Entry 12: Reporting From Under the Duvet…

So this week's blog marks a rather momentous week in the life of one TingleTetra. It comes at a time in the year that is hardest for me, and those closest to me, as it is almost the third anniversary of my injury. However, on a much better and brighter note, after a whole year of marketing, estate agents, solicitors and an army of friends willing to put themselves out for me, I have finally sold my flat. When I was first injured the idea of ever moving back down south was a pipe dream and not even to be thought of. When we finally came around to considering its possibility we looked at all angles of my being able to move back into my home – my first-floor flat in a building with no lifts. Could we have a lift installed? Could we have a ramp built on the outside of the building? Can we adapt the bathroom suitably? Could I even still pay my mortgage?

It was to be sold. I was never moving back, so the flat was to be gotten rid of. The first place I had bought as my own special corner of the world, which was all mine (never mind the bank and key worker housing scheme… We'll not confuse matters by bringing them into it!) – Was no longer accessible. And to this day I have not set foot inside it since I left to go travelling. Fortunately, in those crazy blurred days at the beginning I had already set up the flat to be rented out to tenants, so thinking about putting it on the market was able to go on the backburner. After all, my brain was far more occupied in wondering if I would ever move my right arm again to be bothered about my little flat 300 miles away.

Anyway, three sets of tenants later and the rather stressful period of finding a buyer, when that evil breed of people known as 'estate agents' had allowed my flat to become a mould infested, stink of a place has finally come to an end. Those moments where you wake up all of a sudden at night, stomach knotted in fear that all your plans will fall through and have to start again afresh – those moments will be taken over by something else now. The flat is no longer a concern. And this is a good thing.

As I write this I'm smiling to myself because I have just telephoned each utility company in turn and told them I am no longer the owner of that particular flat and could they please send me a final bill. I was rather impressed to discover I would be getting a cheque sent from the electricity company… Hopefully that will cover all the other bills!

Okay then, so I'm now continuing this two days later when I have had quite possibly the most stressful days of the entire year with regards to selling this bloody flat. Desperate to complete, both buyers and myself, I discover that the key worker housing scheme who "helped" me initially to buy my property has been incredibly difficult, and held up the sale over the last few months, and even now on the day of completion have held up the motions by not forwarding e-mails and documents to my solicitor and so it has to go on until tomorrow. I knew when I bought my flat with them that things would not be straightforward. The key worker scheme is put forward to you to be able to "help key workers who are unable to afford to buy their own homes." What they don't mention are all the extra hidden fees that pop-up left, right and centre throughout both the buying and the selling of the property. In the end it is a total rip-off. And then, let's not forget that they insist on their pound of flesh.

Oh yes… I will admit to you all that TingleTetra is ridiculously bad at maths. Though surely when it comes to such great sums as when dealing with property selling you would have thought I could have at least added it up correctly. Which, until two days ago I thought I had. Again, this paragraph is being written another two days from the last. As I have ended up hiding from the world, mostly under my duvet, due to the incredible stress of discovering that not only do the key worker housing scheme want me to pay admin fees, their solicitors fees as well as having had me pay not once but twice for a valuation (which, frankly, any estate agent would do for free!) Oh no. This key worker housing association insisted I pay nearly £100 for a valuation done by an estate agent of their choice that would only be valid for only three months. As the sale took nearly 6 months to go from offer to completion… Again, I strongly suspect it was the key worker housing association that held up the proceeds… Two valuations were needed!

Apologies, I digress. After my first mortgage was cleared (woo hoo!), I then needed this key worker housing scheme to release their own charge on the property after I have returned to them their initial 18.5% investment. Which they have not done as of yet. So the new current owners will probably take action against me. They have not released their charge because I cannot pay back all of the 18.5 %. Apparently I did my sums wrong. Negative Equity big-time.

The really ridiculous thing is that this key worker housing scheme would not allow me to rent out the property, thereby saving me from this hideous situation! They allowed it only for a short period of time (for a fee, of course!), even though they knew of my exceptional circumstances. They insisted I put it on the market. And now I owe them a ton of money. Surely this can't be right…? Surely somewhere along the line it can't even be legal…?? So that knot in my stomach I mentioned several days and paragraphs ago that was going to be replaced by something else, it is now tripled in size and my duvet is my best friend. 

Oh, and three years yesterday I broke my neck.