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We're idly looking at other houses to see if we've got one more move in us. This means dealing with estate agents which is always an unpleasant task -twice (with different agents) we've expressed strong interest in a property, only for the property to then be sold without us being informed. Which seems like a terrible way to run a business. Rather than risk a bidding war and making more money for your client and yourself, just sell the thing as quick as possible.
Today we went to look at a place - the internet lets you do basic research into the history of a property and I knew that the current owners bought this house in 2019 and are now asking for an extra 50% on top of what they paid for it. Apparently they've done some work on it, rewiring and such, but that's still a baller move at a time of tumbling house prices.
The estate agent who showed us round said that the family were downsizing, which didn't make much sense. It was clear from photos and toys that their kids were still young and they would have known four years ago if buying this house was above their needs and as it turned out they'd half done the house up and there was still a fair bit to do. Why spend all that money on improvements if you're moving (and it wasn't just an attempt to do it up and sell, because a) they hadn't done it all up and b) the decoration was clearly to their individual taste).
There was a bath sitting in the middle of the living room, clearly waiting to be installed. Again that doesn't seem like the actions of someone who is downsizing. The lie was so blatant and unbelievable that it just made you wonder what was really wrong with the place.
It was almost right for us, but the strong suspicion of something fishy going on, both in the cash grab and the seeming abandonment of work half way through just made it feel all wrong. My advice to estate agents is to just go with the truth or at least come up with better lies.
Or get a different job. One with some soul. Like being a ventriloquist.
Anyway that's not our house. Annoyed to have missed out on a house that I felt might be our house. But out there somewhere is the house that will be our house. More likely than not I am sitting in it right now.
Twitch of Fun tonight - we're all very much finding out feet with it again, but I had a double pitch invasion tonight and we're really just treading water here until my kids are old enough to take the show over, like a pair of Matthew Corbetts.
