Bate is thwarted in her house buying efforts

"I'd like to make an offer on that house in the window. Is it still for sale?"

The agent almost fell off the chair.

"Um, err, oh right. Err, let me have a look. Um, it's well, um, I think the vendor is looking for cash buyers only."

"Has anyone else made an offer?"

"Well yes, but it fell through. Um, err."

"I would like to see it."

The agent reluctantly took my number, handed me the details and said someone would ring me.

When I the agent rang later that afternoon, she told me I wouldn't be able to see the house I so desperately wanted.

"So you are telling me you have a house in your window that is allegedly for sale, but because you are assuming I am not a cash buyer then I cannot see it, even though no one else has made an offer on it?"

"On top of that I have a house to sell, which I believe would sell pretty fast, so surely on this case one offer is better than none?"

I made a time for a value appraisal on mine and then hung up.

The following day, which was laden with hospital appointments, computer glitches and driving lessons with the kamikaze teen, I looked around my house and remembered I had to clean it before the man turned up with his measuring tape.

I was still furious with them anyway, for not letting me see the house that would be so perfect.

"We have had some people visit the house twice, there is a lot of interest."

"I am sure there is, but you haven't let me see it once. I have bought two houses in the past on the strength of a drive by. But hey, good luck with it, I am no longer interested."

They could have played it very differently. They could have shown me the house of my dreams and marketed my own. If it had fallen through, then hey, que sera sera, I would have found another one, maybe.

I told my best friend about it.

"Why don't you sell yours through Purplebricks? Its cheap and you can do it yourself."

"That sounds hideous. I have never heard of them, so maybe the one person looking at the website won't even want my house. Plus doing it myself sounds like hell. Do you realise that the only free time I have is when I am asleep?"

I wonder what my Dad would say?

He would probably tell me to put the kettle on and have a nice cup of tea.

So needless to say, I am still here and at this rate will be for the foreseeable future.

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