House hunting frenzy

It's been a busy couple of days - managed to get all three of us up, washed, dressed and fed for quarter to nine on Friday to head up to Derby for a couple of days of mad house-hunting. First appointment was at one, then had others booked for two, three-thirty and then ten and eleven the next day. Got to Derby in good time, saw first house, then the agent there had another property on her books she thought would suit us which we had a look at. Cancelled the two o'clock appointment as it is a repossession house and we wouldn't have been able to deal with exchange as quickly as may well have been needed. Saw the three-thirty and made a second appointment to view the extra house again on Saturday. Zachary was absolutely great - slept all the way there apart from a quick stop at Leicester for a feed, then was pretty good been carted around our house appointments. Fortunately, L's mum also came with us so she looked after Z in the car so we were free to roam!

Dinner was fresh trout caught by L's dad (delicious) and even though it took us a good long while to get Z to sleep (and two boobs full of milk!) he slept for a 4/5 hour stretch and then 3 hours, so a really good night.

Saturday saw us at 2 houses, a second viewing of yesterday's house and then a second viewing of one of the morning's houses and we've made a decision to put an offer forward! It's a bit scary as it seems to have all happened so quickly, and I've got an important phonecall to make on Monday! But it feels right and we both love the house we're going to make an offer on.

So here they are :

House 1 - Long Eaton
This had been our favourite from the agent's particulars which they'd sent through. Had a lovely big lounge and kitchen, great garden and storage space, but with only the one reception room and a noisy garden (because very close to the motorway), we were less keen once we'd seen it.

House 2 - Long Eaton
This was the extra house suggested by the agent for House 1. Was in the process of being done up by builders - 3 reception rooms, kitchen a little smaller than we'd like but bigger than here! Garden a good size and again plenty of storage inside and out. It had been extended to the rear, and the extension formed a great room which could be used for playing. Bedrooms all good sizes and the master bedroom was huge!. We went back for a second view of this property, but realised then it was really quite noisy in the bedrooms which faced the front as it is on a main road. But still lovely.

House 3 - Long Eaton
Looked good from the photos, but downstairs, we had assumed there were two receptions rooms, but this turned out to be only one! Tiny kitchen. Good sized bedrooms but not the house for us.

House 4 - Long Eaton
Lovely, lovely, lovely! Had a really great feel to it - large rooms including a huge kitchen and a utility room. Had downstairs loo as well as underfloor heating in bathroom. Okay sized garden and lots of original feature fireplaces and hearths. Loft had been converted to form the fourth bedroom and we had been slightly concerned that there would be no storage space, but a long part of the loft was still available for this and there is a garden shed as well. No off-road parking which was the only real drawback, but considering we've had no off-road parking for the last 6 years, doesn't really matter. Not on main road.

House 5 - Kegworth
Hmmm. The particulars had shown three photos of the same room - diner/kitchen area. It was so much smaller in real life than had appeared on the pictures! Also smelt of wet dog (although that wouldn't last forever!), and the owners had clearly had a massive clean up for the particulars, but not really bothered for viewings... Interestingly, no bath in the bathroom, which was just a shower room really. One of the bedrooms could be converted to bathroom - the hot and cold water pipes were already sitting there in a corner covered by a blanket! Also, on a flight path and a slightly strange set-up for off-road parking. A small car park (8-10 spaces) had been set aside for the residents on the opposite side of the road, and although residents had been allocated spaces, you couldn't guarantee you would get one, particularly on a Saturday when people use the car park to then walk into the town centre. Not for us.

So it's...house 4 we've plumped for and will be ringing the agent on Monday...wish us luck!