Tuesday February 26, 2008
So, then. We’ve had all three of the agents visit, do their valuation thing, state their terms of business, and try to impress us. I fear that we are not too easily impressed when it comes to estate agents.
The first, a young woman we’ll call Ms. Cannabis-odour, was good, got the value about right, and represented a company we could do business with.
The second, let’s call him Mr Squeaky-voice, was the representative fronted by the unpleasantly pushy woman I mentioned the other day. He was pretty good, and got the valuation very close, too. He shot to first choice, so much so that we were on the point of cancelling the third guy when common sense caught up with us.
The third guy got it. Not to let him feel overly superior, I shall call him Mr Baggy-eyes. He fronts the largest of the companies we’d selected, and got the valuation spot on. He also knew the job best of all. So we’ve appointed him and he’ll be back tomorrow to take detailed particulars and photographs, and get our signatures on the agency agreement. None of them charge outrageous fees; his are the highest by a small margin but in return his company does not tie the customer in to a long-term agreement–all that is required is two weeks notice, at any time.
Insofar as anyone can be happy with estate agents, he’ll do.
All being well, the house will be formally on the market at the end of next week, with a bill-board and glossy pamphlet. And with pages on the agency websites. I’ll post the URL here when I know it.
Graham will be visiting his mother next week, returning to take over the job of seeing viewers.
Meantime, we’re scanning the websites for suitable properties out in West Wales, and constructing a short list. So soon as we have a firm offer on this house I shall hit the road and go off house-hunting. Assuming the success of both operations we’ll apply the brakes on the sale, gently, and push the purchase as hard as we can, aiming to coordinate the two so’s we can move out of this house and into the new one simultaneously. It takes careful management, but it can be done. Failing coordination we’ll pop our stuff into storage and rent something short term in our target area while we wait for the purchase to happen.
Tomorrow we’ll be taking our own photographs of this place so I can make a house website to add to the growing set I’ve been building house by house.
I’m keeping up with the pace but I have to admit that I’m finding it taxing. And tiring. I was greatly encouraged when Graham said, on putting the phone down after telling the agent the good news: “This will be the last time. I’m too old for this shit.”
All I could think of in reponse was: “Tell me about it.”
Written as place holder while we were away in Taunton doing our decision making:
”[Tuesday lunch time] Third agent has been and is likely to get the business. We’re just about to hold our council of war. Dolly is asleep. I’ll write a proper entry later today.”
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