Today is moving day for me! The forces of darkness cool chaps from the removal company have invaded as I type this and begun boxing up my life for delivery to parts unknown... Well, just down the street actually, but from thence I travel still farther - back to Finland, in fact, leaving old sunny England behind in a haze of happy memories and sorrowed farewells. There isn't time to recount the full tale of highs and lows that brought me to this point, not the least of which are the shenanigans of two of the worst buyers in property-sale history, months of frenzied financial jugglework, and my girlfriend (whose house it is being sold) being threatened with (a totally bogus) lawsuit and eviction by her own father no less. Fun and games all around... but finally soon over!

Bittersweet is the hour, for saying goodbye to my home of the last 9 years is a sour draught to take, although leavened somewhat by the ending of all the stress and worry of trying to align the stars just right for this colossal endeavor. If you've ever sold and/or moved house, you know just what a trial it all can be, and if not... you will in time. Not a light undertaking by any means!

So as I enter the blackout limbo of being betwixt internets, I offer this thread as an opportunity for others to share their thoughts on moving house, recount their own (mis)adventures on the road to pastures new, and comment on the general malarky that is property sale.

I think I'd sooner forget my own house-moving memories! Ew, the litigious little goblin who bought my previous house is not someone I remember fondly. I hope the remainder of your move goes smoothly! You'll be back in Finland just in time to be buried in snow. I suggest you invade Russia this winter.

Have a good trip! I always sing "Tempted" by Squeeze (from the Vice City soundtrack) when I leave a home. (Which is often.)

Having someone you don't care for very much is tough watching them move into and take over a place you once lived where you have lots of fond memories. I know a little about this as well.

I've been quite lucky in that regard: the house that the evil little gnome moved into wasn't one I had many fond memories of anyway; the people who moved into my previous house actually made quite a lot of improvements to it, and having just seen my girlfriend's father's rather neglected house being sold, the same thing is happening there. It could be tough when we move out of this place if the new people don't like trees and stuff since we've done a lot with the garden, but if we do move it'll probably be to a different area anyway.

I was more disappointed when I went to look at the house where I grew up just a few years ago, and that's looking a bit tatty compared to how I remember it: but the whole estate has gone that way, it probably stopped being the "place to be" 30 years ago after a decade or so of being an aspirational sort of place. I guess neighbourhoods' fortunes are known tend variously to wax and wane over time...