I'm sold

It’s a great sign - literally - when the for sale sign outside the house you are buying ticks over from “for sale” to “sold”. When we arrived at our “new house” this morning - with two sets of parents in tow - we were greeted by that change of signage. A great feeling.We didn't expect to be moving so quickly after settling in our current house - we have been here 20 months, give or take a few days - but something very special came on the market - on one of the seven roads in Birkdale we would move to and the rest is history. It is true to say that the prospect of moving again - for the fifth time since we married (in May 2009) - filled neither of us with any joy or excitement but we very quickly discovered that the process of moving (BTW, we are acutely aware that there is many a sip 'twix cup and lip and are taking nothing for granted until we get that front door key) here is a hundred times easier and more enjoyable than when we moved in London or Surrey. That was the definition of a dog eat dog situation.Here people are helpful - they appear to tell you the truth all the time - not our experience down south - and they seem genuinely committed to ensuring that it goes well for you - and enjoyably for you. On its current trajectory, our move looks like being completed at the end of November - just in time to put up our tree and start opening our Advent calendar. Although when we moved to our current house, we had no plans to move for some time, we alway hankered after a victorian house. It may not be Christmas but the new house feels like an early present; late 19th century features and all.Fingers crossed all continue to go to plan and get to watch the first Strictly of December in our new home.  If that happens, it will be a ten, from Ben.#ben2b40