A few local concerns…

We have begun to think about what needs to be organised here in Reading and the list is growing longer by the day, which in itself is even more daunting. No sooner do we tick one item as having been dealt with than another few need to be added.  There’s such a huge amount to think about!

Things such as planned maintenance of one or two parts of the house, programmed for the next year or so are now hurriedly being brought forward so that they can be completed before we leave, when the house will be let.  We’ve already completed the insulation of the loft space, and bought the paint for the external woodwork which needs to be painted during the summer.

Do we let furnished or unfurnished?  This is a current theme and so much depends on what type of tenants we find for the house.  We had planned on using the adjoining Annex for storage of our personal possessions, but are now considering putting our possessions into storage?  A tour of the local Storage Sites such as Big Yellow and Lock’n’Store have revealed that the costs of those aren’t as expensive as we imagined so we may yet be able to let the property as a whole.  We’ve already started to work through boxes in the Attic which hadn’t been looked at since we moved here and already quite a lot of “stuff” has been carted to the local refuse disposal point.  We’ve also made an initial foray into our not inconsiderable wardrobes and it’s clear that we have sooooo much that we are not wearing and are not likely to wear so the first bundle has been stacked on the landing ready for the journey to the local  Oxfam Shop.  Why on earth do we hold on to these so-called “favourite” but out-moded shirts, jackets and jumpers. And as for ties, well….  I’m whittling down the original 58 to nearer 15!!!

Buried in his books...

Mark’s Library is also going to require very special attention.  Here is a collection of books to make the eyes water...


These he’s collected over many years and they are all beautifully catalogued, categorised and organised.  He will need to take some with him but the vast majority will need to be carefully packed and stored but therein lies another difficulty. They will need to be stored with relatively easy access and identification in case he needs some of them shipping out!  A task that might have to be entrusted to a willing friend to organise on our behalf.  However, he is organising with the Library at the University of Reading, where he is currently reading for another Masters, that a lot of source material he will require for research will be available online. 

We are also currently considering what type of tenant we should be looking for.  Ideally we would prefer a professional couple with a family because it lends itself well for that use but, of course, with the main Campus of the University of Reading being within a 15 minute walk, and with several other similar properties in the immediate vicinity being used similarly, there is also the opportunity to let to a group of students. The rental would be greater but on balance we think we are coming down on the side of a family.

As I mentioned in an earlier entry, I have cultivated a very productive vegetable plot over the past three years, with soft fruits and apple and pear trees, but it is pretty certain that tenants will not want the responsibility of that sort of maintenance.  That is a major factor so with some regrets we have decided to re-lay the garden to grass to make life easier.  I guess that the vegetables can be reinstated at a later date.

We’ll miss too our Urban Fox who pays us fairly regular visits 

More soon...