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?... "