Unofficial moving day

So today we go the keys for our new flat, although out tenancy doesn't start until Saturday. I was really looking forward to seeing it without the previous tenant's things in it, but actually without their furniture covering a lot of the walls and floor, I realised just how tatty the flat really is. It really needs a coat of paint and there's quite a lot of damp/mould in the bathroom and it just generally needs a lot of tidying. But after feeling a bit down about it for an hour or two, Shane has convinced me that we can make it nice and that it won't be forever, and so I'm going off to Wilkinsons in a second to get some white emulsion to make a start on some of the worst walls.

I snapped a few quick pictures while we were there. It's a very oddly laid out flat (it used to be two apparently, they must each have been tiny!) so we have a pointless sink in the bedroom and the shower is in the utility room next to the (non-existent as yet) washing machine. Luckily the horrible and enormous red leather three piece suite in the living room is being sold, so we will have room for our desks and our own smaller sofa.

The best thing is the outside area. The previous tenants put in some raised beds, so we can grow some veg (we have their onions and courgettes to harvest first) and there's plenty of space for pots and maybe a barbecue at some point. We took the flat mainly because of this space: the two places I lived before were second storey, and while they were both nice flats, it's so good to think that we've now got our own private patch of outside-ness whenever we want it. Hopefully it'll make up for some of the other annoyances (it seems as though our landlord will be forever popping in - never a good thing) especially if the sunny weather continues for a while longer.

I should have a few more pictures to show over the next couple of weeks or so, I have plenty of things I want to paint and sew to make it all a bit nicer. Wish me luck with the decorating!

Song of the day: 'Take Another Little Piece of My Heart' - Dusty Springfield