Pre-emptive Ebaying

Now that the mortgage has been officially approved (although the literature the lender posted to me states in about six different ways how they could withdraw the offer, steal my stuff and spread nasty rumours about me all over town at any time if they get hormonal or are just feeling mean), it leaves me grasping for other things to focus my anxiety on. People have been telling me since I began this whole process that brokers are filthy liars, solicitors are lazy jerks, estate agents are moronic, vendors are insane, the place you're buying probably has a chronic bedbug infestation and a crack den in the attic which the blurb on the promo sheet fails to mention. The general consensus is that buying property is a giant, quenchless, nervous-breakdown-inducing money sponge and once you get your toes wet there's no hope of mercy or satisfaction until, months down the line, you finally manage to drag yourself wearily over the threshold.

Having said that, I decided to do it anyway. I fell in love with a flat which got the seal of approval from regular and property savvy friends. I went to see a broker for advice who's handsomeness proved a great distraction from the boring things coming out of his mouth. I was lucky enough to find a solicitor who had just finished a sale in the same block, who happens to be really lovely and, so far, not lazy or a jerk. Sometimes I feel like emailing her just to say hi. The estate agent is definitely a moron but it's fun when clichés come true now and then. Everything is going suspiciously well. The tension I've been cultivating needs a place to live too and right now that place is Ebay. You know what's stressful? Seeing furniture you like on Ebay when you don't have a flat to put it in yet. When something you like the look of is gone, it's gone, and shopping regret is on a par with food regret ('why didn't I eat that other piece of bacon?! I'm going to regret this for the rest of my life') in terms of how sad it makes me.

Just LOOK at this dining set, for example.

On the one hand, I want it so much it makes me want to cry. On the other hand, I don't live in my flat yet and couldn't really say if it's the right table for the space. On the other hand though, I want it. But on a third hand, I'm really very fickle and might hate it in a few days. I have already had to cancel an order for a ridiculously expensive coffee table which I bought on a Haribo high last week. Nobody warned me about this part.