“It’s ok, it’s only going to take two days” were my words to P about our latest venture? It has been what some might call a hectic couple of days (I tried to make it sound like fun but “hectic” was a good description) looking for a ‘maybe’ future home!
I think the realisation came after a particularly difficult day a while ago with lots and lots of pain and tons of frustration; the realisation that I cannot continue to struggle in our present home 😥 Between the total inability to get up and down the stairs by myself or without huge amounts of pain, the fact that I’m the clumsiest person in the world so can’t pick things up without my ‘picker’ and on this occasion had left it in the wrong room AND the sudden desperate urge at the end of the day to actually have a long soak in the bath (knowing full well that I cannot, simply cannot, get into one) I had just had enough.
Rewind 4 years ago – We had been on our way home from B&Q buying some bathroom tiles when we stopped at a new development and thought “what the heck, lets have a nose around…” Fateful words as we fell in love instantly with the house, it was just one of those rare moments of “omg”! They talk about the “Wow” factor and before this I would’ve dismissed it but it actually happened the moment I stepped into the kitchen. It was light, big, airy and the view from the kitchen window and patio doors was just well, stunning. The Brecon Beacons were standing there, right before us and we were hooked. We moved in a short time before Christmas and whilst we lived in amongst all the boxes and complete chaos for a couple of weeks, the front room was instantly decorated with a HUGE Christmas tree and even though we didn’t actually have any furniture to sit on, it felt just like home to us.
Fast forward to now, when my needs have changed significantly. We have a lovely flat garden down below us but there are 13 steps down to it so I can’t get to it. There is a lovely big bath upstairs but I can’t get into it. And please don’t even talk about the stairs up to the bedrooms……..
As I sat on one of the bottom steps sobbing my eyes out, with poor old P doing his usual wonderful job of trying to comfort me (I blub a lot sorry, he’s very good at the comforting bit, mind you, he gets enough practice 😉) “What we need, is a stairlift” says he. “A stairlift?” answered I in reply! “I’m not an old lady! I don’t want this place looking like an old people’s home!” screamed I (a bit louder this time) “I’m not having a f*#%ing stairlift!” screeched I finally (the windows probably shook, but thankfully survived!)
After I’d calmed down, the stairlift people were duly called and arrived to give a price. After we’d then picked ourselves off the floor after hearing the cost and said goodbye to the salesmen, we locked eyes and simultaneously thought “omfg”!!! How much? Ok, plan b now needed? What if we start looking around for a bungalow? Just looking wouldn’t hurt eh?
And this is where we were this week; driving around looking at “properties” with “potential” One with a complete overhaul needed but with definite “potential”, one with a corridor connecting the living room to the next room too narrow for a wheelchair but also with “potential” and the last with a gorgeous interior and an amazing view but without anything resembling a road outside and miles away from anything remotely wheelchair accessible. Obviously, this search is going to prove trickier than I have previously thought. And that was with all the huge amount of help we’d had before the search (which involved a tv crew, presenter and research team – oh yes, we don’t do things by half! more to follow in a future blog…..! )
So here I am, stuck upstairs again, too sore to even attempt the “getting me down the stairs” debacle, watching Loose Women and keeping myself busy! Which entails writing this at the same time as scouring Rightmove (other housefinding sites are available, just happened to find this first!) for more bungalows that might meet our very strict criteria below!
Wheelchair accessible drive
Plenty of space inside
A wet room
A big kitchen
And last but certainly not least….. a view so I can just sit and breathe, I find a need a moment sometimes to just ‘be’ sometimes – it helps to calm me. It doesn’t have to be the north face of the Eiger but I need something green/ blue-ish to look at and calm myself down.
Now the challenge comes in trying to find all that on a retired teacher’s pension – impossible you may think?
Unfortunately, I’m beginning to think it is…………..
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