Memories and dreams
Max had arranged to meet the estate agent at the house, and after his last attempt at putting it on the market, he was worried it was going to be another Gary Lewis disaster.
He was in a different headspace than the last time he had decided to sell, but still, he hoped they weren’t the same sort of money-driven sales person like Gary.
He wanted to sell his parents’ house, but he wanted to do it the right way.
He needed someone who respected the house, cared about what it meant to him, and the history within it.
He didn’t know if that was even possible, but as he heard the door knocker, and walked towards the front door, he hoped.
He had spoken to the woman on the phone, and she had seemed nice, thoughtful, and she sounded like she cared about what he was saying to her.
Max opened the door, and stood there was a woman, early thirties in a smart blue dress, black shoes, and long auburn hair.
She had on a pair of green-framed glasses, and had a cool, creative vibe that Max instantly warmed to.
Working at the BBC, Max had spent a great deal of time in the company of people just like that.
Clearly fashion and aesthetics were important to her, which was a good sign, he thought.
‘Hello, Max, I’m Tanya,’ she said in a warm, friendly tone, smiling a bright smile with a set of straight, white teeth.
‘Hi, Tanya, come in,’ replied Max, who stood to one side to let her in, and when she walked past him, he noticed a lovely perfume with hints of citrus, something sweet and a warm amber. ‘Come through. Tea? Coffee?’
‘I’d love a cup of tea,’ she said, following him into the kitchen. ‘This is lovely.’
‘Thank you,’ said Max, flicking the switch on the kettle. ‘It was my parents’ house. I grew up here.’
‘Right,’ replied Tanya, as Max got two mugs, and plopped two tea bags inside. ‘And you said your parents passed away. I’m so sorry to hear that.’
Max turned to look at her. ‘Thanks. It’s been difficult, and I know it’s crazy that I kept the house all this time, but I just couldn’t bear to get rid of it.’
‘I don’t think it’s crazy at all. My parents still live in Enfield, in the house I grew up in, and I have no idea what I will do with it when they go. I’m an only child.’
‘Me too,’ replied Max, as the kettle boiled and then he filled both mugs with water. ‘It’s a warm day. Shall we sit outside?’
‘That would be lovely,’ replied Tanya, and she followed Max into the garden.
In preparation for her coming, Max had cleaned the patio and set up the small table and chairs for them to sit on.
He had also popped into the local supermarket and picked up some biscuits for them to share with their tea.
After he finished making the tea, Max sat opposite Tanya, who looked off towards the bottom of the garden.
‘It’s an incredible garden. You must have so many good memories of growing up here.’
‘I do,’ replied Max with a nostalgic smile. ‘I used to play at the bottom beyond the shed. Dad used to love pottering about, mowing the lawn, cutting back plants, and Mum would come out with cold drinks on warm days, and we’d sit down there on deckchairs.’
‘Sounds idyllic.’
‘Yeah, it really was.’
‘Which is why you want to make sure you sell it to the right people, who will respect the history of it. Maybe a family who can create their own memories here.’
‘That would be nice,’ said Max, before taking a sip of his tea.
Tanya had a sip of her tea too, and Max offered her a biscuit, which she accepted, and they sat outside, enjoying the sunshine. Max felt relaxed with Tanya. After a minute's silence, she spoke.
‘Max, I don’t just sell houses. I’m not driven by money, to always go for the highest bid or push people into accepting offers they aren’t comfortable with.
I also try my best to find homes for people, not just houses.
Being an estate agent is so much more than that for me, it’s about memories, dreams, and bringing people together.
I can see just how much this house means to you, and I will do whatever I can to make sure that you’re happy with the final sale, not just in terms of money, but also who is buying it.
This isn’t just a house to you, Max, I can see that.
It’s full of the memories you had of growing up here, of your parents, and I promise you, whatever happens, we’ll work on this together to make sure it’s what you want. ’
Max looked at Tanya, and he almost wanted to cry.
Unlike Gary, she understood exactly what he needed.
She appreciated and respected his love for the house, and the thought of another family in there, young children playing at the bottom of the garden, just like he had, really spoke to him.
Holding onto memories was important to Max, it really meant something, but the idea of someone else creating their own memories in that same space, was in some ways, even more special.
The house was nearly one hundred years old, and before them three other families had lived there, and long after he was gone, more families would hopefully be there, creating more and more memories.
He liked the idea that every generation, each new family, left something behind that stayed there forever.
It was in the walls, under the floorboards, the love and laughter stayed, creating layers and layers of memories, each adding to the one before.
His family, and the love that he had shared with them, were already settled within that house, and it was ready for another family to create a new life.
After tea and biscuits, Tanya asked Max to give her his tour of the house and gardens, and to share whatever he wanted to share with her.
He took her to the bottom of the garden first, into the shed, and told her stories of his childhood.
Next, they walked through the house, upstairs first and then down, with Tanya asking him questions and Max recounting moments from his life, and how much his parents had loved that house.
Max had shown Tanya some of the photo albums that were in the living room, and she had smiled and laughed at various photos because they reminded her so much of her own childhood.
One of the family holiday albums, where they had gone to Cornwall, was almost identical to a holiday Tanya had taken with her own parents.
It felt to Max like they had almost the same upbringing.
The only difference was that her parents were still very much alive.
Eventually they settled in the kitchen for the final conversation about whether Max would hire Tanya to sell the house. After almost two hours together, the answer was obvious.
‘I’d love you to sell the house,’ said Max with a smile. He couldn’t actually believe how perfect Tanya was, and how she had said all the right things and asked all the right questions.
‘That’s brilliant, Max. I’m honoured you picked me for such an important job.’
‘I can’t imagine there’s anyone better.’
‘There’s just one thing we need to discuss before we sign the agreement,’ said Tanya, a small flicker of worry etched across her face.
‘I would usually stage a house like this, have my people come in, empty any clutter, switch out furniture, and generally make it look more presentable to potential buyers. Obviously in this case, the house is still full of all your parents' things, and I don’t want to disturb it, or change anything you aren’t comfortable with.
So, I’m happy to leave things as they were, sell it as is, or if you want, we can go through it together and get rid of as much or as little as you want, and add a few pieces to really bring it together.
Just so you know, I am perfectly fine selling it as is, but I have to let you know that it’s possible we could get more money if it was staged.
Again, if money isn’t your driving factor, I’m happy to leave everything as it currently is, and sell this as a warm, inviting family home. ’
Max hadn’t really thought about what he might do with all his parents' things. Since the accident, he had cleaned and tidied the house, but he hadn’t got rid of anything.
His dad’s golf clubs were still by the front door, his mum’s shopping bags still hanging up on the hook on the kitchen door.
The house was like the story he remembered from school, the one about the ghost ship, the Mary Celeste, that was found in the middle of the ocean, completely abandoned but perfectly seaworthy, as if all the people onboard had just vanished into thin air.
‘I think,’ said Max after a moment's thought. ‘That I’d like to sell it as is. It’s a family home, and I’d like people to see it that way. Obviously once it’s sold, I’ll have everything removed, but until then can we keep it just the way it is?’
‘Of course,’ said Tanya with a warm smile. ‘The only thing I’ll do, with your consent, is have my cleaning crew come in and give the whole place a good clean from top to bottom. Would that be OK?’
‘I think my mum would definitely approve,’ replied Max, and with that he agreed to sell the house with Tanya.
They said goodbye on the front door step, before Max went back inside the house to tidy up the tea and biscuits.
Tanya said she would send over all the documents to sign online, and then she would begin showing the house once it had been cleaned.
She would attach a lockbox on the front door, and he would be notified of any showings, just in case he was back in St Albans.
Obviously if any offers came in, she would notify him right away and they could discuss it.
Tanya was confident they could sell the house to the right family.
As Max washed up the two mugs, he smiled to himself because he had spent so long worrying about the house, anxious about what to do with it, but with Tanya onboard, he knew he had found the right person to help him sell it.
She clearly cared about her job, and about the people she represented.
He knew his parents would approve of her because she was exactly the sort of person they would have chosen themselves.