I have a house.

I found a house today and did the preliminary paperwork to let it and move in Saturday. It's called a quarterhouse and it's north of Chelmsford in Springfield. I was so happy afterward that I could not contain the smile that spread across my face. Such a pleasure! I will have a little garden, and a small house with a gallery bedroom overlooking the living room below. Kitchen appliances are furnished, but I will need to buy living room furniture and a bed. Like most English kitchens, the washing machine is a front loader under the kitchen counter. There is no dryer. I will happily hang my laundry outside to dry or on racks inside the house. The house is situated at the end of a quiet street. I have 2 parking spaces; one for my little car and the other for guests. I should be moving in on Saturday.
When I was a child, I remember my grandmother talking about putting coins in a meter in her apartment in order to have heat. My house has a similar situation regarding electricity. One gets credit to put on a key and inserts the key in a receptacle in the house to get heat and hot water. It's something different, but I can see how it would help keep electric bills at a minimum. Like many other living quarters here, the electricity is used at night and the heat is stored. This keeps cost to a minimum as well, since electricity rates are lower at night than in the daytime.
The bus trip to Chelmsford was lovely. Through towns and countryside the bus meandered. Towns are filled with brick and stucco houses. Some are covered with ivy. Nearly all have tile roofs. Many have white lace curtains in their front windows. There were a number of horse farms and riding schools along the way. In Chelmsford, I saw buildings that looked old. I also saw streets that were one lane wide with no shoulder. Houses were butted up against the street so there were literally inches between the front door of some houses and the street. Be careful coming out of those houses! I look forward to going there by car when I can spend more time exploring and taking photos.
Tomorrow will be a day of rest. I tried organizing a meet-up with other social workers from the US, but several don't feel as though they can get to Basildon Town Centre. Until we all have our cars, that is tough.