I was brought up in Old Mill Close; now I am looking to buy a house in Corn Mill Close

And so we go to DefCon 2, as my offer is being considered and the offer on my flat in Brighton awaits my approval or otherwise. I really don't want to accept an offer before I've had mine accepted, and I didn't dare make an offer until there was one on the table for me...

Anyway, my inner turmoil is gaining pace, and my bowel has issued the command 'Abandon Ship!' as I continue this walk of obedience, faith and expectancy. It was a good week in Birmingham, and there will be many many more if this property falls into my clutches! This is actually a house, people, and if all goes to plan it means I get the things on my Must Have list:

1 Up for Sale
2 Sensible Price
3 Electricity
4 Windows
5 Sensible-shaped rooms.
All boxes ticked, present & correct, so far.

Then there's my How Wonderful It Would Be To Have Because I've Never Had These Things Before list
1 Own Front Door
2 No-one In the Flat Above
3 Window to the Bathroom (Natural Light)
4 All Self-Contained within the Dwelling
5 Loft Space for storage etc
This place is most excellent in every regard.

Bringing up the rear comes the Sensible Things I'd Quite Like But Could Manage If It Wasn't Quite Up To Muster list (known in the trade as the Be That As It May list)
1 Three bedrooms (lodger, office, me)
2 Downstairs loo
3 Upstairs Bathroom
4 Driveway or Fairly Guaranteed Parking within 100yds
5 Double Glazing
6 Central Heating
7 Back Garden (with Patio/decking if poss)
8 Access to the Rear (yes, considering a cycle, you see)
9 No Major Building Work Required Immediately
10 Livewithable Decoration.
And again, it's a full score. 10/10. 100%

So while the lounge is carpetted (I'd wonderered about this wood-effect flooring you youngsters have these days) and the back garden is rather a lot bigger, tidier and likely to turn into a jungle/thicket/wadi at what feels like a moments' notice than I might have preferred, and the downstairs loo is a touch on the primitive side, everything else is hugely up to spec.

That's the brilliant thing: I don't care about proximity to nursery schools, having the preferred small kitchen/big living room arrangement (so many have the vast kitchen/diner/family room with a tiddly living room set-up); I could cope with a downstairs bathroom or shower-room if there were loo-style facilities upstairs as well...

But the Truly Excellent Bonus Issues are as follows:
1 In a quiet Close
2 Close to lots of other ChurchCentral members
3 Cat-Swingng options
4 Two spits from a lovely park with grass & trees and fresh air
5 No Chain

So as you may be able to tell, I'm quite excited about this particular joint. Please join me for a brief moment of refection, thanking God for his kindness, mercy and love in helping me find a most excellent place. And all this is before the verbal offer bit is done and dusted, so I know there's a long way to go and the possibility of a slip... but in my search I've really been keen on two others, yet every time the next one I like has been superior to the one for which I was previously going to settle.

Watch this space!