The New Abode

We knew it needed a right good cleaning, but perhaps we weren't so prepared for the amount of scrubbing necessary.

What was to be a short dropping off and clean turned into a whole day of scrubbing. No-one is particularly happy with the Landlord as she has ignored most of our requests to replace broken furniture, clean bathrooms and supply a new toaster, but at least she has made the building secure which it hadn't been when we first visited.

After a cup of tea I shimmied up a three way ladder to the top rung - no platform to stand on - and stretched carefully to fit the curtain rail and pole. Needless to say the bought pole is too small but we made do with some of the rubbish lying around the flat. It needs another bracket in the middle to hold them but it was as much as my nerve could take today.

I can see the gleam on the surfaces and I can smell the disinfectant from the floorboards. My girl was thrilled by the transformation and the other flatmates wondered when I was coming to do a similar make-over on their rooms.

There was an air of excitement as they moved in. They were a great bunch, offering a helping hand, squealing with excitement, and chatting away. She will be happy here - but for today I brought her home and held her close. Wednesday is her day to officially move in. I feel settled now that I have seen how good it can look, I know she will be happy here.