A Project

From September 2008 it became obvious that if all went well with a major purchase that 2009 was going to be a momentous year in the Cooper-Harris household.

On a very wet and miserable day I went to look at a building plot in the village of Long Buckby.  It was almost too much to believe, – after 10 years of Richard and I talking, dreaming, envying the people who were doing it, watching the never ending stream of build and design programmes, drooling over the glossy magazines, driving around the country eyeing up dilapidated buildings -that in my mind were crying out to be lovingly restored and lived in (usually with a price tag far out of our meagre budget!)

Not to mention the fact that the majority were so totally unsuitable for us – but that didn’t stop the heart going racing on ahead, what would be wrong with setting up and living in the middle of Wales surrounded predominantly by sheep, in a building that barely had running water never mind habitable, with 2 small children in tow while Richard worked mon-fri in the city earning the money?!

Thankfully Richard was at my side to bring me back to reality with a bump, leaving me ending most of the *discussion* with, “you just don’t have any vision!”

Well I am happy to announce that we didn’t get one of these unimaginably unsuitable for a first time project on a limited budget nooses around our necks!  True to his predictions we have finally found the project that we can turn into a lovely family home, in a suitable area, and the icing on the cake – we both like it!

The actual purchase of the plot was relatively straight forward,  thankfully we took decision to employed a commercial property solicitor, Victor Guse from Franklins LLP who was fantastic and a decision I would highly recommend.

It did get a little sticky in the run up to Christmas and the new year – the purchase need to go through before 1st Jan 2009 or it ran the risk of falling through – now at any other time of the year this time frame wouldn’t have posed too much of an issue – but with the Festivities getting underway, people taking annual leave and public holidays ….. Fraught it was!

But the outcome a success for us -we exchanged contracts 23rd December with the completion date set.

So 16th Jan 2009 we became the relieved, thrilled, and somewhat daunted owners of Chard house Barns, Long Buckby.  Hell yeah!!

So now the hard work begins, the build…..