It’s already March and my scouting visit is fast approaching.
The days, weeks and months seem to pass by quicker and quicker. Maybe it’s because I’ve had fifty Januarys and Februarys already and each one is not that dissimilar to the last.
But I have to keep reminding myself that the next ones are going to be very different. January always makes me feel a little lethargic. There is the overspill of the festive period and while the days are getting longer, it is still dark in the mornings and evenings.
February for me is a little different. There are a few specific days in February which make me reflect and remember. Two poignant days are what would’ve been Mum and Dad’s wedding anniversary and, Dad’s birthday. On these days I always take a little bit of time out for myself.
At times it’s difficult. I tend to close down and I find both days tough. I skipped last week’s blog for that very reason. I know I get tetchy and short-tempered during this period. Maybe I should talk more. Or just reach out to Mum or my siblings. But it is tough and I struggle with it.
Last time…
This year has been a little different as I’m going through many situations that simply aren’t going to be the same again. At work, there are many “last time I’m going to do this” situations. Christmas, New Year and birthdays. Occasionally tinged with sadness, but mainly excitement.
But looking forward is so important. No point looking back. Only looking forward.
The last week has been totally focused on the next few weeks – my second exploratory visit to Portugal.
I’ve revisited all my notes from my first scouting trip. A great refresh of my thinking while I was in Portugal last time. Many of my thoughts have not changed. Most have been reinforced while my planning has continued.
I recalled many of the properties I visited and the bullet points of the positives and negatives of each property were most helpful. As property searching continues online, those properties I shortlist tend to align with these bullet points.
Once again I feel I am diligently planning my trip, I’m scheduling various things I need to do, people I catch up with and property visits.
Frustrating progress
Since I visited Portugal in September, I have been negotiating on a property. An offer accepted. Lawyer appointed. Everything I’ve needed to do has been completed.
However, despite regularly chasing the estate agent, no progress. I was aware there was going to be a delay until this year, but despite chasing at least once a week, nothing.
This is incredibly frustrating as I have been patient. Very patient. Probably too patient.
But there comes a time when my patience wears thin. My patience pretty much snapped in January. Despite chasing, and chasing, and chasing, I received delay, after delay, after delay.
My “snapping” resulted in booking my second scouting visit. Within a couple of hours, everything was booked. Flight, accommodation and hire car all sorted.
With a flight booked, this gave me a fixed date to work towards. I notified the estate agent that I would be heading to Portugal on 14 March and that was the date everything needed to be sorted by.
As we’ve moved towards my trip, all I get from the seller, via the estate agent, is delay after delay. I’ve bought and sold enough houses to understand there are delays in the process. There are hiccups and there is “bloody-mindedness”. Sadly, it feels it is more of the latter.
I’m now at the point where I am unsure whether the seller really wants to sell the property.
Change of plan needed
I’ve now experienced five months of delays. I think that’s pretty patient! Having the knowledge that there was going to be a delay at the beginning was fine as there would still be enough time to apply and secure my D7 Visa.
Now we’ve entered March, the timeline for my Visa is beginning to be squeezed so any further delay will now impact submitting my Visa application.
So, in expectation (realistic as opposed to pessimistic) the property purchase is not going to have progressed sufficiently by 14 March, I have scheduled some property visits.
I’ve three days of viewings arranged and I am awaiting a couple more agents to confirm viewings of specific properties. It’s been easier working with agents this time as I am concentrating my visits in a geographical area. Therefore, I can give them my requirements and they are advising of suitable properties.
Last time, I was viewing properties across a much wider area and, in an unorthodox way. I was more focused on confirming what I didn’t want to narrow my search down on my second visit.
What I didn’t expect was that one property would tick (almost) all the boxes and once I returned to the UK, everything thought of Portugal drew me back to this property.
There remains hope that it will all be resolved this week. But mentally, I’ve accepted that it simply isn’t going to happen. If it does, it’s a bonus. Disappointed? Yes. I’m disappointed, but everything happens for a reason. If it’s not to be, it’s not to be.
Muito obrigado
As always, I’d like to thank everyone who reads my blog. I am humbled by your interest in my little world. I write for myself and I write in the way I read. I’ve always approached this as my personal blog. I enjoy writing and helps me think things through. Bordering on therapy I guess.
Muito obrigado.
Marc