A rant about estate agents...

So after many weeks of sifting through and then throwing out or giving away clutter (approx twenty five large black bags worth plus one 32 inch TV), removing all signs of personalisation/individuality/character from my flat, giving it a nice new paint job and enduring paint fumes for a few days I finally got to the point where it was ready to go onto the market.

*phew!*

So I ended up choosing two local agencies who have to share my spare set of keys between them. "It's okay. We get on well. We've done a lot of business together in the past. There should be no problems sharing the keys", I was told by one of the estate agents.

Two days later I missed out on my first viewing because one of them had forgotten to give the keys back to the other. But then what do you expect? They are in the much maligned estate agency business after all so they have a reputation to uphold...

To be honest, just like in any profession there are the solid grafters and then there are the cocky w**kers. We've come across both. It really is a minefield out there.

It still surprises me how we've come across quite a few agents who aren't willing to show people around on weekday evenings. Along with Saturdays, THIS IS THE ONLY TIME THAT US PEOPLE IN GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT ARE GOING TO BE AROUND TO VIEW FRICKING PROPERTIES!

And yet they still umm and ah and annoyingly sometimes never get back to you.

Then you get the ones who can't be arsed to register you. "Just look on the web. We put our properties on there as soon as we get them." (Yeah, right!)

It really is bloody frustrating. Can we please introduce some standards of conduct here please?!

Anyway, so I'm now having to keep my flat in a state of perpetual perfectness. Which means keeping the place as spotless as possible, making the bed every morning (argh!), making sure the bins are empty, that the cushions on the sofa are nicely arranged(!) and that there are no potentially wiffy things in my bin that might go off during the day!

It also means that for the first time, the spare keys to the flat are with someone I don't really know so I have to do something I've never felt compelled to do since I've lived there: put the chain on the door as soon as I get home. Though to be honest, it's more to avoid someone coming in to do a viewing unannounced when I'm starkers than anything else (half the bathroom is visible from the front door.)

So, to be continued....