AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I suspect the lettings agencies will all be closed between Christmas and New Year, but I decide to try anyway, just on the off chance. Black Cat Letting agency is the first one in the Yell.com listing, so I start there. The phone is answered after a couple of rings.
‘Black Cat Lettings, Dave speaking. How may I help?’
‘Oh hello, I wasn’t sure whether you would be open,’ I say.
‘We’re open all right. It’s a busy time of year for us. Lots of people looking to move after Christmas to get away from people they suddenly realise they can’t stand,’ he chuckles. ‘Anyway, what can I do for you?’
I explain my situation and that I’m ideally looking for a furnished, one-bed flat with parking in Tonbridge or Tunbridge Wells.
‘Furnished is going to be a bit tricky,’ Dave explains. ‘Most of our lets are unfurnished. It’s a lot simpler for the landlord because there’s less argument about what constitutes acceptable wear and tear, and of course most tenants have their own furniture that they want to bring with them.’
‘Yeah, unfortunately I don’t own any furniture at present. I can buy some if necessary, but I was hoping just to move in somewhere for now, while I get myself sorted.’
Dave hums and haws for a bit, as he looks through his listings. I hear him muttering ‘No, no, no’ as he scrolls, and my optimism starts to fade. ‘Ah, here’s a possibility,’ he says after a bit. ‘Do you have to move immediately, or can you wait a little while?’
‘That depends what you mean by “a little while”, Dave,’ I reply.
‘Well, let me tell you about the property. It’s a one-bed apartment overlooking the river in Tonbridge. It’s just come in and it’s a furnished let. The owner has got a work contract in Australia and is moving out there for a minimum of six months, but probably longer. It’s got its own allocated parking space and it’s on for £800 per calendar month. The only issue is that the owner isn’t going away until February so, by the time we’ve done our inventory and deep clean, you’d be looking at the end of February as a realistic moving date. Is that going to be a problem?’
‘I’m not sure. Ideally, I’d want to move earlier if I can. It does sound exactly what I’m looking for, but can you just check whether there’s anything else first?’
‘Absolutely, no worries. Bear with me and I’ll have a look. I’m going to put you on hold so I can consult with my colleague to see if he knows if anything else is coming on as well.’
As the music plays, I consider my options. I could look at an unfurnished flat, but then I’d have to buy all the furniture, which would then take time to come. I’d have to try to organise furniture deliveries around work, and it all sounds quite a faff. I’m sure Mum and Dad wouldn’t mind me staying for a couple of months more – after all, they said I could stay for as long as I liked, and I’m sure they meant it.
My thoughts are interrupted by Dave. ‘Right, I’ve looked through and had a chat with my colleague. If you’re definite about one bed and furnished, this is the only one we’ve got at the moment. We do have a three-bed furnished house available, but obviously that’s considerably more expensive. We’ve also got two unfurnished one-bed flats if you’re interested. I’ll be honest with you though – neither of them are as nice as this one. I’d be happy to show you them if you like.’
‘Can you set me up a viewing of the furnished flat please? The timing isn’t ideal, but I might be able to make it work.’
‘Absolutely, no worries.’ This is obviously Dave’s catchphrase. ‘I hope you don’t mind but, while you were on hold, I took the liberty of calling the owner. I can show you the apartment at three this afternoon if you like. I realise that’s short notice, but it might not hang around for long so it’s probably best to strike while the iron’s hot if you can.’
I can spot the sales talk – I wasn’t born yesterday. Isn’t it odd the way they tell you that anything you want is incredibly desirable and you’ll regret it forever if you don’t snap it up right away, but if you’re trying to sell anything it’s always got some serious flaw and they’re basically doing you a favour by taking it off your hands? However, it’s not as if I have lots of plans for the day and, even if this flat isn’t right, it will give me a benchmark.
‘That’s fine, Dave. I can do that.’
Dave gives me the address and I agree to meet him at the property.
Rather than sitting around at home until it’s time to go, I decide to use the time to explore Tonbridge and, in particular, the area around the flat. I’m sure Dave will tell me that it’s all very peaceful and very desirable, but I want to form my own impressions.
At first glance, Tonbridge appears a bit shabby and run-down. At the top end of the high street is the boys’ boarding school, which looks a little bit like Hogwarts fromHarry Potter, and at the other end is the train station and a Lidl. In between it seems to be mainly charity shops, vaping shops and discount stores of different types. The high street isn’t busy; in fact, the only two places that seem to be conducting a roaring trade are the Wetherspoon’s pub and a coffee shop on the corner of one of the arcades. The arcades themselves are mainly deserted, and a lot of the shop units are empty, giving them something of an abandoned air. I’m struggling to see myself living here.
As I explore further, things start to improve. The coffee shop does look inviting, like the sort of place where Mads and I could spend an hour or two happily putting the world to rights, and I discover that there are two decent supermarkets within walking distance of the flat I’m going to see. In fact, Waitrose is literally across the road. My mother will be delighted. Even if there’s no way I could afford to do my weekly shop there, it will be a nice place for treats, and there is a decent-sized Sainsbury’s about five minutes’ walk away, which will do for everyday food. Unsurprisingly, Josh was suspicious of supermarkets; he was sure they were all in cahoots to exploit the suppliers and fix prices, but that didn’t stop him using them once he realised the prices in the specialist vegetarian and vegan stores he wanted to use instead were considerably higher.
At three o’clock I walk back to meet Dave. I try to tune out his sales patter as I wander round the flat. It has big windows overlooking the river and is flooded with natural light. The main room has a kitchen area at one end, with a little table and a couple of chairs, and there is a comfortable-looking sofa at the other end with a coffee table in front of it. There’s a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall, and Dave informs me that there is a satellite box if I want to take on the subscription. There’s even a little balcony that I can imagine myself sitting on with a glass of wine on a summer’s evening, watching the river go by. The bedroom is a reasonable size, with a double bed, chest of drawers and a built-in wardrobe. The owner is obviously a man; it has a slightly ‘bachelor pad’ feel to it, but it’s not as spartan and minimalist as it could be. There are splashes of colour here and there, most notably from some abstract art on the walls. It’s perfect. I want to move in straight away.
Dave is explaining the letting process. I have to pay a £500 non-refundable deposit to take it off the market. After that they do the standard checks on my income and background to make sure that I’m able to afford it and I’m not going to wreck the place. The rest of the deposit is due once we’ve agreed the date that I can move in.
On the way out, he shows me the car parking space, which is in an underground garage. Apparently, I’ll be given a remote control to open it from the car once I move in. I’ve never felt particularly vulnerable coming home by myself at night, but I have to admit that I like the extra level of security. I follow Dave back to his office and we complete the paperwork.
‘How did the flat viewing go?’ Mum asks me as soon as I walk through the door. She’s on her own as Dad has had to go into work to sort out an issue with a broken-down truck.
‘Well, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that the flat is lovely and I’ve taken it. The bad news is that I can’t move in until the end of February, so you’ll be stuck with me until then if that’s OK?’
‘Of course it is, darling! Your dad and I were just saying this morning how much we’re enjoying having you around. In fact, the timing works really well for something that we wanted to ask you. You know how we always go away for a couple of weeks in February?’
My mum and dad are creatures of habit, and their holiday pattern illustrates that. When I was little, and Dad was just starting out with the business, we went to the same static caravan park in Cornwall each year. As the business grew and the money started to flow in, the locations were steadily upgraded. First it was a gîte with a pool in the south of France, and now they go to the same all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean every February and do a Mediterranean cruise every September. Dad always tips over-generously, so that the staff remember him and greet him like a long-lost friend on his next arrival.
‘Yes, it’s your Antigua trip, isn’t it?’ I say to Mum. ‘Did you want me to watch the house for you while you’re gone? I’ll be at work during the day, but at least there will be regular comings and goings.’ Mum is always worried that the house will be burgled, and they usually pay someone to house-sit when they go away.
