My son lost his dad very suddenly last year – he was only 57. It was very traumatic for my son who was only 22 at the time (his dad and I divorced 11 years previously). His dad didn’t leave a will and there were a lot of complications with the estate, and practical issues to sort out – my son (understandably) wasn’t dealing with it all very well. He was also moving into the house he’d inherited and there was a lot of ‘stuff’ he’d also inherited which needed to be sorted out – like brand new clothes to sell (so many of them!).

It was coming up to my busiest time at work and was also a crunch time for my son dealing with his dad’s estate, so I considered my options. I could ask for a sabbatical, but the policy was that you needed to give 4 months’ notice. I thought of resigning, leaving and finding another job further down the line but was persuaded by a couple of people to ask for the sabbatical and much to my surprise it was granted. I was so grateful to my managers for the support – they knew that I was really struggling to deal with this and that it would only get worse. They sorted out someone who could cover my workload and we had a thorough handover, so I felt like I was leaving my work in good hands – which was important to me.

Photo by Crew on Unsplash

What was my plan?

I wrote out a list of things that needed to be done with the estate – I then had a weekly meeting with my son to go through the list and send emails/sort stuff out online. E.g. deal with the solicitor, sort out putting his dad’s car into his name, send in the documentation for the pension accounts and so on.

I thought that it would be important to have a schedule, and to keep some kind of routine. I had a list of things I wanted to do daily – eg going to the gym, 15 mins housework, putting stuff for sale on Vinted etc. I wasn’t very successful with sticking to the list.

I knew I would be living to a strict budget which I hadn’t been great at doing up to that point. Not being paid for three months would have a big impact on my savings.

I also wanted to make sure I spent time with family and friends. I felt it was important to keep that social contact going, as I would miss being in touch with people daily while not working.

How did I spend my time?

First things first – I had a 10 day cruise booked just before my sabbatical started. I was back from that on 30 April and my sabbatical started the next day. That first morning I woke up feeling a bit guilty about work but I gave myself a talking to – I wasn’t being paid, and they had someone to cover my work. And, more importantly I needed this time for my son. I have to say, that was the first and last time I felt guilty about not being at work!

My first job was to sort out my airing cupboard! This had been bugging me for weeks and only took about 20 minutes to tidy and organise. I find that things that cause ‘friction’ in my daily life really need to be addressed before I can start to deal with the major issues! The lesson here is that things you’re putting off probably won’t take as long as you think

I was focused on helping my son – there was a lot of stuff that needed sorting out for the solicitor, and also I wanted to help clear his house of his dad’s stuff. I spent time emailing the solicitor and meeting with her, and also researching one of the issues my son was dealing with related to the estate. There were lots of things to do like close accounts, set my son up with his bills for his house, work out what to do with his dad’s car, and sort through a lot of the stuff that was in the house.

I had thought I would sell the clothes on Vinted but quickly realised it was way too big a task. I sold some stuff and then arranged for the rest to be taken by someone with their own eBay shop who agreed to sell and take a commission. Since then I’ve also had a bit of a sales spree on eBay and Vinted of my own stuff – decluttering and making a bit of money.

Photo by Sarah Brown on Unsplash

I also spent some time reviewing my finances including my pension funds. I set up a couple of debit cards so I could allocate some money from a couple of my spending categories, to try and control what I was spending – so, a card for grocery shopping and petrol and a card for my personal spends. This worked really well!

My son, his partner and their dog and I had a family caravan holiday for a week, along with a group of friends which was really good fun – it was great to spend time with my son, his girlfriend and their dog as well as everyone else.

I also went to Cornwall to visit my cousin for a few days. I never usually get time to do this in the summer unless it’s August which is NOT a good time to visit Cornwall if you don’t like sitting in lots of traffic!

My son moved out during this time, and now I’m an empty nester. It feels really odd to be truly living on my own after living with my son for his whole life. There’s a whole other blog post in that!

I also booked two more cruises – one for the end of November (a transatlantic crossing to Miami) and one in March 2025 in the Caribbean meeting up with two friends I met on my Celebrity Mediterranean cruise in 2023. I love having something to look forward to!

How did I feel?

That feeling of freedom was amazing. Knowing that my time was my own, and I could decide what I wanted to do and what I didn’t want to do.

It made me realise that having time freedom was really important to me, and that’s when the focus on my finances kicked in, so that at some (hopefully near) future point I could realise my dream of easing back on paid work and having more time to myself, and to pursue other interests.

Photo by Becca Tapert on Unsplash

What do I wish I’d done differently?

I gave myself a huge list of things to do which looking back was unrealistic – and I felt like I hadn’t achieved much because there was still a lot of stuff left on the list. However, when I looked at what I had achieved, it was incredible. I do wish I’d prioritised the list more, and broken the tasks down into smaller chunks – like selling on Vinted and eBay

I really wish I’d been able to establish a regular gym habit, but I had a lot of joint and pain issues during that time.

I do wish I hadn’t spent so much time on social media! Although I did discover a UK based blogging group on Facebook which I’m hoping will inspire me and be my tribe.

What did I learn?

Time away from work gives you breathing space

It’s very hard to try and get your son to engage in the sadmin that comes with sorting out their dad’s estate

I don’t want to be constrained by my working hours/pattern – for example it’s very difficult for me to take holiday in January and almost impossible in the summer

Being on a tight budget really helps you to manage money better

I’m better off than I thought and I (used to) spend a lot of money on stupid shit!

I can spend less money on groceries and still eat well

I need to stop having a ‘lack’ mindset and spending money on ‘cheap’ stuff that doesn’t last

I don’t think I’m quite ready to ‘retire’ – yet!

How did it feel going back to work?

August is a quiet month for us so there weren’t as many people around to notice I was back. Because we don’t work in the office a lot I’m not sure many people realised I wasn’t around – and my sabbatical was organised in a rush so there was no big announcement.

It was odd at first and I felt a bit resentful of being back to the grindstone – but I felt a lot better about it when my August salary hit my bank account!

What is my plan going forward?

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Now I’ve reviewed my finances, I’m going to move my pension from an advisor where the fees are eating away at my pot into more passive income funds

I want to build a regular savings habit and add to my S & S ISA, and investment account

I want to establish a side hustle; build on my eBay/Vinted business and look into other ways of making extra money

Although I’m not ready to ‘retire’, it has got me thinking about whether I’m in the right job and what that might look like going forward

There are still things to sort out with the estate, and I’d like to get that wrapped up as soon as possible.

Tim Ferriss came up with the phrase ‘mini retirements’ in ‘The Four Hour Work Week’ to describe a three to four month ‘break’, typically to travel (but you can also ‘find’ yourself) – these are a wonderful way to help you to take a step back from work, and breathe. Although what I did doesn’t fit strictly into this description, it was enough for me to recharge my batteries and re-evaluate where I am and where I’d like to be.

The post I took a three-month sabbatical from work – what did I learn? appeared first on Who moved my coffee?.

Anastasia Nelen – Unsplash

Now, I love a holiday (especially a cruise) as much as anyone, but one thing I am not keen on is packing. I always find it super stressful – and I am a chronic over packer! I’m making a conscious effort for my next holiday to pack lighter – and also smarter. I love watching packing videos on YouTube, and hearing about hacks, so I’ve been researching tips and tricks to make your next suitcase easier to pack!

These are a variety of tips and tricks I’ve seen or heard, and many I’ve tried myself.

Let me know in the comments if you have any other suggestions!

Hand luggage

• Keep all your travel documents together in a folder or wallet – and keep this easily accessible in your hand luggage

• Keep your tablets and medication in hand luggage

• Use a cable organiser (or make up bag) to store your electronics and cables together. Have a fully charged power bank in case of delays

• Keep valuables (including money!) in hand luggage

• Keep a makeup bag in here with things you might need such as tissues, anti-bacterial gel, painkillers, hand cream, pen, earphones, lip salve, mobile phone, gum or mints, toothbrush/paste, sleep mask)

• Consider having some clean clothes to change into when you get to your destination – in case your main case gets lost or delayed, this could be a life saver! Especially clean undies..

• Have a spare jumper or wrap in case the plane is cold (also maybe socks?!)

• If you’re going with a bag rather than a cabin case, use one that zips, and that has a sturdy bottom as it’s easier to organise stuff

• If you can have a personal item as well as a carryon, use a crossover bag so it doesn’t slip off your shoulder at a crucial moment (and keep it in front of you)

• Take a refillable water bottle to save money at the airport – you can fill these up after you’ve passed through security

Useful things to pack

• Crease release spray – this genius invention means that you don’t need an iron

• Travel adaptor (make sure it’s the right one for your destination) and extension lead with multiple sockets

• Pop up laundry basket – these fold flat for packing. As well as for laundry, you could use it to keep all shoes together (eg if you’re camping)

• Small foldup rucksack – I’ve got one from Alehop which takes up very little space. These are great for taking with you for the day when you’re out and about

• Tea/coffee/sugar for the room – and a corkscrew/bottle opener

• A waterproof toiletries bag with a handle for hanging up in the bathroom (makes everything easy to access)

• A big blue Ikea bag is handy for trips to the beach, or for muddy shoes in the car

• Talcum powder is great for getting sand off your feet when you’re coming off the beach

• Ikea Skubb boxes are really useful – they fold flat and can be used on shelves to organise things like underwear/t-shirts. The small ones are great for dressing table organisation

• Clothes pegs are really handy – can be used to re-seal bags (crisps etc), or obviously for hanging washing out! If you have some big chunky ones they can be used to secure your towel to your sunbed

• Take some washing leaves – these can be used in machines or to handwash and they take up almost no space

• Take spare ziplock bags – these are useful for so many things – snack bags for the kids (or you..), holding wet swimwear, putting suncream etc in for your beach bags so it’s easy to find

• Hooks can be amazingly handy – if you’re on a cruise, take some magnetic hooks as the walls of the cabin are metal. If you’re camping, ‘S’ hooks will be very useful

Marissa Grootes – Unsplash

How to pack

• Packing cubes! Especially compression cubes as these save space. If you’re travelling with family members, use different colour cubes for each person

• Roll, don’t fold your clothes

• Silicone/small travel bottles to decant shampoo/conditioner/shower gel etc into. This will save so much room compared to taking normal bottles! Only fill these three quarters full in case they expand, and seal over the top with clingfilm (take the roll of clingfilm with you for the return journey). To be double-sure, I then put the bottles into a large ziplock bag

• Split your toiletries up into smaller bags – e.g. one with bathroom stuff, one with hair stuff, etc. This makes it easier to pack into small spaces in your case rather than having to find room for one big bag. If you like a hanging toiletries bag, take one but don’t fill it to the brim. Then when you get there transfer your toiletries over from the other bags

• Stuff ‘empty’ spaces in your case – e.g. pack shoes with your socks,  pack scarves etc within the hat or bag that’s in your case (especially hard sided bags). Slot things into small spaces – eg if you have recesses where the handles are, put flip flops or books in there

• Take a small magnifying mirror with a stand, for doing your makeup. Bonus points if it also has a light (you could use a clip on reading light for this)

• Pack breakables (like mirrors) in the middle of your case (or packing cube), cushioned by clothes

• Put your shoes in shoe bags – you can buy these very reasonably from eBay and they keep the rest of your contents clean. Alternatively buy shower caps and use those around your shoes

• Pack a capsule wardrobe, with colours that go together, and outfits you can mix and match. I’m still working on this one!

• Really consider what shoes to take as these will be single-handedly the bulkiest and heaviest items!

• If you’re travelling with a friend, share equipment like a hairdryer or straighteners between you

• Make sure you have some identifying information inside your case – a piece of paper with your name and contact information in case the external tag gets ripped off

• Consider using an Airtag or similar so you can track your luggage

• Pack heavy items like shoes near the wheels of your case to keep the centre of gravity low

• If you’re taking a light rain jacket, pack it over the top of your contents in case your case is left in the rain

• Decorate your case so you recognise it on the luggage carousel! You can buy straps, or simply securely tie some ribbon to a handle

• Ensure your case is locked – if you have a lock with numbers, take a photo of it locked, and then keep in a ‘travel’ photo album on your phone so you remember the number

I hope these hints have helped you – let me know of any I’ve missed, in the comments!

Some of the links in this blog post are affiliate links, meaning that I will make a commission on purchases you make through my links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Master the art of holiday packing – tips to maximise space! appeared first on Who moved my coffee?.

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Improving the quality of your life is something many people aspire to, particularly at the start of a new year, or new season.

This involves taking intentional actions and developing positive habits. In this post, we will explore five habits I feel contribute to a more peaceful, less frantic life!

Mindful money

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For quite a lot of my life, I didn’t think about ‘managing’ my money – and it slipped through my fingers. When I was pregnant, I really started to prepare for life with the baby – practically in terms of equipment and so on, but also by preparing my finances. My husband and I were in debt, together with a mortgage and we chose to pay off our debts by remortgaging the house. We did have a fair bit of equity so at the time it wasn’t an issue. From that day forward, I have rarely been in debt other than a mortgage (and I am working hard to pay that off!). It feels good to be in control of my money rather than my money being in control of me. My income and expenditure is tracked using You Need A Budget (YNAB), and it’s great to see money building up in my budget categories. I also recently discovered the FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early), and have taken my first steps to becoming financially independent by selling my home for the last 8 years and buying a cheaper one – in doing so, I realised some of the equity and reduced my mortgage amount and term. My aim is to be mortgage free by the age of 60. Being mindful about your money is as simple as tracking your income and expenditure, and being aware of your ‘money pitfalls’ – where do you spend money unnecessarily or frivolously (looking at you, Amazon )?

You could start by keeping track of your spending over the next month or so – either in a spreadsheet or using a notebook. Try and identify where you aren’t spending money mindfully, and where big expenses (such as car insurance) seem to hit you unawares – hint; you could be saving an amount every month towards an annual expense! At the end of the month, categorise your spending and check whether there are any areas where you could cut back without affecting your quality of life. Remember to check your bank statements too. Planning in time to regularly check in on your spending habits (I mean every couple of weeks or so) will pay off over the long term as you refine your spending habits. This can then lead to you creating financial goals, and investing for wealth and long term growth.

Learning

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All my life I have loved learning – even when I didn’t love school! Having a curious mind keeps the fires burning, and keeps you open to new ideas, meeting new people, and doing new things. It has spurred me on to enter jobs in different careers, at times in my life when ‘people’ might think that having a new career wasn’t attainable – but by fostering a love of learning I was able to move into a new job and hit the ground running. I was able to quickly pick up the technicalities of a new role, and by being open to learning new things I was soon learning how things worked.  Looking forward to being financially independent, and in a position to retire ‘early’, for me, means more time to learn and grow – to do the things I have never had the time to do – to travel and experience new cultures and meet new people. Not to stagnate in my chair watching daytime TV!

There are so many opportunities to learn – and the internet is a great enabler of this. Through the Covid lockdown, many institutions made courses available that were free of charge (MIT, LinkedIn, Google Digital Garage  and there are many platforms which are relatively inexpensive that have short courses and training sessions – Skillshare, Udemy,  for starters. I’m also a great fan of podcasts, and reading. Both of these are great ways to learn. I use Spotify for my podcasts – and they’ve now added audio books to the platform too! It’s a brilliant way to learn while you’re doing something else, like driving, travelling or maybe gardening or housework.

You could use these new skills to improve your career, or to start a side hustle. Or you could just learn for the love of it – and it will improve your cognitive abilities too.

Clean your space

Photo by Pille R. Priske on Unsplash

Having a clean and tidy environment has always been important to me – except when I was a grotty teenager. My mum, bless her, never had being clean and tidy high on her list of priorities, and maybe I grew up with a slight obsession for cleaning as a result of that? Who knows.  My cleaning style has changed over the years – originally I did a massive cleaning session once a week, usually on a Saturday or Sunday, effectively taking out a large portion of my weekend. Having a baby hugely impacted on my ability to have a clean and tidy home; even though I was home I felt like the place always looked like a bomb had hit it – and my husband did not do his fair share of the housework. I remember my sister telling me it didn’t matter whether I had a clean home as long as the baby was happy – and that is true. However it’s also true for me that cleanliness and tidiness are important for my mental health. If my space gets messy and dirty, I start to feel out of control, and things will quickly start to slip elsewhere too (keeping on top of daily admin, my diary, and even paid work).

Having some control over the cleanliness of my space soothes my mind, makes me feel in control and enables me to extend that control to other areas of my life. If you can keep your space clean there are many other benefits too, including improved focus, releasing endorphins and regulated emotions, according to this Forbes Health article.  I am now managing my cleaning and tidying on a daily basis – I used to think that my house would never look clean if I did it daily rather than in one go, but I couldn’t have been more wrong! And it means I never have to spend half a day during my precious weekend doing the housework.

You could start small with this; one popular way is to ‘shine your sink’ and make sure that last thing at night your kitchen space is tidy so when you get up you are not greeted with a mountain of dirty dishes. Another small habit is making your bed daily – for me this is essential – it’s for future me to appreciate when it comes to bedtime!

Sleep time

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I must admit, I am still working on this one.  I am a bit of a night owl, and I can be exhausted all day long but come 9pm and I will suddenly wake up and want to do all sorts of things, with the underlying feeling that sleep is for wimps. Of course I regret this the following day, when I have to drag my ass out of bed at 6am, but somehow that is never top of mind the night before. I have to be quite strong and force myself to go to bed by a certain time, and not to over stimulate my mind so I can’t get to sleep.

There are many studies which show how important sleep is to us – in many ways not known before, including its effect on our weight for example. I know myself that when I am tired I make very poor food choices; even when I know I am doing it it’s so hard to stop. It’s much harder to concentrate during the day, with that feeling you’re wading through treacle.

One way to start could be to have an ‘early’ night once or twice a week – being in bed by 9pm. An hour or two before bedtime, put your phone down and don’t look at it again before bed. Make your bedroom a sanctuary; soft lighting, comfortable sheets and blackout blinds! If your mind is too busy to sleep, try writing down anything that comes to mind so it’s on paper and not in your head. Another strategy is to give your mind something to do by counting backwards from 10,000 – although this hasn’t worked for me yet! One thing I have successfully tried is using a meditation app like Headspace – listening to the soothing voice of the narrator during a relaxation session has never failed to send me to sleep.

Alone time

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Blaise Pascal –‘All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.’

I think I’m an introvert with extrovert tendencies. Whilst I have many friends, and love spending time with them and (most of the time ) meeting new people, I also need time alone to recharge my batteries. I enjoy my own company, and I am quite happy pottering around my home or shopping on my own.

I believe it’s important for everyone to spend time on their own, and to get to enjoy their own company – how can other people enjoy your company if you don’t enjoy it yourself?! Being self-sufficient is a skill, and a habit worth cultivating.

Of course, this needs to be balanced, and for me I need to ensure that I don’t withdraw completely. Even if sometimes it feels like I have to force myself, I will say yes to things that I really feel like saying no to – and I have had some of the best times by doing so. For example, going to Alt on my own in 2020 was a huge, scary experience, but it was one of the best things I have ever done in my life. I gained confidence in myself to travel alone, to meet new people and be able to talk to them – and make new friends. Since then, I have done five solo cruises and had a ‘whale’ of a time (get it? )

To start to enjoy your alone time, you could take a walk on your own a couple of times a week – saying hello to people you meet along the way. You could start a yoga practice – Yoga by Adrienne is a great resource for beginners and experts alike. Alternatively, a creative hobby is a great way to spend time alone – like painting or knitting. Visiting the cinema on your own is also a great experience – you can choose exactly what you want to see and go when you want to go!

Developing habits that will improve the quality of your life is something that doesn’t need to take a huge amount of time – the key is to start small and then build. These 5 habits are really important to me – but to be honest I could have mentioned 5 more that I’d like to adopt! What habits do you have that have made a difference to your life? What do you think about the habits I’ve listed?

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Find out about the ship and ports of call

Before your cruise, it’s a good idea to research the ship you will be sailing on, if possible. There are thousands of YouTube videos about cruising –  you are bound to find at least one featuring your ship (unless it’s brand new). You could also look at the cruise company’s website, travel blogs, and Pinterest for more information. This will help you understand what facilities the ship has so you can plan what you’d like to do on board. You could see if there are any online forums, or Facebook groups you could join.

Your cruise should also have an itinerary, which will show the ports of call or sea days, and any particular dress code (for example if they have a formal or celebration night, dress code may be black tie).

It’s also a good idea to research the ports you will be calling at – this was a good resource for me. You can find out whether it’s possible to walk into the tourist areas, or whether you might need a taxi or a shuttle bus service. You might also want to find out what local attractions there are – the cruise ship will do excursions, but you can also look at booking these independently if you want to. This could be a cheaper way of doing it – although with the cruise-run excursions, if they are late back for whatever reason the ship will wait for you. It won’t necessarily wait if you are doing these independently!

What will the weather be doing?

Check out the weather forecast for the areas you will be travelling to – you won’t be able to get an accurate one until much closer to your travel date, but you can get an idea of the type of weather to expect, which can help you plan your packing!

Documentation and online forms

You should also check what documentation or online forms you need to complete for the cruise company – and whether any visas are required. There may be some health and identity documentation for the cruise company before you can travel. Some offer online check-in a few days before you leave – when you can also print off your luggage tags and boarding card (if you’re flying). Keep a close eye on what documentation you need, or online information to complete before you travel, and also check your passport validity (and any visas required). You should buy travel insurance as soon as you have booked your cruise, so it covers you for anything that happens before you depart. Make sure it has cruise cover (some cruise companies insist on this), and it may also need to have Covid-19 cover. Although a lot of this could be saved online, so you can access it from your phone, I always like to have a printed copy of things like the boarding pass, travel insurance and so on in case there are any technical issues that prevent me from accessing the information on my phone.

Money

Organise your travel money – check the currencies in the places you’ll be visiting and make sure you have enough to cover expenses such as drinks/meals and souvenirs. Depending on whether gratuities are included in your cruise fare, you may wish to take money to give as tips – so make sure you have plenty of small denomination notes. Organise buying any currency a couple of weeks beforehand and shop around for the best deal – whatever you do, don’t buy it at the airport as it will be more expensive!

It might also be a good idea to get a debit card that doesn’t charge a fee if you use it abroad – I personally use Starling, which I’ve found to be excellent. Other types of cards are available such as pre-paid travel cards like Revolut. Have a look at MoneySavingExpert.com to check out the very latest deals and offers on spending money abroad.

Personal items

If you use any medication, make sure you check your supplies a couple of weeks ahead of time, and order a prescription if needed. Try and keep any medication in the original packaging, in case of any queries when you are going through security – especially if it’s a liquid or gel medication item. Make sure any essential medication is in your hand luggage rather than your checked suitcase.

Stock up on painkillers, antacids, recovery powders (for if you eat or drink too much…just saying… ), eye drops, suncream, sunburn cream, mosquito spray,  antibacterial gel, period products, seasickness remedies, medicine for diarrhoea or constipation.

If you need to organise any personal or beauty care book it in advance – e.g. hair cut or colour, waxing, nails.

Packing

Once you know the itinerary and have a rough idea of the type of weather to expect, you can start to plan your packing. Try to pack clothes that you can mix and match, and make several outfits out of. If there is a formal or black tie evening you will want to take appropriate clothing – but if getting dressed up that way really isn’t for you, you could probably opt to eat in the buffet or one of the more casual dining venues on that evening. Just make sure to check the cruise website, or ask on the Facebook group. Roll your clothes rather than folding them as this helps prevent creasing. Shoes take up a lot of space so try to take footwear that will cover you for different outfits. Make sure you take (or travel in) a pair of comfortable shoes, as you will likely do a lot of walking, particularly if you’re on an excursion. You might also need particular shoes for on-board activities or excursions – for example closed toe, lace-up trainers, walking shoes etc.

Use packing cubes – or compression cubes, which squeeze the air out of your clothes and take up less space. A hack I recommend is splitting your toiletries up into several smaller bags rather than using one big bag, as then you can fit these into the nooks and crannies of your case rather than a single bag taking up one big space. Also put all your liquid toiletries in the same bag, if you can, and put this bag inside a ziplock bag. You could also wrap these bottles in clingfilm in case of any leakages – pressure in a plane can sometimes force bottles to open and leak everywhere (as I once found out…). Take travel-sized toiletries for everything –if you have a large bottle with only a little bit of product in it, transfer it to a travel bottle. Every little bit of space and weight will help when you are packing!

Use all of the spaces in your case – the pockets on the inside and on the outside, for packing small, unbreakable things such as books, and small items of clothing. Buy some thin shoe covers, or use shower caps to pack your shoes in so they don’t make the rest of your things dirty. Pack heavy items at the bottom of your case, where the wheels are, to help balance it out. Pack anything valuable, as well as your meds, in your hand luggage so you have it with you at all times. Obviously also your passport and any travel documents!  Try weighing your luggage to make sure it’s under the weight limit – you can buy these for a reasonable price.

Check whether you will need to take a travel adaptor. An extension lead can also be a good idea (but this must not be a surge-protected one as these are not allowed on board). You can’t take irons or steamers but there may be a launderette on board with ironing facilities, and you may also be able to use the washing machines. If not, there will probably be a paid-for service if you need any washing or ironing done. You could also take a wrinkle release spray for any stubborn creases, or hang your clothes in the bathroom while the shower is on. Make sure you pack your chargers for any electronic equipment – I would recommend these are in your hand luggage. Laptops and tablets will also need to be in your hand luggage.

Check the size of hand luggage you are allowed to take, and remember you will be carrying this round with you in the airport once you’ve checked your case! I would always recommend taking a fair-sized bag as hand luggage even if you like to travel light, for a couple of reasons. One, you might buy stuff while you’re away that won’t fit in your case. Two, you may need to leave your suitcase outside your cabin on the last evening, which then gets sent to the airport for you. This means you’ll need stuff for the morning, like toiletries and clothes, and you’ll need somewhere to pack your overnight stuff. This is also why it’s a good idea to have travel-size toiletries because these will be in your hand luggage on the way home!

Prepare your entertainment

Make sure you have some personal entertainment material for travelling or downtime, such as books or magazines. Download some movies or box sets beforehand onto your phone/laptop or tablet. You may also be able to use the Kindle app, or take your Kindle, to save you carrying books around with you (and check your cruise website to see if there’s a library on board). I buy my books from charity shops, so if I take a couple on the cruise, I can then leave them behind for other guests to enjoy once I’ve read them.

Final checks

Make sure you check your boarding time a couple of days before travel, and make sure you have organised a way to get to the airport or cruise port (and home again!). If you are travelling independently to the cruise port, I would recommend getting there the day before you sail, in case of any travel delays. It can be extremely stressful if your flight is delayed for example, and there’s a chance you might miss the cruise departure. Better to get there a day before and have an extra night in a hotel!

Leave details of your travel arrangements at home, or with a friend so that if there’s an emergency people know how to get in touch with you (you may not be contactable by phone depending on where you are!).

Make sure you have all your documentation to hand, and that you have checked in online.

That’s it! You should be well prepared, and ready to enjoy your cruise!

Hope you’ve found these helpful – let me know in the comments if you think of any more!

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A cruise is a great option for solo travellers, and in fact this is a really growing segment of the cruise market. More and more cruise lines are catering for solo cruise travellers now, by offering solo cabins, restricted areas for solo use only, low or no supplement for different cruises, and solo meetups on board. So it really doesn’t have to be expensive to cruise alone – in fact there are some great bargains to be had, especially if you can be flexible when you travel.

Lots of resources are available for solo travellers, such as specialist travel agents, Facebook groups, online forums. These can all make it easier to plan your cruise. One of my favourites is a UK based agent called Passion for Cruises – who also have a lively Facebook group and a newly launched YouTube channel!

Solo travellers aren’t all single; some have partners that don’t want to cruise, or can’t take leave at the same time as them. Even if they are single, they aren’t necessarily looking for romance – but friendships are often made on board!

It’s a great opportunity to visit multiple locations – and you are travelling with thousands of others in an enclosed environment. I certainly felt very safe when I cruised with P & O Cruises on Azura in September 2022. It was my first cruise, and I had an amazing time.

You can please yourself

If you have a holiday destination in mind, but your partner or friends don’t want to travel there, if there’s a cruise that goes there it’s a great way to go to a place you’ve always wanted to visit. So many times I’ve heard people say ‘I really want to go on a cruise but my partner doesn’t’. Well – you don’t have to! Why should you miss out on going somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit just because someone else doesn’t want to go there?

And in fact, that leads me onto another great reason to cruise solo – you can please yourself where you go, and what you do. I was able to suit myself; in the day I’d either get off the ship and wander around wherever we’d docked, lie on a sunbed soaking up the rays or find an activity to do on board. I didn’t have to consider what anyone else wanted to do and fit in with their plans. In the evening, I had dinner at the same time and at the same table most nights, so a friendship developed between me and some of the other lady solo travellers. We’d often go to a show together after the meal, or for a few drinks. But it was up to me what I wanted to do!

If you don’t want to, you don’t even have to get off the ship in port. You can choose to stay on board if that feels safer to you, or you don’t want to tour a port on your own. However, taking a cruise-organised excursion can be a great way to experience destinations more safely – you’re picked up from and taken back to the ship, and you’re travelling with other passengers on your cruise. Because it’s a cruise-organised excursion, if there is an issue during the trip (for example, you get stuck in traffic) the ship will wait for your return. They won’t wait if you’ve gone off and done your own thing!

Lots of opportunities to meet people

There will probably be solo meetups on board, where you can meet other solo travellers and maybe even find someone to go on an excursion with. You can arrange to meet up for drinks, or for dinner. Or you can choose not to go – I didn’t go to any meetups on my first cruise, but I got to know lots of people on board (solos and couples) as people are very friendly and will chat to you. At dinner I sat with other solo travellers, and we became friends; also doing excursions together, going to dinner at the speciality restaurants and meeting up for drinks. Solo cruises can be a great way to meet like-minded people and become friends for life!

Trying new activities

Cruises have a huge range of activities and entertainment on board, which you can choose whether to join in with or not. No-one will know you – so what does it matter if you feel embarrassed? You’ll never see these people again, and you could end up finding a new hobby! But you have the option as to whether to do something, or not. Entirely your choice! It’s a great opportunity to try something new – and there really can be a huge variety of activities, from ballroom dancing to art classes, quizzes to vocal workshops, fitness classes to deck games.

Depending on the cruise line, you will meet a wide variety of ages – cruising isn’t only for the older generation now, lots of younger people and families also do it. Obviously, if you do a cruise with a line like Saga, you will be in the company of older people as they only allow over-fifties to book (although they can take a companion over 40). This might be attractive to you if you’re in an older age bracket and want to be in the company of others of similar age. Some cruise lines may attract a younger age profile, such as Carnival, but honestly, I don’t think age really matters! The key thing on a cruise (or any holiday) is to go with a positive attitude and be willing to talk to people.

Once you’ve accomplished your first solo cruise, you will feel a huge sense of achievement – and you may be like me and get hooked on cruising!

The post Why is a cruise a good idea for solo travellers? appeared first on Who moved my coffee?.

Mine was very simple – it was a list of renovations and tasks that I wanted to complete around my home – not a defined project, with timescales and milestones (like installing a new kitchen); that would make complete sense to write down so you can see what you need to do.

No – this was just a list of things that I wanted to buy, DIY jobs that needed doing or just home crafts that would enhance my home.

I wrote the list down in my planner, looked at it regularly – and actioned it. Within a year, everything on the list had been ticked off.

Since then, I have created other such lists – travel destinations, big goals I want to achieve in the next ‘x’ number of years and so on, and slowly but surely, the lists are getting ticked off.

Why does writing your goals work?

There is some science around this – writing things down means that your brain is encoding – this is a ‘biological process by which the things we perceive, travel to our brain’s hippocampus where they’re analysed’ (Mark Murphy-Forbes 2018).  Decisions are then made about what to store, and what to discard. Writing helps that process. There is also something called the ‘generation effect’ – individuals demonstrate a better memory for the things they’ve generated than the things they’ve merely read. This is why writing down notes from lectures and talks, or meetings, helps things to ‘stick’ in your brain rather than just disappear.

So what are the benefits of writing your goals down?

It helps you to clarify what you want – from an idea floating around in your head, to recording it on paper (or on a screen, whatever suits you best) – the act of writing it down means that you are identifying exactly what it is that you want to achieve. It also helps you to track your progress – ticking off a list is very satisfying!

Do they have to be big goals?

Not at all – as I said, my interest in this started when I had a list of tasks around the house that needed to be done. Simple lists of things you want to achieve within a certain timescale can be very powerful, when written down. For example:

One month tasks

• Research holiday destinations
• Plan Christmas holiday arrangements
• Book decorator in

Medium term tasks (three months) could be a project, such as:

Decorate the lounge

• Research ideas on Pinterest
• Collect paint and wallpaper samples
• Work out a budget
• Decide on decorator or DIY options
• Produce project plan, breaking down decorating steps

However, if you do have a big goal (to become financially free, for example), a plan of the steps you need to take will be extremely useful. It could look like this:

Becoming financially free

• Research the theory and principles behind FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early)
• Identify your current financial baseline and your target ‘money pot’
• Break down current budget and identify ways of saving money, to move to investments
• Open investment accounts
• Automate saving
• Track progress
• Modify timelines/amounts accordingly

How to start

You can start small, by writing a list of three daily or weekly goals you want to achieve, ticking them off as you complete them. Creating a routine of writing down your goals/tasks, tracking them and completing them will give a sense of accomplishment, and create focus on what you want to achieve.

The key thing is….

It’s important to actually take action on the goals you’ve written down – information on it’s own won’t help you to achieve these goals, you will need to actually do something! Create a routine whereby you regularly review your goals; maybe you have a list next to your computer, or next to the kettle, or pinned on your bathroom mirror – wherever you will see it regularly. This will get the item into your mind, and then consciously or subconsciously you will start to take action to achieve those goals.

If you want to look into this a bit more, I can recommend this YouTube video by Modern Health Monk, which is where the penny dropped for me!

Have you had success with achieving your goals? Let me know in the comments!

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The changing of the seasons, the loss of those warm, long days (if we’ve been lucky enough to have sun here in the UK!) and the nip in the air that tells us Autumn is on its way. The change of each season reminds me that nothing is forever, changes up my thinking, and gives me a fresh perspective.

I love change, after a period of stability – no-one loves living in a constant state of change do they?! – and the changing of the seasons gives an opportunity to reset, or bring some changes to different areas of my life.

I’ve just returned to work at the beginning of August from a three month sabbatical (see this post) and honestly, it’s like I’ve never been away! It’s going to be busy from now to the end of the year with my workload, but I do have a couple of holidays booked to look forward to!

Here are some of the things I do to feel like I’m having a fresh start each September:

Planning – is it too early to mention the C word?! Winter is coming, and with it the holiday season, and it’s time to start thinking about Christmas and getting a jump on present planning! I also like to plan activities in so that I have something to look forward to – like an upcoming holiday.

Wardrobe changeover – it always seems to happen so quickly; the weather one day is warm enough for sandals and summer dresses, and the next you need your boots and sweaters! Packing up your summer wardrobe and getting out your winter clothes is an annual ritual, and rediscovering clothes you love (hello boots that I’ve had for 10 years!) is a lovely feeling!

Changing up your recipes – time to start cooking up the soups and casseroles that are a staple of the cooler months. There is nothing better than having a meal in the slow cooker all day that you just need to serve up when you get home!

Hobbies – my favourite sport of ice hockey starts up again in September after its summer break. I love having the summer off (and tbh the season often outstays its welcome by April, if the team hasn’t played well…) but it’s great to be back in the rink watching a fast-paced sport and catching up with friends. Each season brings fresh hope that the new players have an impact and improve the team’s performance.

Making my home cosy – I love the ritual of going round and closing the curtains and blinds, and cocooning myself in my home. Deep throws, plump cushions, candles and soft lighting all make me feel safe and warm.

What are some of the ways you welcome in the start of Autumn? Let me know in the comments!

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First thing to do (if you haven’t already) is to declutter – don’t pay to move stuff that you don’t need – or worse, that you don’t have space for in your new home. I’ve got a blog post about preparing your home for sale which has some useful information in it about decluttering.Essentially you need to prioritise getting rid of ‘big’ stuff that you don’t want to take with you – for example, that old exercise bike that is cluttering up your garage. And don’t forget about places like sheds and lofts! These are the most likely to have stuff in that you’ll get rid of or donate.

Packing your stuff up

Start to do this early!! You could start packing up your pictures and ornaments first, as you don’t need those frequently – but you’ll probably still be packing up your kitchen the day before you move, as you use it on a daily basis.

You can buy your own boxes from specialist websites or even from Amazon. Make sure you have enough (good quality) tape, with a proper tape dispenser, and a supply of markers to identify the box contents or labels. You’ll also need something to protect any fragile items during the move like bubblewrap or strong paper – I used this wrap from Amazon. I used these labels last time I moved – I stuck one on the top and one on the front of each box, together with writing on the number of the box. I then put one label on a piece of A4 paper which I stuck to the door of the relevant room in the new house and all the removal team had to do was put boxes with the corresponding colour labels in that room. Genius.

An idea I had last time I moved was to number each box, and keep a separate list and a photo of what was in the box rather than write the contents on the box itself. I had a small whiteboard, and when I finished loading the box up I wrote the number on the box, wrote the contents and the box number on the whiteboard, and took a photo of the whiteboard on top of the open box. Then I sealed the box up, labelled it and put it to one side. The next box then has the next number, and so on. This worked really  well, as I didn’t have to search through piles of boxes to find the one I wanted – I just looked on my phone until I found the right box number. I organised the photos of boxes into a separate folder on my phone for easy access.

My method for recording the contents of my moving boxes

(patent pending )

When packing up the TV or any complicated electronics, take a photo of the wires and connections before disconnecting any of them. Saves a lot of messing around and trial and error when you’re setting them up in the new place!

When you’re packing up clothes on hangers, you can keep them on the hangers, and put them into large black bags, with the hangers at the top (outside the bag). This protects them during the move.

Finding a removals service

You can ‘DIY’ your house move and rent a van, but I really wouldn’t recommend it unless you are moving out of your parents home for the first time (and therefore have very little in the way of ‘stuff’). It takes an awful lot of strength and energy to move the contents of a home, and there is a lot of skill involved, in wrapping up your precious belongings and making sure they arrive at the other end with no damage. When looking for a removal firm personal recommendation is best but if you need to, look at reviews. They will want to come round and look at your contents to see how long it will take, how many vans will be used and therefore how much to quote. You won’t be able to book them (without potentially losing your deposit) unless you have a firm date for moving. They might also provide a packing service at additional cost, which may be of use to you.

Organising the services

Next steps – you will need to organise the utilities at your next place (gas, electricity, broadband, phone line, TV provider, water) as well as home insurance and changing the address on your car insurance. You’re responsible for insuring the new property from the date of exchange of contracts! You’ll also need to let your current providers know that you’re moving. Organise for your post to be redirected to your new address by filling in the online Royal Mail form.

Take your meter readings on the final day (take a photo of the meters) and remember to take a reading of your new meters on your first day (again, a photo).

Find out from the estate agent how you will get the keys to the property on moving day (and from your own agent how the new owners of your old home will get theirs!).

Handing over to the new owners

Prepare a handover list for the new owners – you could ask the owners of the new home to do a similar list for you. This should include useful information such as where the meters are, what day the bins are collected, the names of the neighbours, any particular maintenance arrangements for equipment you’re leaving behind, and so on. I’ve created a checklist for a handover list that you can download for free here.

If you’ve had a good relationship with your buyers, it’s nice to leave them a ‘welcome’ gift like a bottle of prosecco (with a couple of glasses) together with your handover list. And of course you should clean your home so it’s ready for the new owners (and hope that the owners of your new home have done the same for you!).

Moving day essentials

Prepare your moving day essentials box and overnight bag in the week before you move. The box should include toilet roll, kitchen roll, some cutlery, plate, mugs/paper cups, coffee and so on.

Have any valuables (jewellery, passports, important documents, laptop) with you in your car.

Your overnight bag should include phone charger, medicine, toiletries and clothes for overnight.

Pack up your duvets and pillows into large bags and they can then be unpacked in your new place once your beds have been put in place. These bags from Amazon come highly recommended.

Unpacking at your new home

It will probably be chaos, with people moving boxes and possessions in! Be on hand for any questions from your removals people about which furniture goes where.

First priority should be to get  your kitchen unpacked with the basics and make sure everyone in your home has a bed to sleep in by bedtime – quilts, pillows, sheets etc.

Remember to take photos of your gas and electricity meters for your first reading.

If you’re working, make sure (if you can) that you book a few days off after the move, to try and get yourself unpacked as much as possible. In the first few days, do your address change notifications; for businesses, many of these can be done online, or you may need to call. Remember to tell your friends and family your new address.

Some key tips:

• If you live with others, spread the load. It shouldn’t be down to one person in the household to get everything packed up, and all the admin done
• If friends offer to help pack (or unpack, at the other end) boxes – do not, under any circumstances, say no!!
• Start to prepare for the move earlier than you think you need to. There is an awful lot to get done, and you need to fit this around your current life and commitments
• In particular, declutter early, and before you start packing!
• Planning is key – have lists, add to them, cross things off – just use them! They will help the whole process get out of your head, and onto paper
• Keep in touch with your solicitor, and the estate agents involved, throughout. Dates can change, people can do strange things, curveballs can be thrown. Keep yourself informed.

Finally, remember to take some time for yourself after the move – it will probably have been highly stressful, potentially emotionally draining, and almost certainly physically exhausting! Don’t try and get everything unpacked and pictures up in the first week – prioritise the essentials like your kitchen and bathroom, and somewhere to relax each evening. And enjoy your new home

The post How to move to a new home with less stress! appeared first on Who moved my coffee?.

Location and budget

You may have already decided on the area you want to look in, and you should also have a budget in mind. Think carefully about whether you really need to spend more money than you currently do on a home – there might be one in a ‘less desirable’ area, or an up and coming area that will cost way less than one where prices are at a premium. For example, I sold a house that was in a good location, and was also relatively new (less than 25 years old), and moved to a 100 year old house in a cheaper location that cost £60k less (which actually had more square footage, and more character). This enabled me to pay a big chunk off my mortgage, reduce the term by a couple of years, and still have money left over to make some significant improvements to the new house. And I love it – I’ve put my own stamp on it by making structural changes that I couldn’t afford to do in my previous home (although it did need it). Many property experts will say location is the most important thing – and it is important; I wouldn’t buy a house next to an industrial site for example, BUT don’t write off ‘cheaper’ areas without visiting them and looking at what they have to offer – you could find a new home that is perfect for you!

You might also be looking at buying somewhere that needs renovating – if you are handy, and don’t mind living in potential chaos for a few months while the work is going on, this can be a good way of buying a home lower priced, but in a premium area. It also has the advantage that you can design it how you’d like it, so this could be an option for you.

What do you need in a new home?

Think about how big your house needs to be – if you’re a growing family, then space is going to be very important. If you’re single, or it’s just you and one other person, less space is probably fine. Don’t make the mistake of looking for somewhere bigger because you have a lot of stuff – sort your stuff out first and declutter, and you might find you have enough space where you are! Plenty of resources are available to help you to declutter – try How to GYST here on YouTube – loads of decluttering inspiration!

If you are sure you want to move, think about what you are looking for in a new property – number of bedrooms, location, parking arrangements, space for a home office etc. I found it helped me to have a note of these (the Notes app is good for this) so I could keep them top of mind when looking.

Get yourself onto mailing lists and set up alerts on the major house sites like Rightmove and Zoopla. Put in the area you are looking in, the type of house/flat and price range and you’ll receive alerts as new properties come onto the market.

Have a look round the area – is there a particular agent with a lot of properties for sale? If so, get yourself on their mailing list or better still, develop a relationship with one of their staff so they think of you and give you a call when a property comes onto the market.

Viewing properties – what to look for

When you see a house that you might be interested in, look at it with your head and not your heart! It can be easy to get carried away and dream of living in a property that looks fantastic in the photos before you’ve even visited it (I know – I’ve done this!). However, and this may come as a big shock to you – the photos can be very deceptive. They are (usually – if the owner has done their job properly with preparing it for sale – see my previous post about this ) designed to show the property in its best possible light. Photos may be taken at ridiculous angles to make rooms look bigger, the room may not have much furniture in it – again to make it look bigger. Space is the name of the game – as well as location.

Look carefully at Estate Agent photos, descriptions, room plans and measurements. I once viewed a house that had an awful kitchen that clearly needed to be upgraded, and it was only whilst viewing that I remembered there had been no photos of the kitchen on the agent’s website. If there had been, it would have put me off – clearly a trick by the Agent to get people through the door. I have also viewed houses where the size of the kitchen looked deceptive on the floor plan, and in reality was tiny and unworkable. If you can, try and check the measurements beforehand against your own home’s measurements – seeing that a kitchen is 10ft by 8ft on a floor plan may not flag up an issue to you, but if you compare it to your own kitchen which is a similar size and you think is too small for you, it could stop you wasting your time viewing a house that wouldn’t be right for you.

If good schools in the area are important for you, make sure you check out the latest Ofsted reports for the schools in that catchment area. However, take care not just to rely on these reports – they can be several years old, and are only ever a snapshot in time. Head teachers and Senior Leaders that were responsible for that particular rating (whether positive or not), may have moved on since then and things changed drastically. Try and visit the school, and talk to parents whose children are there. Asking for opinions on Facebook is an option, although be prepared to receive wildly differing views!

Is it important to be near to shops, or green spaces in your new home? Go around the area and check it out.

When you are viewing, take someone along with you. If you are buying with someone else, then obviously take them – but if you’re buying on your own, take along a friend. Preferably one that is willing to give you the honest truth about their view. However, remember the things that are important to them may not be to you – they might not like somewhere as it has terrible wallpaper – but you know you will be redecorating anyway so that doesn’t matter so much. However, they might pick up things that you miss, so it’s definitely worth having a second opinion.

Ask questions about the neighbours, the parking etc. I knew the house I was interested in was near a local primary school so I asked about parking. The owner said (truthfully, in her defence) that she didn’t know if it was an issue as she was out at work. It turned out it can be a problem, as it gets very busy and people don’t care where they park, including across my drive! I had to suck it up, and realise it didn’t matter to me so much, as the chances of me needing access to my drive at school pickup or dropoff times was minimal.

If you’re buying an older home, look carefully at things like the electric sockets and light switches – upgrading the electrics is an extremely messy job that will cost a lot of money. Look at the roof from the outside – does it look in good condition? Have neighbours upgraded theirs – this could be a sign that yours will need doing at some point. Having a decent, functioning roof is very important – especially in the UK where it rains a lot!

Are the windows double glazed? How old is the glazing?

Is the kitchen suitable for your needs? You can replace a kitchen, but again, it’s an expensive job. Same with bathrooms. That’s fine if it’s factored into the price and you’re happy to do the work – but if not, then you need to think carefully about taking the property on!

It might be important to you to be within a certain travelling distance to work – if so, then try your commute one day – at the time you’d normally travel, obviously!

Also, visit the house at different times – for example at the start and end of the day; also during the day if you are going to be at home a lot.

Look at the house(s) that are neighbouring the one you’re interested in. Are they well looked after? I found a lovely house that I would definitely have offered on, except the neighbouring house was in a terrible state, with decaying window frames, and an unkempt garden. With that, you don’t know what sort of neighbour you will have – and if they aren’t taking care of their home, that sends out the wrong signal.

The ’C’ word…..Compromise!

We all start off with a wishlist of our perfect home, and somewhere along the line we have to compromise.

No ‘new to you’ home will ever have every single thing that is on your wish list. For me, having a drive, three bedrooms and some outside space was very important. I had to compromise by buying a terraced house (with neighbours both sides) rather than my preferred semi-detached (neighbour only on one side). This meant that I don’t have easy access to my back garden (e.g. bringing in new plants, or having the bins there) as I have to use a side entry that is next to my neighbours house. It also means it’s more noisy than only having a neighbour on one side – but that was the compromise I was prepared to make, and I’m still happy with it.

It helps if, before you start looking, you have an idea of what you are prepared to compromise on – it’s been said that you should only compromise on the things you can change – for example, décor, kitchen or bathroom style. You can’t pick a house up and move it to a different area, so maybe location is one area that you aren’t prepared to compromise on. It helps if you have an idea of this at the start of your search.

Hopefully this has given you some helpful guidance to find a new home that’s perfect for you – comment below if you have any tips of your own!

The post How to find a new home that’s perfect for you! appeared first on Who moved my coffee?.

First things first – buckle up – this is probably going to be a tough journey! Many things can go wrong, many people or organisations will probably frustrate you so it’s important to go into it with a calm head, and accept that things will probably go wrong at some point. Managing your house sale is essential, and good friends can help out here by being a sounding board, or by offering you practical advice and support!

Legal representation

You can actually take on the legal responsibilities of selling your house yourself, but you will need a lot of time, be the sort of person who thrives on detail, and be really persistent. It’s not something I would ever do, having sold three properties and had a solicitor each time – it’s well worth the money.  You can use a solicitor, or a firm of conveyancers to deal with your sale (and purchase, if you’re buying somewhere new). It’s highly recommended to use the same firm (I would say essential) to manage the sale and purchase. The buyer will of course also have a solicitor, and the two firms should be in contact with each other regularly through the process.

If you use a solicitor, it’s really important to ensure you use one who is experienced in conveyancing. Again, personal recommendation is best – if you can’t get that, then do your research online by looking at reviews, post a question to your friends on social media, ask work colleagues. This decision is another one which is one of the most important to get right! And unlike estate agents, it is not easy to change solicitor once you are in the process, and there may well be fees to pay if you do change – a new solicitor will probably want to conduct new searches rather than use any searches from the first one. Fees can vary enormously; there will be statutory fees such as searches etc, but the firm will also make a charge for their services.

There can be lots of things that go wrong, or go slowly with solicitors, whether that’s using local firms or using online specialist conveyancers. Not processing things as quickly as they should, not being contactable or replying to emails, and in some instances not actually knowing the right thing to do! I think this is one area where your research will be invaluable – but not foolproof. I think there is a lot to be said about using a local firm – if only because if things get really bad you can at least turn up on their doorstep to speak to them – and of course going into the office is easier to sign documents, etc.

What does the solicitor do?

In a nutshell, the solicitor (or conveyancer) does the legal work to transfer ownership of your property. When you are selling, this includes dealing with your buyer’s solicitor and fielding any enquiries from them, checking how your buyer is funding their purchase, send you forms to complete about your home (fixtures and fittings list, property information form) and so on. They will also liaise with your mortgage provider to obtain a redemption statement, if you currently have a mortgage on your home. This will state how much is owed on your mortgage (the redemption figure) as that will need to be paid to the mortgage provider once the home is sold. Your solicitor will transfer those funds once they have received the money from your buyer’s solicitor.

You can prepare for the sale process by getting your important house documents together – e.g. installation certificates for double glazing, certificates for electrical work, any paperwork if you have had an extension or building work done, as these will probably be requested by the buyer’s solicitor.

The fixtures and fittings form lists all the items associated with the house (garden shed, kitchen cabinets, light fittings etc) and you will go through it and indicate which ones you are leaving and which ones are not included. The property information form asks about what work you’ve had done to the house, whether it’s ever been flooded and so on.

When you are buying a new home, the solicitor will conduct the required searches (such as check a mining report, a water company search which checks if you are in danger of being flooded etc), check the title on your new property (e.g. that the person selling is actually the person who owns it!), ensure you receive the fixtures and fittings and property information forms, forward on any queries you may have and identify queries of their own; e.g. if there have been alterations to the property, making sure these were all done legally and with the appropriate checks.

They will be liaising with your mortgage provider (if you’re having a mortgage), or they will check with you about your source of funding – to ensure they are complying with money laundering legislation. The solicitor will also arrange for the deposit to be paid at exchange stage (which usually comes from your mortgage deposit) and will arrange for the funds to be transferred to the seller and the mortgage provider on completion of the transaction. They will manage the risk if there is an issue such as a sewer under your property (which happened to me!). This may involve you purchasing indemnity insurance or asking the seller to buy this. They will ultimately make sure you actually own the correct property!

A key piece of advice is to get to know the person managing your account, and build a relationship with them if you can. In fact this applies to the whole process – building and maintaining relationships is key.

Keeping on top of things

From my experience, the really important thing to do is to keep on top of your solicitor and your estate agent. Although their job is to follow the process through and deal with things in a timely manner, in reality they will be managing many other transactions at the same time, and yours won’t rise to the top of the priority list until you are near to exchange or completion. Your sale or purchase is not as important to anyone else as it is to you. A regular call (fortnightly/weekly) to the estate agent, and the same to your solicitor, makes sure that things are progressing as they should. Once you are further through the process, a weekly (and potentially daily!) call may be needed to make sure everything is moving along. Keeping a short record of the calls/emails is very useful, just jotting down the date and brief details of what was discussed/agreed. If you need to do anything, make sure you do it as quickly as possible – for example if you need to find a copy of an invoice you had for some work done on the house, or if you need to speak to your solicitor about a query that your buyer has raised.

I learned this the hard way, when during the first few weeks of my own house sale/purchase, I assumed my solicitor was conducting the searches because I’d transferred the money to them. What had happened was that the transfer had one digit missing from the reference and so the funds hadn’t been applied to my account. The solicitor hadn’t chased me up or identified that these funds belonged to me, and therefore did nothing. It was only when I checked in two weeks later that I found nothing had happened. Lesson learned!

Exchange and Completion

Once all the forms have been returned, the searches are in and the queries from each solicitor dealt with, the legal forms should be drawn up ready for exchange of contracts – once you have signed a contract and this has been exchanged with the buyer they’ve paid the deposit, both sides are legally committed to go through with the transaction. If the buyer pulls out, you can keep their deposit. If you pull out you may be sued.  Completion of the sale happens at a point to be agreed between both parties – this can either be the same day as exchange (very stressful!) or between 7 and 28 days after exchange. The day the property sale completes is the day your buyer owns your house, and obviously this means you must leave it. You are legally obliged to comply with the information you gave to your solicitor about what fixtures and fittings you are leaving and which you are taking with you – don’t suddenly decide to take all the light fittings if you said you were leaving them behind!

Managing the sale process can be a very stressful time, as well as the potential emotional impact of leaving somewhere you have lived, possibly for a number of years. I hope the information I’ve included has given you some helpful advice to make it a smoother process overall!

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