Page 17 of Her Fixer Upper

‘You’ve come to consult my professional opinion. I used to charge good money for this, love, but as it’s you…’ Granddad grinned at me, then pulled on his glasses and peered down at his iPad which had a copy of the report on it. ‘This document made for entertaining reading this afternoon. Certainly a lot to think about.’

‘What’s your verdict?’ I asked. Ted half opened one eye and stared up at me, jolted back awake by the anxiety in my voice.

Granddad pursed his lips. ‘It’s not brilliant. But then again, I’ve seen much worse. Most of the issues the surveyor highlighted can be dealt with in a straightforward manner. Put it this way, I don’t think the house is going to fall down around your ears, and with sensible planning, the repairs can be stretched out over a period of time, which will help you from a budgeting perspective. And I’m certain that the pair of you would be able to do a lot of the work yourself, with a little tutoring along the way. Windows can be replaced, woodworm treated. Rodents can be removed, and in a humane way. Fixing rotten floorboards and strengthening stairs can be done by sensible amateurs as long as they’ve got guidance.’ I shot a glance at Charlie. Did we come into that category? He winked at me, amused that I was questioning how sensible he was.

‘The electrical and plumbing issues are a different matter,’ continued Granddad, ‘as is the chimney stack and the loose tiles on the roof, even though there are apparently only a few of them. Last time we went up into the hills together, I distinctly remember the descent taking twice as long as it should have because you had to hold my hand and wanted to close your eyes for most of the way.’

‘Granddad, that was quite a while ago,’ I protested, embarrassed that he was bringing that story up in front of Charlie. The purpose of this visit was to get a builder’s opinion on the house, not to highlight my weaknesses in front of my prospective house partner.

‘Hmm, but even so, I’m not sure I want my beloved granddaughter clambering around on a roof, even if she claims she’s no longer scared of heights.’

‘Overall, you think it’s a bad idea then?’ I pressed him, sending a significant look at Charlie.

But Granddad’s response surprised me.

‘That’s not what I said. I think it’s possible to make this into a beautiful home, if you’re prepared to invest in it. And I’m not just talking about the financial investment. There’s all the time it will take, and don’t underestimate the sheer physical energy you’ll need. I was a builder my whole career, and look at the state of me now.’ His eyes twinkled as he gestured at himself.

‘Don’t be ridiculous. You’re still my super granddad,’ I retorted.

His expression grew serious. ‘But having said that, if anyone can do this, you can. You’re a determined woman, Freya. You’ve never been one to shy away from hard work. It was hard work that got you your degree and your job as a teacher. And it’ll be hard work that allows you to discover the potential in the house. If you put your mind to it, you’ll do it.

‘How about you, Charlie? Are you prepared to show the necessary commitment and determination?’ I asked, although, being truthful, the question was directed as much at myself as at him.

‘I am. I’m certain that between the two of us, we can do it. I’m not afraid to learn some new skills, and I’m sure you’re the same. And who knows, once the house is fixed up, we might like it so much, we could end up living there.’ He laughed as I frowned at his joke. ‘Once the house is renovated, it will be a highly desirable property in a very sought-after area and we could definitely make enough profit to set both of us up as individuals in our own places. An opportunity like this doesn’t come along very often, and I will do what it takes to make the most of it.’

Granddad handed me the iPad and I stared down at the survey report once more, then clicked onto the brochure for the house. I thought about all the work that would need to be done and the time it would take, time that was already in short supply because of the pressures of my job. But as I stared at the pictures of the tired old building, I felt a pang of longing. I thought about the house itself, and the visions I’d had when we visited of what it could look like. Much as I wanted to deny it, I did feel an emotional connection with the place, which was probably a bad idea given that its purpose wasn’t becoming our home, but being an investment for both our futures. But regardless of that, the house had a lot to offer me: freedom, independence, the opportunity to achieve long-held dreams. I’d suggested we look elsewhere and find an easier option, but how realistic was that? House prices were already ridiculously high, and the market was horribly competitive. How likely was it that we’d be able to find another place in such a prime position that was within our price bracket? I didn’t normally shy away from hard work. Maybe Charlie was right. Maybe I should take a chance on Oak Tree Cottage. But there were still important issues that we needed to iron out.

‘Even if we were to do it, and take on a lot of the renovation ourselves, when would we find the time for it? You’ve got your business to run, you can’t pretend that it would be easy juggling life as a sole trader along with this kind of project. And during term time, my life isn’t really my own. If I’m not in lessons at school, I’m preparing for them, or marking homework.’

Charlie nodded. ‘We’d both have to make sacrifices. My job is perhaps more flexible than yours in that I set my own hours and choose how many clients to take on. But at least you have school holidays. And before you say anything, yes, I’m sure you still have lots of stuff to do in them, but you could devote some of that time to working on the house, if you really wanted to.’

‘Maybe if we were to take possession during the Easter holidays, then schedule the bigger tasks during the summer break,’ I said slowly, thinking out loud. Charlie sat up straighter, his expression hopeful.

I mustered up my courage. Time to take that leap of faith. ‘I really hope I’m not going to regret saying this, but I am up for buying Oak Tree Cottage if you are.’

Charlie punched the air with delight, his sudden movement making Ted let out a yelp of surprise.

‘You won’t regret it. You’ve made the right decision, I know it. Let’s shake on it and push on with the paperwork.’

He reached out and took my hand in both of his, a move I’d seen politicians on the telly do, but unlike with them, there was no doubting the sincerity in Charlie’s gesture.

Granddad reached over and put his hand on top of ours.

‘Congratulations to you both,’ he said. ‘And without wishing to rain on your parade, get good insurance. Always sensible to make sure the practical side of things is sorted out.’

‘Don’t you worry, Granddad,’ I said. ‘Paperwork is my forte. I’ll make sure we’re covered for every eventuality. That just leaves one final thing to sort. Where are we going to stay while we do all the work?’

Charlie’s face fell. ‘I would have thought it’s obvious. In Oak Tree Cottage, of course.’

I gaped at him. ‘That’s not a serious suggestion, right? It’s barely habitable.’

‘It’s habitable enough,’ he asserted. ‘And as you yourself pointed out, time is precious. We’d be wasting valuable renovation opportunities if we were having to commute back and forth, not to mention how much money we’d have to throw away on rent if we found a short-term let nearby. Where did you think you’d stay?’

‘Erm…’ The trouble was, he had made two excellent points there. And my only viable alternative was staying on Leila’s sofa, which was a big ask. She’d already been more than generous in putting up with me so far. I was going to have to reconcile myself to the fact that completing this project was going to push me far out of my comfort zone in more ways than one.

‘Where’s your sense of adventure, Freya? It’ll be like camping. Great fun,’ said Charlie confidently.

Great fun, or a total nightmare?

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