Things are hectic in the run up to the move to the new house, so I do feel as if I have something in common with the Dervishes.
Yesterday, I made 40 outgoing calls on my mobile phone. I’m not sure how many I made today, but it was probably only a quarter of that number.
Some of those calls were to inform people of our change of address. Most changes of address can be performed on-line these days, but some, such as school waiting list registrations, are still handled the old-fashioned way: by physical post or telephone.
A team of painters is at work in the new house and there were a couple of cleaners there today. The parquet floor will be worked on starting tomorrow evening. There’s a lot to get done this week, with only four days between the receipt of the keys and the move. Unfortunately, circumstances dictated this time frame to us; it’s certainly not what we would have chosen.
With a little luck (OK, a huge amount of luck), the move of our DSL line will take mere days this time, as opposed to weeks. A complicating factor this time, however, is that the analogue line in our current home will be replaced by an ISDN line in the new house. This is to enable the use of ISDN equipment already present in the house, amongst which, for example, the dialler belonging to the alarm installation. It makes sense to reuse the equipment that is already there, rather than try to hammer a square peg into a round hole.
A consequence of this is the need for a new ADSL modem, namely one suitable for use with an ISDN line. However, if my ISP is to be believed, that aspect of the move has now been taken care of and one will soon be winging its way to me. After this Friday, though, it’s anybody’s guess when I’ll next be able to post a blog entry.
The day we signed the deed of transfer (leveringsakte), I noticed that the thermostat was displaying a blinking error code. Bloody great. Our first maintenance issue and the ink’s not even dry yet on the deed.
After wading through some paperwork pertaining to the house, I figured out who had installed the boiler and called them on Monday for an appointment. The repairman came today and fixed the problem, but he indicated that it has recurred on a regular basis over the last few years and that the previous owner definitely knew about it. Shame on him for not informing us!
Anyway, at least the problem was (temporarily) fixed, so we’ll have hot water now when we move in on Friday. That really would have been a cold shower, both literally and figuratively.
The movers come to start packing us on Thursday and execute the move on Friday. It’s the first time we’ve had movers pack our belongings instead of doing it ourselves and I’m curious to see how well that goes. The parking exemption signs have already been placed by the council on the kerb outside both houses, so that’s another concrete sign that we really are leaving this lovely house behind.
Happily, though, we’re going only 200 metres around the corner. We really love the neighbourhood and would never consider leaving. Unfortunately, the hassle of moving is scarcely reduced by the close proximity of the new house. It’s handy for letting workmen in and out this week, but the move itself will hardly be any easier than if we were moving to Maastricht.
In a few days, the worst will be behind us and then will begin the slow process of unpacking and taking care of all the niggling little irritations in the house. It’s back to square one, as far as that’s concerned.