We got the keys on Friday, and have already started the job of decorating the house by stripping the wallpaper in the dining room and living room. These rooms need partially re-plastering as part of the damp-proofing works, although having taken some of the wallpaper off we’re looking at getting them completely re-plastered.
All of the paper shown above was simply peeled off the walls – perhaps an indication of how necessary the damp-proofing works are, but also the age of the wallpaper. We’ve attached the rest with a steamer. Christine is there for scale .
The plug sockets downstairs are all very old, and in weird places – mostly about a metre off the floor. Since we’re getting these rooms re-plastered, we’ll look into having them re-sited in more useful places with more modern fixtures.
We’re also working on the bathroom, which thankfully just needs re-painting.
My parents came over to help us shift some of our possessions over, but we still have a lot of packing to do. In any case, because of the amount of work that needs doing, it’s likely to be around six weeks before we’re able to move in there properly. I’ll keep you posted on our progress.
Things have been a little quiet here due to my house move. Thankfully, Christine and I are now settled in our new place, and mostly unpacked. (the picture above was taken before we started any unpacking)
We’ve opted for a flat, which is in a converted mill just off the main street in Sowerby Bridge. It’s on the fourth floor, which has the benefit of some gorgeous views across the Calder Valley (especially on a sunny day like today with snow on the ground), but the disadvantage that there’s a lot of stairs, and sadly the building doesn’t have a lift. It’s a very recent conversion though, and all of the fixtures and fittings are to a high standard; plus, it’s not that expensive to rent.
Although the unpacking is mostly done, we still need some furniture (namely wardrobes and shelves) to put some stuff away. But the essentials are there.
We don’t have a landline yet, so we’re relying on using tethering through my iPhone for an internet connection. Thankfully, 3 not only allows you to tether your iPhone to the computer to use it as a modem, but includes your usage in your monthly data allowance (1 GB for me), so it doesn’t cost extra. That being said, I’m using it somewhat sparingly until we get the landline enabled sometime in the next couple of weeks. As an aside, Christine’s Android phone lets her use it as a Wireless Access Point but I’m not sure if Vodafone will charge her extra.
We’re also stuck with just three analogue TV channels; Freeview hasn’t made it to this area yet and won’t do until September next year, and there isn’t a strong signal for Channel 4 or Five. Looks like we’re getting a Freesat box for Christmas.
Commuting-wise, the location of the flat is great – we’re within walking distance of Sowerby Bridge station, from which it’s only 20 minutes by train to Bradford direct. The trains are hourly most of the day but some extra services stop at peak times; certainly getting to and from work hasn’t been a problem. For getting around, an £80/month MetroCard ticket gets me on any bus and almost any train within West Yorkshire; it works out at approximately £4/weekday but we’ll be using it at weekends.
As for the town, it’s really nice. Sowerby Bridge is about 40 minutes by train from both Leeds and Manchester; consequently it’s a major commuter town and the local amenities cater for this. There are lots of really nice bars and restaurants, covering a wide variety of tastes and cuisines (Mongolian BBQ, anyone?), as well as the basics like banks, post office and a reasonably-sized Tesco.
Compared to the hustle and bustle of the city, I’m glad we moved here.
Next month will see Christine and I move in together. Furthermore, it’ll see me moving out of Bradford, which has been my adopted home city for over 8 years (bar a few gaps).
Right now, we’re looking at moving to Sowerby Bridge, a market town in Calderdale which is around 20 minutes away from Bradford by train. It’s quite a nice little town – it’s in the Calder Valley which is quite picturesque and almost all the buildings are stone-built. We haven’t yet settled on a specific house or apartment but we have some viewings over the next couple of weeks.
Compared with Bradford, Sowerby Bridge is very different. Bradford’s population is around 300,000 – Sowerby Bridge is home to around 10,000 people. I’ll also need to start commuting to work, unlike now where it’s within walking distance; that being said, I don’t expect to have to travel more than an hour each way in total, provided the trains behave themselves.
There’s also the issue of broadband internet. Generally the UK is good at providing fast broadband in cities, and I believe Virgin Media is due to roll out its 100 Mbps service in Bradford shortly, but out in more rural areas the speeds available drop quite a bit. The SamKnows Broadband Checker tells me that ADSL Max is available, and I can expect speeds of up to 6 Mbps, but that I’ll have to go with either TalkTalk, BT, or another ISP that has a package through OpenReach Wholesale. There’s no cable either, so no Virgin Media.
Yeah, I know. Trust me to focus on internet availability.
Still, I’m looking forward to a change of scenery. As much as I like Bradford, it would be nice to move somewhere a bit quieter, but still within easy reach of Leeds, Bradford and Manchester – in fact, Manchester and Leeds would be roughly the same distance away.
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