TheEnd PT3

We nearly didn't get to view Upperton. Winding roads that didn't make sense on the road atlas did not help. By chance I saw a green letter box and thought it had been mentioned in the details so drove down the track. We were greeted by the lady owner and Debbie had a good look around. I walked around trying not to look disinterested as my thoughts were on the other property, but I couldn't wait to leave as we had arranged to go back to the previous property to look again, which we did and then set off home.
Surely nothing could go wrong this time we had a good idea of the laws now and time was on our side. Yet again Monday morning came and we asked our solicitor to sort out the survey. No problem would be done quickly in time for the closing date, survey was done nothing major as they say, however what I haven't mentioned is that in Scotland guide prices are given as offers over, then 10% is expected then depending on interest means even that may not be enough.
This place was offers over£100 000 add 10% so start at £110 000 our solicitor was aware that there was a LOT of interest in this place as the barns which I new were in good condition are what developers look for to do conversions. We ended up realising that not even £130 000 would guarantee our offer would be accepted, and because it was going to be so overpriced we made no offer rather that was it we couldn't take anymore. We could end up doing a dozen surveys at £500 each and still not get a property. We went to bed numb.
Now let me ask you a question how many times are you in bed about to go to sleep and you or your partner needs to discuss something? (no not that) What about Upperton ? Says Debbie. What about it says I. I liked it. You must be joking. Fast forward 4 months. Friday 12th December 2003 After a lot of ups and downs we are nearly there, we have nearly got our dream. What a Christmas present. I have quit my job, the kids have left school, said goodbye to friends and family, all ties are cut the lorry is packed and ready to go. The owners have moved out of Upperton of course we had to visit a few times so I could see what I had missed the first time. We have visited the new school ready for the kids to start after Christmas, all that needs to be done is for the solicitors to ring us to confirm the exchange has happened and we can be off. I have made several phone calls during the afternoon but nothing has happened yet. Never mind can only be a matter of time. At 3.30pm I go to collect the kids from school for the last time, come back and watch the lorry set off up to Aberdeen we are going to meet them up there the next morning. We are staying at my mothers overnight and setting off early next morning to begin our new life.
4.55pm it must have happened mustn't it, must have exchanged there is no back-up plan everything is rolling the lorry is gone we don't have a habitable house we feel so alone in the middle of a city we are so alone no-one can help us if it goes wrong now.
The telephone call resulted in the following explanation- The solicitor acting for the person buying our property has paid the money but somehow it is lost in cyberspace the exchange has not happened and cannot happen until the following week at the earliest.
One of the worst experiences in our lives we have nowhere to go everything is packed house is empty we have three kids to look after. Thank god the lady we were buying from allowed the lorry to come up and put our belongings in the house until exchange we had to go back to England after this was done as naturally she didn't agree to us moving in under such circumstances anything could have happened.
We stayed with my mother until the following Wednesday when it all got sorted and away we went. I would be lying if I said it didn't take the gloss off what should have been one of the happiest times of our lives but looking back now we know that we would do it again for what we have. No lasting side effects except that I have much more grey now than brown. One thing we have come to believe in though is that if something is meant to be it doesn't matter what happens in the end it will happen, it is only a matter of whether you can cope with the pain of getting there.