Just as I was getting ready to start packing up the possessions accumulated over many years in my current house, in preparation for moving into a new house, I got a phone call from the Estate Agent I was buying through. Unbelievably, because the new house was supposedly off the market, someone who had seen the house around the same time as me and had made a lower offer had now offered substantially over the asking price. The Estate Agent was bound by law to pass on the offer (although I have to question the legitimacy of allowing the offer to be made in the first place) and, not surprisingly, the owner accepted the offer. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement and my only consolation is that the new buyer has paid over the odds for a good but not exceptional house on an average road.

But now I face the prospect of making the decision to sell up anyway to my buyers, who have been very patiently waiting for me to find somewhere but are rapidly losing patience, and move into rented accommodation or risk losing my buyers. It’s a difficult choice but renting would certainly put me in a better position to move quickly on the next house I find that suits my needs and budget – although I’m not very optimistic that I will find such a house anytime soon. It’s tempting to rent because I could put all my belongings in cheap storage and spend a few months living a minimalist lifestyle, which has always appealed to me but somehow never seemed possible in a family home filled with accumulated possessions and, let’s face it, a lot of junk.