Wish the kitchen was bigger and love the pond, shame about the house

It's monday evening and we got over the weekend viewings. 

We had our viewers round and I have to say when the first couple turned up I was pretty nervous.  Now I'm used to speaking to crowds and strangers in meetings but never felt as nervous as I did opening the door to be confornted with what I  can only describe as a sour faced woman who throughout the tour looked like she was discusted with what she saw, and her husband, who followed dotingly in her wake not saying a word but peeking into every corner and cupboard like an inspector.  Luckily the clutter stayed put.

It will be easy I mused, just show them through the rooms and that would be it.  Well try explaining to a total stranger about your home in a way that you hope will make them want to buy it,  its actually not as easy as it sounds and so with a dry mouth I blustered and bumbled my way around the house.  Then they were gone, just like that, 15 minutes and not even a thank you very much, just gone.  I went to bed that night utterly demoralised thinking this was how it was going to be, how awful.

Next day we had two more viewings, a pleasant young couple with his mum and dad along with them.  Both seemed quite keen and she loved the kitchen but wanted it to be bigger.  Our kitchen is nearly 18ft square, "How much bigger do you need?" I asked. "Oh I don't really know" came the reply.  I know a good restaurant with a flat for sale I thought to myself, would that do?

Finally an elderly couple knocked on the door an hour later.  The latter on seeing our Kio pond did not seem to want to view the rest of the house but just wanted to watch the fish, one of which stopped and eyed them up like a suspicious loafer waiting to be given something, in this case food I suspect.

As I write this we have had no offers from the viewers but the agent has line up some more viewings next weekend, here's hoping. I know we won't sell over night so we'll keep trying our best.

Reality Check and wish for more time

    It's Friday morning and I have the day off work.  One would usually thank the stars for a lay in and smirk as the sounds of the less fortunate scraping their car windscreens waffs into the bedroom, but, for us the joy of a day off is tinged with apprehension.

We have our first viewer coming this evening and two more tomorrow

The house is tidy and de-cluttered as best we can, god forbid us if the viewer opens a cupboard as a deluge of 11 years of clutter will cascade apon them. "Yes surprising how much you can get in these cupboards is'nt it and this room is..."

I've spent the last 3 nights after work going round finishing the little jobs that have been put of, sorted the wonky picture, cleared out and levelled the shelves in the study, fixed the sticking roller blind, you know the sort of thing.  All this time Joanne our daughter was leaving a trail of clothes, mobile phone, shoes, coats and crisp packets all around and poor Chris has been following behind clearing them up like some super star's attentive attendant.  Will there be anything else ma'am?  To be fair though Jo had a day off yesterday and did a thorough tidy up for us.  She did a really good job too, the house as never been so tidy. "now where are my reading classes?"  "In the food cupboard dad".   "Anyone seen my hair brush?"  "In the tumble dryer mum". "What the.....?"  "it's OK dad their not staying there I'll put them in my drawer later!"

I have a problem now of course. Whilst doing the put off DIY jobs I began to realise I should be more pro-active with my decorating, so much so I'm becoming a bit paranoid.  Why oh why did we not have the carpets cleeaned, who chipped the paint on that door?  I really should decorate the hall,  must try and tidy the garage and garden,  Look at the weeds!  I look round and can still see a hundred things I should have done before tonight, you see so much on the TV impressing how you should present you home to a buyer to get that all important sale but now I'm out of time to do any more.

Will viewers feel the same way and walk away?  Suppose we'll find out tonight. 

"Welcome, do come in..... Mind the wet paint.......NOT IN THERE.....oh well I guess....You really want to look in the garage right now?... "

At one of life's Crossroads

   Ever had one of those days when you realise that today was actually going to be a life changing day?

We had one other day after a telephone call out of the blue. It was one of the Estate Agents we had over to value our house before Christmas. He was ringing to ask had we decided to put the house on the market yet and if so he could honour his offer of a much lower commission rate if I said yes now. This totally caught me of balance as I had planned to ring them a few weeks later after re-decorating a couple of rooms and de-cluttering the house (like the good house doctor on TV strongly advises we do) but instead there I stood, paintbrush dripping onto my hand ,trying to take in what had just been said.

That was Thursday and today looking on rightmove.com we found the perfect house to buy. At a bargain price too but with just one problem. It was our own house spread accross the webpage for all to see that search for it. I have to admit a tinge of emotion on seeing our own home there on that web page having spent weeks looking at other people's homes it really is odd to be looking at our own. In Chris's words, "There's no going back now dear, lets hope we’re making the right decision"

"Consider it one of life's crossroads" I bravely quipped "We have to make a turn at sometime so why not now while we still have good health, we did it once before when we moved to the North West I'm sure we can do it again". "You’re not having second thoughts are you" I quickly added, gently pushing this months "Canal boat" magazine into her hand. Looking at that always instils enthusiasm in Chris when she reads it.

So now we wait, for the prospective buyers to come visit, with just a little trepidation and apprehension.  I just think those who have gone before us on this journey and see how happy they are on their boats and also think of the journey's end when, hopefully, AmyJo is launched and we can look back and say "Glad we did that!"