The nice thing about teamwork, they say, is that you always have others on your side. Sometimes, however, I wonder about that when whatever you do becomes undone as soon as you turn your back. Point in case, was of course The Other Half who agreed to give up nine holes in exchange for holing up with me in the interests of show day security. Impressive what a passing reference to muscles can do. Black Cat stuff.
Nevertheless although I was pleased to have his manpower in case of unwanted visitors, I of course, spent quite a bit of the afternoon tidying up behind him. Bit like having a toddler all over again.
The loo was one example. Certainly a golden rule of the show day is to close the seat! After all, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to look into a toilet bowl - especially someone else’s. (And while we’re on the loo, for those who still have fluffy covers, do remove them on show day days! They seem to always boast their own lingering scent.)
Bar closing the seat twice during the afternoon (come to think of it, I do hope it was him) there was another moment that was a little impaired too.
It was the moment the linen cupboard door came off in a viewer’s hand. I must admit the hinge had been troublesome for quite some time, and I’d asked again and again that it got some attention, but like cleaning the pool and changing light bulbs, that in itself has its own challenges. There was, of course, little I could say to convince the lady that it had always been like that, and she, after depositing the door rather ungraciously against the wall, slunk off without putting in an offer. And when, moments later the nosy neighbours popped in, the story that the door that had just, moments before, popped off, didn’t seem to convince. Another lesson learnt. Beat the competition with condition they say. And it’s true. Had The Other Half attended to the hinge, we wouldn’t have looked like careless home owners, and in the bigger scheme, the less of a repair bill potential buyers know they are in for, the more attractive the purchase becomes. In short, a day spent fixing little nicks and knacks, before show day, is a day well spent.
Despite the cupboard door, the day was quiet. It was rainy and that no doubt contributed. Mental note: do check the weather forecast as much as possible before planning a show day, and do take into account long weekends and school holidays too.
I did find however, that the quiet afternoon was a good time to hone my sales skills. Simply the act of approaching viewers casually halfway through the walk-about, led to a relaxed and easy way to get them into conversation. It proved a good time for me to mention the assets of my home. And a good time for them to ask questions.