Sunday, May 17, 2015

We are all a bit worried....


Saturday 16 May 2015
Overcast, rain 13 degees and why a revisit today?

My NZ ladies have flown in for the day from China to revisit the lovely Villa.  They arrived last night and are very disappointed with the weather, which is a fine misting rain and only 13 degrees.   I get to the house early and open up and ring the owner to say we are here.  I have to take this precaution because when, a few weeks ago, the neighbours saw a white van outside and all of the doors and windows open, they called the police and they came around in force and the electrician who had come to do the quote nearly died of shock (no pun intended).

The ladies are late and look cold and jet lagged.  The builder arrives and they go around together and discuss what they want doing.  Am horrified to discover that they want the place redecorating.  The walls are a good four metres high and covered with nasty ancient tapisserie and it will cost a fortune to get all of that off, fill the holes and paint.  The builder, being English, says the work is mostly cosmetic.  A French man or men would have been horrified and would have started to talk insulation of walls, changing all of the windows and a whole myriad of stuff that is completely unessential.  There are foot thick walls, shutters and it is in town and protected from excessive weather by nearby buildings.  In addition, there is full gas central heating.  We are there two hours and then the builder goes back home, to have a siesta instead of the Saturday morning lie in that he has been denied and we go for a hot chocolate as we are frozen.  OH comes down after a while.  They say they would really prefer to have some idea of the cost of renovation before signing the compromis.  The compromis is set for next Friday so I have to ring back the builder and tell him to get his skates on.  I have an uneasy feeling about this sale.

Back home for lunch and then down town to meet the couple renting the small unit for a week.  The man has gout and the lady looks tired.  I show them the flat and settle them in and then treat myself to a pistachio ice cream and black espresso and then walk the dog and back home.

Have an email from the llama people saying they are withdrawing the house from sale. Speak to the potential buyers and don't tell them this and we come up with a couple of solutions which will enable them to buy and the sellers to find another property.  

Speak on Skype to the American lady who is meant to be completing at the end of June and still hasn't sold her house.  I say I am very worried and she says she is too.  She is in her car with some ducks and one of them has thrown up everywhere.  I would be absolutely manic in her shoes.  This is a time bomb which is approaching explosion status.   Have told the owners mother that from now on I am dealing directly with the owner.  For the past nine months she has dealt with all correspondence relating to the sale, saying her son is very very busy.  It is ridiculous.  In eleven years I have dealt with a lot of very, very busy people and not a single one of them has expected his 70 year old mother to be the intermediary. She says I cant contact him because he has a respiratory infection and needs to rest.  I think some gros mots and think that I will contact him as and when relevant.

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