As previously mentioned, the house was jointly owned by a couple (who weren't!). She, an earthy professional type, wanted out but he, dark and elusive by his absence, didn't want to sell and couldn't afford to buy her half...mortgages, loans etc. were very thin on the ground at the time...nothing new there then! So with a great deal of reluctance, the house was up for sale..i.e it was in her mind but, as we were to find out at our cost, not his!
A second visit, where we were lead by our heads rather than our hearts, proved to be a decisive one. The girls skipped around the house and frolicked in the garden and I'd already met half the neighbourhood by knocking on doors and more or less introducing myself as the new owner of number 85. However, I wasn't too sure about the gentleman at number 77 and his cacophonous cockerel which seemed a little confused about the time of day it was, such was its screeching and bellowing. But, all in all, we felt that this house with all its potential was the house for us.
Eager to set the ball rolling, once home, we rang the vendor and made the offer....quite cheeky but fair in the current climate. We then hovered with bated breath. She seemed very pleased with the offer and indicated that she felt it was a fair price but, naturally she would need to speak to the co-owner who was due back from Spain later that evening.
A few hours later, we got a text stating that all was well and that he had also accepted the offer. Phew - what a relief and we'd managed to save our mortgage offer too!
However, metaphorically speaking, the bricks and mortar were not as solid as we were led to believe.
Our excitement was at fever pitch as, unusually for us, this property was one that we could move into straight away without having to gut it and practically start again. I began to think new kitchen and designer interiors whilst my husband had already begun to plan the extension the house so desperately needed. We realised that we needed measurements and plans etc. so we attempted to arrange to revisit the house.
A real sense of foreboding began to spread as our emails, text and phone messages were not acknowledged or returned. Then, around 24 hours after our offer had been accepted, she text us to say that he had decided that, by hook or by crook, he would buy her out for at least half of our offer.
So, that was that........onwards and upwards as they say and put it all down to life's tapestry of experience!!!
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