House Moving Blues

The one property we are interested in we viewed on 5th January. Our offer was grudgingly accepted by the agent. However, not all was straightforward. At first, the agent was sniffy with us because we did not have our HIP done. We paid the money and got that sorted and Aggi, the vendor and the agent accepted we could be genuine. But we still were not in a position to exchange as our house was not under offer. We set to remedy that. We transformed our little house creating the illusion of stylish cottage living with corner lamps, warm coloured rugs and bed cushions. Decluttering by storing excess baggage in the car, we produced the clichéd aroma of coffee and rested the Le Creuset pot suggestively on the hob, one cold slushy Saturday morning when Couple 1 viewed our home. We bated our breath. And waited. They viewed it on three more occasions. Finally, after their fourth viewing, with mama and papa, they put in their offer. It was £20k short. We held out. We were only willing to go £10k short. They came up a bit and we came down a bit and then, the price was agreed. And we fell back into living in the newspaper littered cottage with dirty dishes left in the sink and towels flung around the bathroom. This semi-squalor lasted just two weeks when they changed their minds and pulled out. Alex never like them anyway. So we were back to Square 2 living in the stylish cottage with not an iota out of place. Along came Couple 2. They loved it. Offered £10k below immediately and we accepted straight away.

So we went back to our agent with the good news. Tell Aggi, we chimed, that we are good buyers. We have sold. But, the agent was having difficulty. Her couple at the top of the chain were having second thoughts. Their marriage was on the rocks. He wanted to sell up but she did not. She had lost her well paid job (very well paid) so the agent was keeping her fingers crossed. She did not want to pressure them until the Spring. On the 1st of March, officially the start of Spring, I contacted the agent. She did not consider that Spring had just sprung by then and was still muttering about not pressurising this couple. We left a note through Aggi’s letter box saying that we were still more than interested. Aggi rang us a half an hour later and said she was delighted and she was looking around for other properties but there’s not a lot out there. Tell us about it! So while you don’t like to see marriages break up, which line the pockets of the lawyers and produce damaged children and what have you, there are some of us waiting in the wings who do not wish our own dreams dashed.

Home buying is a delicate house of cards at the best of times particularly with a chain and the certainty that nothing is binding until contracts are exchanged. But in these times of great uncertainty and huge national debt it seems unattainable. Meanwhile our agent remains in her expensive office and her website has only had two additions in the last 10 months – Aggi’s house and the one at the top of our chain. I idly wonder whether the agent can ride the storm and how she passes her days. Alistair Darling’s budget yesterday will not move things along any faster for us and no-one really wants to do anything until the election. The country is holding its breath and we cling on to the dream of this house. The daffodils made a late appearance this year just a few days ago. Maybe now it’s time to ring the agent and see if she judges whether Spring has arrived.