Nervous tension

Now the house is officially on the market our nerves are stretched as we veer from " OMG we might get an offer we can't refuse and have to sell and get out before Christmas HELP!" and "OMG we'll never sell and we'll still be here this time next year with the price at rock bottom HELP!"

The house has scrubbed up nicely and the photos on the estate agents website look great with my beloved garden stealing the show. We've had two viewings so far and they seemed to go quite well but I suspect neither will lead to a sale which is probably just as well at this stage (see above). We are both wondering how long we can keep everywhere this tidy!

TC has "come clean" at work and announced his intention to leave at the end of the year - not quite the same as putting in his resignation but a start.

So things are under way. It is a strange feeling to be selling the home we have lived in for 23years but we are convinced that this is a good time for us to do something new and exciting. There is a new "home" out there just waiting to be discovered and a new garden just begging to be created I just want to get on with it.

As I sit here wearing thick socks and a jumper (and trousers of course- don't panic) in the middle of August I dream of next year when my summer will last for longer than two weeks! Our cases are packed and ready for another trip south to seek the sun this week. This time we will be taking my elderley parents with us for their annual holiday at Pavillon.

There won't be any house hunting this trip - I couldn't cope with finding the perfect house and losing it although I admit it is hard trying not to get fixated on properties spotted on the immobiliers websites. We will be looking at locations with a view to their living potential as we travel around though as our last visit widened our search area to new towns and villages we had not previously considered.

Tarn et Garonne here we come!