Well as soon as the landlord received my letter of intention to vacate the property, what happened next is what I knew would happen. He called me that night, and requesting a visit that night!!!! I knew exactly why he wanted to visit so soon. He was in shock and would try to have me change my mind!!! His words were that I have been an excellent tenant and not likely to find anyone else like me to rent his property!!!!
So he came over with his wife, and spent the first 30 minutes trying to talk me into changing my mind. But me being a Virgo once I set my mind on something I very rarely change my mind. He offered to keep the rent at the same rate for the next three years, and even suggested I find someone to share the house and hence the rent and expenses with. However there is more to the issue than just the rent and expenses. It is also the energy expended in maintaining the house, and especially the yard. I am spending nearly every weekend maintaining the yard, mowing the lawn, etc. This is unsustainable when I continue to travel. For example, if I go somewhere for four weeks during the summer months who is going to water the garden??
Being a Virgo I hate to disappoint people and let them down, and my landlord was disappointed, he really did not want me to go. I explained to him that I will be travelling more. He said, well you still need somewhere to live!!!!! Well true enough, but I also explained, since the death of my wife I am no longer needing such a large living space!!!!
Anyway, when it became obvious that my Virgo mind has been made up and is not going to change his mind whatsoever, the landlord went through the house explaining what will need to be done to it prior to vacating. Most of it are just the standard requirements of cleaning the property, however a few extra are legacy of my wife. When the hospital tradies came to install the various mobility devices around the house, the bars, etc, they have a very bad habit of leaving mess behind, such as, holes in walls, etc. And well the responsibility falls on me, and I will have to basically clean up what the hospital tradies left behind - fixing the holes, repainting, etc. Well fortunately I should be able to do most of this myself, just get some crack-filler from the hardware store and small tins of paint nearest to the color of the walls. The landlord did say it doesn't have to be exactly the same color but as close to it as possible. So some white paint for the bedrooms, and beige for the bathroom and toilet. And my wife, behind something of a handywoman, she does have a lot of tools, including power tools, which will make my job easier such as where fixtures needs replacing such as the toilet paper holder which had to be removed cos it gotten in the way of my wife and interfered with her mobility. It is just fortunate I given myself five weeks until I am due to vacate the property, and I plan on moving into my new abode about two weeks prior to the due vacate date, leaving the property empty for the final cleanup and any other issue that needed to be cleared up.
Most of the cleanup and repairs I should be able to do myself. However there are some things that I will pay a professional to do. Such as the tiresome task of cleaning the oven. I hate cleaning the oven, and the fumes from the oven cleaner makes me want to pass out. So basically will pay someone to do the dirty work for me, who is more likely to do a better job than me, thus more likely to satisfy the landlord.
Also I will employ someone to clean the windows, especially outside where I can't reach!! And also the carpets. So the most difficult aspects of the job I will employ professionals to do.
It turns out that my landlord will himself be overseas for four weeks, his turn to travel! ;) And as synchronicity would have it, his return is set for the end of November, just a few days before my set vacate date. I originally planned to give myself just four weeks to vacate the property however I strongly felt to give an extra week. And as it turned out, if I was to vacate the property at the end of four weeks, the landlord would still be overseas or just on his way back. So the extra week is not only for my benefit but for the benefit of the landlord. It is also good that he is currently away overseas, it will mean he won't be in my hair while I am busily prepping the property for vacating.
So now I am in the process of cleaning the place and moving all but bare necessities into my storage unit. As per being a Virgo who works to a plan, I do a small section each night after work for no more than a couple of hours. And by doing a small section each evening for two weeks, pretty well most of the house will be cleaned, leaving the oven, windows, etc to the professionals. By then most of my furniture and items will be in my storage unit.
By then I will also have begun my search for my new and much smaller hence cheaper and easier to maintain abode. After next weekend when I have done the bulk of my clearing out of furniture and boxes of possessions, transporting them to my storage unit via my 4x6 caged trailer, I will then begin my search for my new abode.
OK starting to get ahead of myself here..... a typical Virgo trait!!!!!..... let's focus on the present, which is, being in the first of the two weeks of cleaning, packing, and moving most of my items into storage, leaving just bare necessities which will do me until I find my new abode.
So far I have done the curtains and venetian blinds, the most difficult jobs that I am willing to do. Then the cabinets, where I had to confront my phobia of cockroaches. Even dead cockroaches freaks me out, and there were plenty of dead cockroaches in the mostly empty cabinets, the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. It was just a matter of vacuuming up the carcases however it still freaked me a bit. My vacuum cleaner is one of those newer bagless cleaners with a clear drum, and seeing those dead cockroaches swirling around inside the cleaner was also very creepy. I tolerate indeed even welcome most other creatures, spiders, ants, lizards, even the odd snake..... but cockroaches absolutely freaks me out!!!!! This is because during one of my lifetimes on another planet I was eaten alive by roach-like Insectoid aliens.
So yes I done the cabinets, and cleaned out the wardrobes in the bedroom, so all clothing, etc, except what I normally wear, are now packed away ready to be transported into storage. The bedrooms, kitchen and living room has all been cleared aside from bare necessities, and several boxes waiting to be transported into storage this weekend. Then the next week I start on the garage and shed, and the furniture, removing most furniture except my immediate necessities. Then the property will be ready for the professionals to come and do their job, and it be a relatively simple job of moving into my new abode when I find one.
Moving house is inherently stressful and a lot of work, but a bit of planning which we Virgos are good at doing will make it so much easier, while at the same time, allowing life to go on..... going to work each day, attending my ecstatic dance sessions....... and thinking about my next travel destination...... ;)
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