We didn't expect it to take two years to sell our house and we were surprised that the process was so stressful. Once the decision to move has been taken, it's hard to see the positives in the old location when you are focused on the new one. We'll know better next time........if we remember.
So, why Deal? Initially, we were set on Folkestone as Alan had happy memories of childhood holidays there. We knew we wanted an older property - maybe a small Victorian terraced house - and looked at the housing stock all around the town. We wanted to be close to the seafront yet within walking distance of local amenities and used the checklist we had on our Italian search. We soon identified a tiny area which ticked the boxes but the right house didn't appear.
We extended the search along the coast - to Whitstable in the east and Hastings to the west and all coastal stops in between. I can't remember in detail our first visit to Deal but we did just love the place. The town looked busy and friendly with its own distinct identity. There was a good variety in the housing stock and we were immediately attracted to the conservation areas with their wealth of period homes from small cottages to large town houses. The long promenade promised good walks straight from the doorstep We continued to visit and look at houses while we waited for our house to sell and this helped us to come to terms with various compromises such as car parking. Every visit confirmed our initial attraction and Alan got over his aversion to renting and we decided that once our house sold, if there was nothing to buy in Deal, we'd get a flat and be on the ground, ready to pounce on the right house when it appeared.
