Do people do it on purpose, or are they just utterly selfish?

We were offered a new pub some weeks ago. A move date was settled at the start of period 10, which was some two or three weeks ago.

We have been delayed, however, due to the complication that this particular business is a lock up site, and therefore has no internal accommodation. The 3 bedroom apartment, which is very contemporary and has magnificent sea views, does not allow pets, so that rules that out.

We were given a budget over a maximum of £1000 pm, and orf we trotted to find an abode. However, finding a 3 bedroom house (unfurnished) with a garden that allows dogs is quite a challenge. In fact, its near damn impossible in Bournemouth, where the majority of buildings are either hotels, B&B or student digs and apartment flats. To add to this, the pub has no parking, and it is extortionate to pay for parking down by the front, so the house needed to be within walking/cycling distance.

So, all in all, it was all adding up to be a bit of a ball ache.

But, as luck would have it, a house that met all our requirements (bar one : distance) would appear on the lettings market. A beautiful new build, detached with a big kitchen and a nice sized garden, and in a very nice upmarket area. And to help, fifty quid under budget. The agency told us that the property could be available straight away, as the landlords had other properties that they can move to.

Excellent. So, whats the next step, methinks? I rang my boss, who gave me a name of a lady who would sort all this out. We should be in a week.

Or so we thought.....

Lets make this easier:

Week 1 - Offered pub. I accept. Take over in 6 weeks.
Week 2 - Start looking for accommodation. Takes bloody ages.
Week 3 - Still looking.
Week 4 - Find House. Agency informs us that other people are interested, so we need to get £200 holding fee on asap. Ring my boss, and he gives me number for a woman ( who will be known for this story as Jane) who deals with this sort of thing. She in turn, gives me an email address to write to. This I duly do, and sit back and wait. Two days later, the letting agency inform me that no-one has been in contact, and if they don't receive the holding fee by the end of play that day, they will go with some one else. So, I ring Jane who gives me the direct number to the company that deal with all the lettings for the pub co I work for.
I ring the woman, only to be told that she is no longer on my account, and that a new woman ( Freda) would help me, and could I explain ever thing to her.

*getting a little impatient now*

Week 5 - Holding fee is paid and paperwork is going through.
Week 6 - Should be moving in this weekend, however, no-one has been in contact.
Week 7 - Ring letting agency. They explain that they can not get hold of Freda. I ring Freda, and am told she is off sick and that she has not left any information about our account.

*getting a little more impatient*

End off week 7 - Freda returns ! Huzzah! Speak to her, and she tells me that she can not get hold of anyone at the letting agency. *sigh* Ring letting agency. They tell me that they can not get hold of Freda. *bigger sigh* (at this point I'm getting dizzy from the big circles I'm going round in)

They finally sort out their Com's probs and all paperwork is complete. We pack almost everything into boxes.

Week 8 (current week) - Letting agency inform me that the move will be a week later (already 2 weeks late now, despite the property being advertised as ready asap) as the landlord can not move out just yet.

End of week 8 - receive email from letting agency. - Dear Ben, the landlady now is stating she can not let the property completely unfurnished. She needs to leave all the wardrobes, Chester drawers and dining room set behind. Is that okay?

So after 8 weeks of being offered a new pub, three weeks of house hunting and two weeks after we are meant to have moved, we are still stuck where we are and still have no move date.

And to add insult to injury, we are living out of boxes.

*sigh - sob - sigh*

Best of British

Iain.