What a week this has been. Barry from Bushnell Porter came out on Monday morning and did the particulars and took photos of the flat. I signed the sole agency agreement which means that only Bushnell Porter can sell the flat for me.

Tuesday morning I got the particulars together with a questionaire which I had to fill in, sign and return with the particulars which I also had to check and sign.

I returned those on Wednesday after I'd taken the car to Chandlers Ford to be repaired and after I'd had my driving licence and passport photocopied, I was told that the flat was now on the market for £72,500, it is also on the web at www.bushnellporter.com

The man from House Inspect (who are doing the home information pack) came out on Wednesday afternoon to do the Energy Effieciency cerificate for the flat.

Thursday I got the sole agency agreement and a copy of the particulars that will be given to prospective buyers in the post. The particulars look really good, am really pleased with them. Walked over to Mum's as the car was still at Chandlers Ford. I told her what had being going on since I saw her last. I also told why I'm going home to Whitchurch and that it is nothing that she's done or said.

Today the "For Sale" board went up which has confirmed to me properly that this is happening.

I'm well on my way home. When we left Whitchurch in 1992 I vowed to myself that I would return and this is the culmination of a 16 nearly 17 year wait. To be honest it hasn't quite sunk in that I will be going home, when it does I'll probably have a good old cry.

Yesterday, I paid the £10 charge to a company called House Inspect who do the home information pack on behalf of Bushnell Porter. The cost of the pack is £462.63 and has been defered for 9 months. By which time the flat will hopefully have been sold and the cost will be paid out of the proceeds from the sale, if the flat doesn't sell then I'm liable for the cost (ouch!!)

Either Julian or Barry is coming out on Monday morning to take some photos of the flat so that they can market it for me. On Wednesday, Keith from Home Inspect is coming out to do the Home Efficiency Certificate for the home information pack. This is all coming together very quickly now and the flat should be on the market very soon.

Had to phone the Bank Of Scotland in the week because of the letter that I got last Thursday. I did inform them that the flat is going on the market and they've put the arrears to one side and they want to know if I can make this month's payment, it isn't going to happen as I don't have the money. I did ask them if they could give me a redemption figure for the mortgage, they did give me a rough figure of £49,200 and that's with all the interest and charges on the account. I have asked for a mortgage redemption statement from them which I'm still waiting for.

Told Mum and Dad what had happened today, they didn't say anything, not that I was expecting them to. The feeling I get now is that they're just worried that this all might go wrong. It won't, as far as I'm concerned the flat's going on the market soon, it'll sell and I'm going home to Whitchurch.

I did have to clean the windows again today, they were filthy. I only cleaned them on Sunday, how can they can get so dirty so quickly?

I have spent all weekend hoovering, dusting and scrubbing the flat to get it ready to go on the market and I have to say that I'm absolutely shattered.

I sorted the kitchen out last night and turned the cooker back into a cooker again as I'd been using the top of it to keep magazines and other stuff on. For the last year or so I have had two folders of stuff that needs to be shredded on top of the cooker. I did have a cross shredder until I tried to shred a celophane address label in there. I must point out that I was half asleep when I did this and yes it did wreck the shredder.

I did ask Dad if I could use theirs and when he found out how much I had, he wouldn't let me use it. All of my shredding is in a carrier bag in the boot of my car until I can get another shredder and get rid of it all. I also sorted out all of the old magazines that I had and took them up to the recycling bins by Morrisons.

Today after doing the ironing, I washed the windows inside and out, then I hoovered and dusted round. I haven't worked this hard on the flat for ages. Mind you at least it's now imaculate and ready for sale.

The flat has been valued at last. It was valued yesterday at £70,000 by Julian Potts from Bushnell Porter. Julian has advised me to put the flat on the market at £72,500 which will give me some room to negotiate with a buyer when the time comes.

Julian has been really helpful in explaining everything to me. From what he has told me, there is no reason why I can't walk away with £10,000 in my pocket after everything has been paid and that includes Dad. He also told me that they can't market the flat without a HIP (Home Information Pack) as it's against the law. The cost of the pack can be defered for 9 months and because the flat is leasehold, the pack is going to cost more. They do need an admin fee from my bank card of £10 which this week I haven't got. But will have next week. Julian has assured me that this isn't a problem and that we will speak again next week.

I've also had a letter from the Bank Of Scotland telling me that I'm 3 months in arrears on the mortgage, tell me something I don't know. I'm just surprised it's taken this long for them to write to me. They're also asking me for money that I don't have within 7 days, I'm going to have to phone them next week and when I do I shall inform them that I am selling up and that they will get everything that they're owed.

Went over to see Mum & Dad today and explained to them what Julian had said to me and told them the value of the flat and what I've been advised to put the flat on the market for. They are still not happy about any of this at all even though they've said on a number of occasions that "you do what it is you have to do". From what they both said to me today, they still think that I'm "living in a bubble" over all of this. I've explained to them that I'm not "living in a bubble" as I have done many times of late and I don't think that they've listened to me or even believe a word I've said. This is going to sound very harsh but to be honest I don't care what they think or what they believe.

For pity's sake I can make my own decisions. I think they forget that I am 32 years old and that I left home 8 years ago to make my own way in the world. Well like it or not I'm going to do this, it's my life and I've got to do what I think is right.

You're probably going to think that I have gone stark raving mad, but I promise you that I haven't.

I have decided to put the flat on the market sooner rather than later. The reason for that is, is that the sooner it is on the market the sooner it will sell.

I went to see somebody at Bushnell Porter today as I needed to speak to someone face to face about all of this because to be honest I don't have a clue what happens when you sell a property. They were really helpful and took me through exactly what happens and what part they play. I am having the flat valued tomorrow, the gentleman who is doing the valuation tomorrow, did the original valuation for my then landlord when I bought the flat. While he is here I will ask him to advise me how much to put the flat on the market for.

Spoke to Brockenhurst Lettings in Andover, they are part of Brockenhurst Estate Agents who have an office in Whitchurch as I wanted to know what happens when you rent a flat through them, they too were really helpful and told me all that I needed to know.

My journey home to Whitchurch has now started and I feel happier inside than I have done for the last 16 years.

All of my friends and some of my family know that I'm going to return to Whitchurch. One friend even tried to talk me out of the move which didn't surprise me, it didn't work, bless him.

I am still going to go home, it's the only thing that's keeping me going at the moment.

I am going to have to rent a flat in Whitchurch as to buy is out of the question, the property prices in Whitchurch have always been right out of my league. I'm going to have to come off of the property ladder and may never get back on it, at least I won't have a mortgage or the upkeep of the flat to worry about.

After Christmas and the New Year, I am going to contact Bushnell Porter, they are a local estate agent with an office in Totton and get them to come and value the flat, I will also try and get an idea of how long it'll take to sell the flat, once I know all of that, the flat will then go onto the market and then my journey home will start.

I've spoken to Mum and Dad about this at length, they're still not keen on me selling up, but they've said and still say that "you do what you have to do". Their main worry is that I'm coming off of the property ladder and that I may never get back on it again. I understand their worry as it does concern me to a degree too.

I know Dad will help me to move back, I spoke to my brother recently about my intended move and he said that he will help Dad and me which is great and does put my mind at rest on that score.

Mum, bless her seems to think that I'm living in a bubble and that it's the memories that are taking me back. They're not. I did explain to her that I'm really not happy down here, that I've never settled. Even though I've got friends and family down here, Whitchurch is my home, here isn't and never was. Your home is where your heart is and I left mine in Whitchurch nearly 17 years ago.

Mum then said that it won't be the same and I replied that I know all of that. Times change, people change and that Whitchurch will have evolved. I know all of this, and am ready for all of that.
Jeez we're talking nearly 17 years since my heart was broken. But I am going home, I have to.