Ack! I didn't realize is has been 3 weeks since i last posted. I guess I have a big update to write about.
Biggest thing is... we found a place to live! Yay! We found it about a week after my last post. In total it took me almost 4 weeks to find a place. We are living in a little town called Musselburgh and its just southeast of Edinburgh along the coast. It takes less then ten minutes longer to get anywhere by bus then it did in Portobello so its not too far away. Our flat is 2 blocks away from the sea (the Firth of Forth - I love that name)
Getting settled into this flat has been an experience though. Let me explain...
When I first did the walkthrough, I though this place was just old (as many places here are) it gave a bit of a grungy air but it seemed ok. I jumped at it because 1. we were desperate to find a place, 2. it was one of the cheapest flats I have seen (£650pcm) 3. it is near the sea and 4. there are not one but TWO bathrooms :) Unfortunately I didn't notice until we moved in and started really looking at things that I realized that the place was FILTHY. I mean... nasty gross. Plus the microwave didn't work, 2 windows have broken blinds, the chest of drawers falls apart if you touch it, and lastly but probably most importantly... one bed had a broken frame and was completely unusable while both beds had mattresses that were so old that it felt as if we were sleeping on some kind of torture rack. soo... I got to work cleaning what absolutely had to be cleaned for life to function and I wrote an email of complaint to the letting agency. The problem was we didn't move in until late Friday afternoon and so we had to wait until Monday before we would get a response.
Come Tuesday - the letting agency sent us cleaners. I almost cried with joy. I had to leave while they were still cleaning and they did a much better job on the places I was around for but I trying not to look a gift horse in the mouth. They saved me HOURS of work and had a amazing vacuum that actually works so the carpets were a different colour when they were done. I still had to clean some stuff that they missed but I didn't feel so overwhelmed which was wonderful. I also got rid of a tonne of crap from the kitchen that was broken and/or unusable. (yes... the people who last lived here were filthy packrats) Unfortunately our trash bin isn't big enough to hold it all and they only come to pick it up once every other week so I have to get rid of it slowly.
Next the place was clean but majorly lacking in furniture and furnishings and such so I made 3 trips to Costco and Ikea and on the last one ordered some cheep furniture which they delivered earlier this week. Also, today the landlord had two new beds delivered! Hooray!! No more bruises from sleeping!
Tomorrow we will have lived here two weeks and it actually feels like we actually have a home now.... I still have a couple of things to clean and I would like some curtains but I don't dread being here anymore. Also... we have to climb three flights of stairs to get to our flat and I'm walking everywhere so I feel like I'm getting in pretty good shape :)
Now my next problem is finding a job... preferably one that I won't hate, and that will not force me to put Erik in daycare (because daycare costs around £6 an hour here !!! and minimum wage is £6.50)
Wish me luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment