Saturday 3 July 2010

Holding one's nerve

Just in case you think it's all lovely in the garden here, let me share my anxieties with you....


One lot of prospective buyers (Offer Number Two) are on holiday in Italy. Another (Offer Number One) doesn't seem to have been back in touch with the estate agent to be told the answers to some of his pressing questions. Both seem very serious about wanting my house, and in a hurry too, to start new jobs soon, and their offers are both more than I had expected.

The two offers sit waiting; the estate agent counsels me to wait a little longer, as it's early days yet, although I want to say Yes! to both of them.... For someone who likes to be decisive, I am finding this waiting game unbearable. And I know someone may be disappointed, and I feel badly about keeping them hanging on.


Have the weekend off, I told myself; bake a bunch of little butter cakes for Lynn's summer party, and forget about the house business.


And that's what I did, and I calmed down. But when I drove round to Lynn's to deliver her little cakes this afternoon, I could swear I saw Offer Number One getting into a taxi just round the corner from my house. And as he lives way down south, and has no connections up here, I can only jump to the conclusion that he is looking further than my house. Maybe he won't be Offer Number One on Monday...

And because I have the Worrier gene, but lack the Sense of Perspective gene, I hear a little voice in my head saying "What if he pulls out? What if Offer Number Two pulls out as well?" - followed by "And what if there isn't an Offer Number Three?"

That way lies madness. Thankfully, there are extra little cakes; you know how soothing to the nerves cake can be.


On Monday I shall be in Somerset looking at houses myself; I know those poor vendors, fresh from plumping cushions and worrying if the cat tray smells, will be looking at me with hopeful thoughts running in their heads: is she a serious buyer? Will she offer what we want for our home? And I will feel badly for them too. Maybe I also lack the gene that gives one a hard heart. And the nerves of steel.

I know you finger-crossers are probably all crippled by now, with fingers that have fused together to form unsightly little webs, but please don't stop yet. Cake alone isn't going to be enough.

12 comments:

Mac n' Janet said...

One more chicken will be sacrificed, enjoy your weekend and ship me one of the butter cakes, the one in purple please.

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

Keep the hied .... it'll all work out beautifully .
Meanwhile , your exceedingly good photos made me think of Mr Kipling .

BumbleVee said...

Well, shit....there's always that mean old monkey wrench to toss into the works isn't there? Hopefully the agent isn't getting too greedy seeing all those $$$$ signs dancing before his bespectacled eyes..... I was kind of hoping the nice young doctor would offer what you wanted and it would all be done.... tickety boo...sigh...... darn, darn, darn.... yeh...have another little cake. They sure are cute....

the veg artist said...

There is no getting away from it. Selling one house and buying another is very hard on the nerves. Been there, done that - several times.

We will keep our fingers crossed until you wave the removal men goodbye, hopefully in a few months' time.

(Don't forget to check that the houses you are looking at can get broadband - we cannot have you unable to blog!)

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Good luck with the house hunting on Monday. It is nerve racking isn't it? I do hope it all works out for you. I know just what you mean about lacking the killer gene that makes it all a battle of wits. I just can't help wanting to sell to someone I like and buy from someone I like too, not regardless of the house but it would definitely be more important than fitted wardrobes! And yes about the importance of broadband too.

Fran Hill said...

Ah, the cakes! They look amazing. And very, very edible.

molly said...

My favourite line is "You know how soothing to the nerves cake can be!" Especially such pretty little cakes! Having experienced both sides of the fence, several times, I understand how nerve-wracking it can be....My fingers are tightly crossed for you!

Deborah said...

That's the kind of thing that comes out of your oven???? Do I have to buy your house to get one??

Done.

Marcheline said...

Digits are firmly intertwined. Keep us posted! And tell BumbleVee not to drink and blog. Ha!

Anonymous said...

House hunting is fun.Easier these days,when you can view houses on real estate sites. Selling, however I've always found to be nerve-wracking.I see you feel the need to bake. I used to garden furiously to calm the nerves, not being interested in cooking much.Your efforts look beautiful!Good luck with it all!

Val said...

fingers crossed
lovely cakes btw :0)

Lucille said...

Aargh! My worry genes are pulsating in sympathy. We have had such a roller coaster ride with house selling and buying in the past. Thankfully the details have begun to blur over the last fourteen years, but the whole messy business is looming again. Anyway. Enjoy Somerset. It will be a distraction at least.

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