of thing.”
“Yeees! That’s wonderful news!” Greta punched the air with her fist. “So, what’s the next step?”
“I will put forward an offer to the vicar. Reggie has calculated we should offer £400,000, subject to a structural survey report. No doubt that will include reports on damp and woodworm being required too.”
“And when are we going to make the offer?” Greta sat on the edge of an armchair.
“Tomorrow, when I get to work. I’ll go through the figures with the vicar and see what he says. So it’ll be up to him, once we have made our offer, whether he is prepared to accept it.”
“What if he says no?” Greta’s mind filled with doubt.
“If he does, then we can go to a maximum of £425,000. That’s it. Not a penny more. My calculations indicate Greenacres is going to need at least £60-£70,000 spent on it.”
“As much as that!” Greta was shocked. “I didn’t think it was that bad.”
“Well, I am being liberal with the figures, better to overestimate than underestimate, so we don’t run out of cash.Don’t forget we have only viewed it the once and that was in partial light. It may look even worse once the windows have had the boards removed. We will have to see what the surveyor’s report concludes. It will be do or die if the survey report reveals that Greenacres is falling down.”
“I’m going to think oodles of positive thoughts!” Greta replied. “Do you want a coffee?”
Max shook his head.
“No, I need something stronger; like a scotch on plenty of rocks.”
“Coming up.” Greta got up off the armchair and walked through to the kitchen.
“How was your evening with the spiritual encounter?” Max called after her and leaned back on his chair.
“She was actually quite good,” Greta called from the kitchen. “A bit odd, like most of those sort of people, but she did well.” Greta reached for a crystal glass whisky tumbler and noisily slid three ice cubes into it.
“Did you think she’s a fake?” Max turned around to face Greta.
“If she is, then she’s a brilliant actress. But there were some things and incidents she mentioned that she just wouldn’t have known about.”
“Like what?” Max queried.
“She mentioned someone in the audience was standing on the threshold of the good life; a new home in the country.”
Max laughed.
“That probably related to half the people in the audience! She must be a dream reader!”
Greta paused.
“That have the letters G, R and E in their first name and that the property has the same first three letters in its name?”
Max nodded his head in approval.
“Well, that would be impressive!”
“Then be prepared to be impressed.” Greta walked back into the room and placed the tumbler in Max’s hand. “Cheers!”
The following morning, Greta’s mobile phone was ringing. It was Max.
“Hi love!”
“Hi, I’ve just spoken to the vicar,” Max replied.
“What did he say?” Greta held her breath.
“Well, he gave me a bit of a sermon on house purchasing but he has accepted our offer!” Max announced.
“Oh fantastic news! Brilliant! He accepted £400,000?” Greta was shivering with excitement.
“No, he accepted £380,000!” Max proudly declared.
“£380… how come?” Greta was astounded.
“Because, my sweet, that is why I do the job I do; I negotiate deals, as well you know. Let’s just say it was down to a little bargaining and friendly persuasion but lucky for us, the vicar is on board! He is very keen to plough some of the proceeds of the house sale into the church restoration funds.”
“You are so clever! I love you so much! Thank you! Thank you!” Greta’s eyes filled with tears of joy.
“Therefore, it means we now have enough money to spend on the renovation work,” Max concluded. “We, Mrs Berkley, are now on our way to owning a cottage in the country!”
Greta hugged her sides in delight and wiped away a stream of tears from her eyes.
Chapter Seven
Max spent the
“Yeees! That’s wonderful news!” Greta punched the air with her fist. “So, what’s the next step?”
“I will put forward an offer to the vicar. Reggie has calculated we should offer £400,000, subject to a structural survey report. No doubt that will include reports on damp and woodworm being required too.”
“And when are we going to make the offer?” Greta sat on the edge of an armchair.
“Tomorrow, when I get to work. I’ll go through the figures with the vicar and see what he says. So it’ll be up to him, once we have made our offer, whether he is prepared to accept it.”
“What if he says no?” Greta’s mind filled with doubt.
“If he does, then we can go to a maximum of £425,000. That’s it. Not a penny more. My calculations indicate Greenacres is going to need at least £60-£70,000 spent on it.”
“As much as that!” Greta was shocked. “I didn’t think it was that bad.”
“Well, I am being liberal with the figures, better to overestimate than underestimate, so we don’t run out of cash.Don’t forget we have only viewed it the once and that was in partial light. It may look even worse once the windows have had the boards removed. We will have to see what the surveyor’s report concludes. It will be do or die if the survey report reveals that Greenacres is falling down.”
“I’m going to think oodles of positive thoughts!” Greta replied. “Do you want a coffee?”
Max shook his head.
“No, I need something stronger; like a scotch on plenty of rocks.”
“Coming up.” Greta got up off the armchair and walked through to the kitchen.
“How was your evening with the spiritual encounter?” Max called after her and leaned back on his chair.
“She was actually quite good,” Greta called from the kitchen. “A bit odd, like most of those sort of people, but she did well.” Greta reached for a crystal glass whisky tumbler and noisily slid three ice cubes into it.
“Did you think she’s a fake?” Max turned around to face Greta.
“If she is, then she’s a brilliant actress. But there were some things and incidents she mentioned that she just wouldn’t have known about.”
“Like what?” Max queried.
“She mentioned someone in the audience was standing on the threshold of the good life; a new home in the country.”
Max laughed.
“That probably related to half the people in the audience! She must be a dream reader!”
Greta paused.
“That have the letters G, R and E in their first name and that the property has the same first three letters in its name?”
Max nodded his head in approval.
“Well, that would be impressive!”
“Then be prepared to be impressed.” Greta walked back into the room and placed the tumbler in Max’s hand. “Cheers!”
The following morning, Greta’s mobile phone was ringing. It was Max.
“Hi love!”
“Hi, I’ve just spoken to the vicar,” Max replied.
“What did he say?” Greta held her breath.
“Well, he gave me a bit of a sermon on house purchasing but he has accepted our offer!” Max announced.
“Oh fantastic news! Brilliant! He accepted £400,000?” Greta was shivering with excitement.
“No, he accepted £380,000!” Max proudly declared.
“£380… how come?” Greta was astounded.
“Because, my sweet, that is why I do the job I do; I negotiate deals, as well you know. Let’s just say it was down to a little bargaining and friendly persuasion but lucky for us, the vicar is on board! He is very keen to plough some of the proceeds of the house sale into the church restoration funds.”
“You are so clever! I love you so much! Thank you! Thank you!” Greta’s eyes filled with tears of joy.
“Therefore, it means we now have enough money to spend on the renovation work,” Max concluded. “We, Mrs Berkley, are now on our way to owning a cottage in the country!”
Greta hugged her sides in delight and wiped away a stream of tears from her eyes.
Chapter Seven
Max spent the
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