever he's had for the past week or so and I feel rough. However, I'll feel a lot rougher if this place closes down. It really is time to start looking. Can't afford to go without work for any time at all.
Ah, some random bloke who knows Alba has just walked in and started chatting to me so I guess I'll leave it there for the day. Anyway, more doom and gloom ahead!
Friday, 15 August 2008
Olympics online
Petrol 113.9/litre
What a boon having the Olympics online is when you've got nothing to do at work. God it's brilliant. I reckon I probably watch more here than at home! The men's team print has just won the first cycling Gold and hopefully it shouldn't the last as the team is mighty strong both for men and women.
On the house selling side, well, what house selling side? Just taken a call from another chap taking his house off the market until the stamp duty 'debacle' is cleared up. I can't see it being cleared up as the government are denying saying anything in the first place just about! I have two (count them, two!), viewings today. One for a property that's been sold twice since I've been here but has had such a shocking structural survey that both buyers have pulled out. Frankly it looks as though we'll be lucky to give it away in it's current state and the owners aren't exactly in a position to do anything about it. This is causing Alba all sorts of stress and today she seems very wound up although part of that was due to her 18 year daughter not letting her know where she was after an all-nighter after her A level results. Once she found out she was OK she calmed down a bit!
Anyway, the Olympics is going to cause quite a delay in any blogging for the next couple of weeks I think especially as I can view any one of about 8 different sports online and a constant text stream. Very impressed! Just glad that Alba doesn't seem to mind.
Unfortunately in the swimming, apart from Rebecca Adlington's heroics, the GB's efforts have been, if anything, slightly worse than usual. Sure they're making the finals but seem to be coming last in most of them. I was led to believe that GB swimming was moving on, blah, blah, blah. Well, it's not unless something amazing happens in the next few days. We have Adlington again tonight in the 800m (setting an Olympic record to get to the final, now that's moving on) and then David Davies in the 1500m and 10k open water. They look the only likely medallists left frankly.
Athletics starts today, which I don't really seem to have much ineterst in to be honest. I guess you get to see quite a lot during the year. I'd rather watch the otehr sports we don't see like cycling, rowing etc. They're also the sports we do rather well in too, so why not give them more coverage throughout the year? Obviously the Beeb can't afford it and other broadcasters aren't subject to the same guidelines so don't even have to entertain the idea, not enough revenue in it for them. Shame really.
What a boon having the Olympics online is when you've got nothing to do at work. God it's brilliant. I reckon I probably watch more here than at home! The men's team print has just won the first cycling Gold and hopefully it shouldn't the last as the team is mighty strong both for men and women.
On the house selling side, well, what house selling side? Just taken a call from another chap taking his house off the market until the stamp duty 'debacle' is cleared up. I can't see it being cleared up as the government are denying saying anything in the first place just about! I have two (count them, two!), viewings today. One for a property that's been sold twice since I've been here but has had such a shocking structural survey that both buyers have pulled out. Frankly it looks as though we'll be lucky to give it away in it's current state and the owners aren't exactly in a position to do anything about it. This is causing Alba all sorts of stress and today she seems very wound up although part of that was due to her 18 year daughter not letting her know where she was after an all-nighter after her A level results. Once she found out she was OK she calmed down a bit!
Anyway, the Olympics is going to cause quite a delay in any blogging for the next couple of weeks I think especially as I can view any one of about 8 different sports online and a constant text stream. Very impressed! Just glad that Alba doesn't seem to mind.
Unfortunately in the swimming, apart from Rebecca Adlington's heroics, the GB's efforts have been, if anything, slightly worse than usual. Sure they're making the finals but seem to be coming last in most of them. I was led to believe that GB swimming was moving on, blah, blah, blah. Well, it's not unless something amazing happens in the next few days. We have Adlington again tonight in the 800m (setting an Olympic record to get to the final, now that's moving on) and then David Davies in the 1500m and 10k open water. They look the only likely medallists left frankly.
Athletics starts today, which I don't really seem to have much ineterst in to be honest. I guess you get to see quite a lot during the year. I'd rather watch the otehr sports we don't see like cycling, rowing etc. They're also the sports we do rather well in too, so why not give them more coverage throughout the year? Obviously the Beeb can't afford it and other broadcasters aren't subject to the same guidelines so don't even have to entertain the idea, not enough revenue in it for them. Shame really.
Saturday, 9 August 2008
It's bloody wet out there!
Petrol 115.9/litre
So, a few more houses being sold. Two this week as long as they go through which would sort out the figures for August at least, which is good. Talk about surviving by the skin of your teeth!
I've just spent fifteen minutes standing in a garden with the actress who used to play Miss Flood in May to December talking nonsense and getting progressively more damp through my suit jacket. She's a funny (peculiar, not ha ha), little woman. Bit needy, like looking round houses is something she does as a hobby to meet people. Bit odd.
The Olympics are now on (as of yesterday) and being streamed live online which is brilliant news when you've nothing to do so August should be good at work if only to build my Olympic knowledge up and watch Team GB pick up loads of medals (well that's the hope, although Judoka Fallon has already failed miserably this morning and didn't even make it past the repercharge). Plenty to keep me occupied, which means the blog lengths will probably go down accordingly. Still, it is quality not quantity that counts, so I've been told. Well, you'll get none of that here!
Alba seems a little less stressed than normal which is odd considering the state of affairs round here. Maybe she has just come to terms with the situation and realises that stressing isn't going to help. I'll believe that when I see it! Looks like I'll get a few more weekdays of work with Pauline on holiday for a couple of weeks. Which will be nice come the end of the month.
Looks like Alba will be taking on a couple more houses this week, which is good because at the moment we have less houses on than we had at the beginning of the month, and that's unheard of in this climate.
Don't think I've mentioned it in earlier blogs (I doubt it because it only happened on Tuesday last), but Alistair Darling has succeeded in chucking another spanner in the works by talking about changes to the way Stamp Duty 'might' be handled. Basically no-one knows what the hell he's on about. But what we do know is that it's confused a lot of our potential buyers who now think if they wait until September they might the Stamp Duty reduced or nullified altogether which as far as I can work out is a load of tosh. Anyway, as I say, it's not helping very much (hmmmm, understatement I think). Some more about it here & here.
So, a few more houses being sold. Two this week as long as they go through which would sort out the figures for August at least, which is good. Talk about surviving by the skin of your teeth!
I've just spent fifteen minutes standing in a garden with the actress who used to play Miss Flood in May to December talking nonsense and getting progressively more damp through my suit jacket. She's a funny (peculiar, not ha ha), little woman. Bit needy, like looking round houses is something she does as a hobby to meet people. Bit odd.
The Olympics are now on (as of yesterday) and being streamed live online which is brilliant news when you've nothing to do so August should be good at work if only to build my Olympic knowledge up and watch Team GB pick up loads of medals (well that's the hope, although Judoka Fallon has already failed miserably this morning and didn't even make it past the repercharge). Plenty to keep me occupied, which means the blog lengths will probably go down accordingly. Still, it is quality not quantity that counts, so I've been told. Well, you'll get none of that here!
Alba seems a little less stressed than normal which is odd considering the state of affairs round here. Maybe she has just come to terms with the situation and realises that stressing isn't going to help. I'll believe that when I see it! Looks like I'll get a few more weekdays of work with Pauline on holiday for a couple of weeks. Which will be nice come the end of the month.
Looks like Alba will be taking on a couple more houses this week, which is good because at the moment we have less houses on than we had at the beginning of the month, and that's unheard of in this climate.
Don't think I've mentioned it in earlier blogs (I doubt it because it only happened on Tuesday last), but Alistair Darling has succeeded in chucking another spanner in the works by talking about changes to the way Stamp Duty 'might' be handled. Basically no-one knows what the hell he's on about. But what we do know is that it's confused a lot of our potential buyers who now think if they wait until September they might the Stamp Duty reduced or nullified altogether which as far as I can work out is a load of tosh. Anyway, as I say, it's not helping very much (hmmmm, understatement I think). Some more about it here & here.
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Oh dear!
Petrol 115.9/litre
Oh crumbs, it's all going pear-shaped over here. David's been let go which is why I'm in the office on a Wednesday. Apparently he got the boot on Monday when Tony came in and told him. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised but it's a bit of a shock nonetheless. I think he just joined David Doyle at completely the wrong time. Nothing to do with his performance, just that as the highest earner he was first to go. On that premise I'll be the last one out the door! I feel quite gutted for him. I wonder what he'll do. Think I might give him a call tonight.
Ironically, July had been the best month of the year so far (doing nearly 50% worth of the sales from January) and he seemed quite buoyant about that on Saturday. Obviously others didn't see quite that way! In fairness although it was a good month it didn't really make up for the previous seven!
Apparently they've extended the lease on the office until January time (the lease was up in October originally) which I guess has staid the hour of execution for the time being. Not exactly holding my breath though. The only good thing is that I might get some more work out of it for the time being, and after being turned down for a job at the beginning of the week I could do with it.
Hard times it truly is and I still think this is really just the start of it. What a prophecy of doom I really am. Mr. Pessimistic. But it's very difficult to see past it at the moment. There must be an end but best bets are that we've got a couple of years until things right themselves and possibly nothing will ever be the same. Which actually in the housing market would be no bad thing as it was stupidly over-priced which people got to see as the norm, which it most certainly wasn't. Anyway these things come in cycles so it will bottom out at some point and rebuild itself...... and then fall down all over again in years to come!
So, I'm working today. Alba's out on viewings which is why I'm doing this now. Only three viewings today. God she must get bored during the week. At least at the weekends its only seven hours. Week days are nine hours. Think I might take a bit of a lunch break today.
At least the petrol prices are heading in the right direction at the moment. A barrel of oil fell to it's lowest price for three months today ($118/barrel). This in turn has sent the stock markets up.
ITV have just announced their figures for the first half year and they're down by 28%. Most of that is advertising which is a sure sign that companies are taking a long hard look at their budgets at the moment because advertising is always one of the first things to go.
I'm hopefully that our mortgage lender follows suit with other lenders and cuts its' rates today. that would be a big help in the household! The Abbey and Halifax have done it so far so I'll keep my fingers crossed!
Oh crumbs, it's all going pear-shaped over here. David's been let go which is why I'm in the office on a Wednesday. Apparently he got the boot on Monday when Tony came in and told him. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised but it's a bit of a shock nonetheless. I think he just joined David Doyle at completely the wrong time. Nothing to do with his performance, just that as the highest earner he was first to go. On that premise I'll be the last one out the door! I feel quite gutted for him. I wonder what he'll do. Think I might give him a call tonight.
Ironically, July had been the best month of the year so far (doing nearly 50% worth of the sales from January) and he seemed quite buoyant about that on Saturday. Obviously others didn't see quite that way! In fairness although it was a good month it didn't really make up for the previous seven!
Apparently they've extended the lease on the office until January time (the lease was up in October originally) which I guess has staid the hour of execution for the time being. Not exactly holding my breath though. The only good thing is that I might get some more work out of it for the time being, and after being turned down for a job at the beginning of the week I could do with it.
Hard times it truly is and I still think this is really just the start of it. What a prophecy of doom I really am. Mr. Pessimistic. But it's very difficult to see past it at the moment. There must be an end but best bets are that we've got a couple of years until things right themselves and possibly nothing will ever be the same. Which actually in the housing market would be no bad thing as it was stupidly over-priced which people got to see as the norm, which it most certainly wasn't. Anyway these things come in cycles so it will bottom out at some point and rebuild itself...... and then fall down all over again in years to come!
So, I'm working today. Alba's out on viewings which is why I'm doing this now. Only three viewings today. God she must get bored during the week. At least at the weekends its only seven hours. Week days are nine hours. Think I might take a bit of a lunch break today.
At least the petrol prices are heading in the right direction at the moment. A barrel of oil fell to it's lowest price for three months today ($118/barrel). This in turn has sent the stock markets up.
ITV have just announced their figures for the first half year and they're down by 28%. Most of that is advertising which is a sure sign that companies are taking a long hard look at their budgets at the moment because advertising is always one of the first things to go.
I'm hopefully that our mortgage lender follows suit with other lenders and cuts its' rates today. that would be a big help in the household! The Abbey and Halifax have done it so far so I'll keep my fingers crossed!
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