Hey Guys,
After an entire month of racing round the country looking for at houses I found one right under my nose. Sitting down after a bizzare day of wall to wall tuscan yellow paint with Mediterranean blue carpet and floral borders I was about to give up. My mother timidly approaches me with a nice cup of PG tips and asks if I had thought of buying their home!! After 43 years, four stories of mainly undecorated Victorian Hampstead house with very overgrown gardens has become too much for them, but the thought of selling and getting involved with the madness of the UK house selling system had been putting them off, not to mention the thought of 43 years of accumulated treasures

Its perfect, they sell without any stress, us buying means they don?t get ripped off by agents who tend to ignore early 1900's fireplaces, light switches, cornice, doorknobs and 12 foot ceilings to point out the lack of central heating and a DIY flat conversion, and the chip pan fire of 1980 where they just rebuilt a kitchen into another room It certainly had become to much for them, so its perfect all round. My Dad, finds it bloody amusing that we just agreed to the 2004 price for what he bought in 1961 With the house sorted we will totally restore the house and convert 2 flats off of the basement and ground floor which the plan is to let as luxury holiday accom or to business tenants. Leaving us with the top of the house to live in when in London. So that covers income too.
Thanks in advance

Hey Bennett,
This may sound weird, but....... I live near Los Angeles and everyone I know eats out a lot of the time. Have a few friends that never cook.
I was thinking about the UK restaurants compared to here and to be honest I am looking forward to it. We won't be able to eat out much but THAT is what makes for a special evening.

From experience I know the service will be much nicer, the food will be great. We can dress up a bit and make it a special evening.
It will also teach my 4 children how to appreciate things in life a little more.

Here, I find the service rushed with a plastic attitude for the most part. To go to a restaurant that compares to British services costs about the same as the UK anyway......

The only place here we found great service, was a local curry house. The only problem was the curry was americanised and didn't taste at all authentic......

I just want to say, I have been reading your posts and think it is wonderful to have such a positive caring outlook on life. You have given me hope for the future on our return to the UK.

Well actually you made me rather homesick..... LOL
Thank you