A Year of Waiting: Our Long Road to Moving House

It’s been a full year since we first placed our home on the market. To our surprise, it sold within just two days, and with multiple offers on the table. We had hoped that this was a sign of things to come—swift, smooth, and straightforward. In truth, that was where the ease ended.

Since then, we’ve experienced just about every setback the UK housing market can throw at a seller. We are now on our third buyer. Yes—third.

Buyer One: A Lesson in Disappointment

Our first buyer, as it turned out, was not acting in good faith. We were given reassurances that their sale was progressing, their finances were in order, and that everything was proceeding as planned. Sadly, these turned out to be untruths. The week we were due to exchange contracts, they suddenly withdrew—having apparently found “something more suitable.” It’s difficult to understand how some people can so casually disrupt the lives of others.

We will miss this garden that we have so lovingly built!

Buyer Two: A Heartfelt Attempt

Back on the market we went—and again, the house sold in a few days. We’re fortunate that our home has always attracted interest; it’s in a good location and offers lovely spaces. Our second buyer was a kind couple, genuinely lovely, but they faced repeated setbacks with the sale of their own property. After several failed attempts, the stress became too much for them, and they made the understandable decision to withdraw entirely from the process.

By this point, seven months had passed since we first accepted an offer. Our own intended purchase understandably could wait no longer and returned their home to the market.

This is a bumper year for our little apple tree. If we have not completed on our sale by September, we will be harvesting these apples!

Buyer Three: Hope With Caution

And so, the house went back on the market once more—and again, sold within days. We were careful this time, choosing buyers who had already sold their property and appeared to be progressing steadily. They are, again, a lovely couple, but complications in their chain have brought fresh delays. We are reassured each week that completion is on track for the end of August—but after the year we've had, I take such assurances with a pinch of salt.

What we’ve come to realise is that throughout this process, buyers have not always been transparent about the challenges they are facing. We’ve often found out about issues far too late, when momentum has made it difficult to pause or pivot. It's disheartening. I find it very difficult to reconcile with the idea of withholding truth to preserve a transaction.

A Change of Direction

A year of living in limbo—of half-packed boxes, cleaned cupboards, and cautious hope—has finally taken its toll. We need to move forward.

So we are.

The new house - we are looking forward to making it our family home.

We’ve found a lovely house in the countryside to rent—a peaceful, pretty place that feels just right. By removing ourselves from the chain, we can hopefully make the next step a little simpler. When the time is right, we’ll be in a position to buy again, this time as cash buyers, and with far less uncertainty surrounding us.

We had been due to move at the end of May, with all parties in agreement, but then the bottom of the chain collapsed again. That was the final straw. Thankfully, the owners of our new rental home were happy to delay our move-in, and it suited their needs too.

We have a wonderful new garden to look after!

Now, in just under two weeks, we’ll be making our move—this time for real. I’m grateful we’ll be able to settle in without the exhausting pressure of a same-day exchange and completion. Anyone who has experienced that will know the near-impossible task of handing over a clean, tidy house while simultaneously moving your worldly belongings into a new one.

This past year has revealed just how deeply flawed the UK’s house buying and selling system really is. It’s costly, fragile, and frankly, in desperate need of reform. Too much is left to chance and goodwill—both of which can run out quickly in a long chain.

But in spite of everything, I’m choosing to look forward. A new chapter is beginning, and I pray it will be marked by peace, stability, and new rhythms of home.

Making Home with Your Hands & Your Summer Peace Plan Printable

There’s something deeply comforting about crafting with your hands—especially in summer, when the days stretch long and golden, and the pace of life invites us to slow down, savour, and make space for peace.

This week, I’ve been leaning into that sense of intention and simplicity—creating with joy, prayerfully preparing for the seasons ahead, and grounding my days in gentle rhythms. I’m delighted to share a few of those things with you today: a cheerful handmade rag wreath to brighten your home, beautifully decorated candles ready for gifting, and a free printable to help you map out your own peaceful summer.

✽ Creating a Home that Whispers “Welcome”

I started the week with a simple, satisfying craft: a fabric rag wreath. This is the sort of project that feels timeless and comforting—no fancy tools required, just your hands, some fabric scraps in soft summer hues, and a bit of time to tie and tuck.


Each scrap carries a story—a memory from an old sewing project or a remnant too pretty to part with. As I knotted them around the frame, I found myself praying quietly for my home and those who pass through its doors.

✽ Preparing for a Season of Giving

While the warmth of summer wraps us in sunshine, my thoughts often stray to Christmas. Yes, really! I love to use these quieter months to prepare small, thoughtful gifts that can be wrapped up with care when Advent arrives.

This week, I dressed a few candles with a collar of brown craft paper and seasonal trims—tucked away for December gifting. There’s such peace in this kind of quiet preparation. It feels like sowing seeds of love in advance, ready to bless someone months from now.

Perhaps you’d like to make a few too? Pop on a hymn or soft music, brew a cup of something soothing, and let your hands create beauty.

✽ A Printable to Help You Plan a Peaceful Summer

To accompany your slow summer days, I’ve created a Summer Peace Plan printable, designed to gently guide your heart and home toward peace. It's a one-page resource you can tuck into your journal, pin on your fridge, or keep near your Bible.

It includes:

  • Daily Anchors for Peace like prayer, time outdoors, and creative moments

  • Soul Prompts to reflect on what God may be inviting you to release or embrace

  • A Gentle Summer List of soul-nourishing ideas—from pressing flowers to reading under a tree

This is not a to-do list, dear friend, but an invitation to slow down, breathe deeply, and dwell in the quiet, nurturing presence of God this season.


PS. You can download this plan anytime from the FREEBIES page on this blog.

✽ Homemaking as Worship

Whether you’re stitching, baking, tying ribbons or simply sweeping the kitchen floor, I believe these acts can be a form of worship. When we make our homes with love and intention, we reflect the heart of our Creator—who made all things good, and called them beautiful.

So as summer unfolds, may you find peace in the small things. May your hands be blessed in the work they do. And may your home be a haven of grace.

With every blessing...