It’s been a while since my last blog. There are several reasons for that and some are more genuine than others. I love Apple products…they do what they say on the tin and without having to have a degree in computer science to operate. My desktop Mac however, has seen better days. It’s one of those ancient, steam driven, pre-intel money boxes. I call it a money box because it’s a large silver tower with slots in and every time you want to do anything with it, you find you need a different piece of software, which costs you money. Increasingly, when I have tried to load the software, my computer tells me that my hardware isn’t up to it. For the last few months, the normally quiet cooling fans have sounded like a jet taking off from an aircraft carrier. The last time I tried to put a DVD in the drive, my helpful computer told me that my disk drive wasn’t recognised. I don’t know why, because it looks exactly the same and hasn’t had a makeover.
However, things have come to a head. I turned my trusty computer on yesterday and the screen greyed out, to be replaced by a message in English and Japanese, telling me I had to restart. After trying this several times with the same message being displayed, it confirmed my worst fears..the main board has fried. Luckily, I back up my information relatively regularly. The only problem is, if you don’t have a new computer to back up to, it’s not much use. I could really do with a nice, new shiny 27″ I-Mac but my bank manager doesn’t agree. For some strange reason, he thinks we should be banking with him instead of the other way around.
When I tell people I am a property investor, the natural assumption is that you have more money than you know what to do with and that you only have to step off the yacht when the Ferrari needs filling with fuel and it’s the chauffeur’s day off. Unfortunately, it’s not quite like that. Whilst it’s true that the house in the photo above ( you remember the refurbishment project?) sold last Friday at a reasonable profit, no sooner had the money hit my bank account, it was electronically whisked off to pay back a bridging loan on another pile of bricks. Oh by the way, if you are surprised that the house has only just sold, I don’t blame you. This sale went through 7 months after an offer was made and accepted. Did we have a long and complicated chain? No…just a motivated seller and a motivated buyer who was in rented accommodation and with a pre-approved mortgage. So, how the hell can it have taken 7 months? Let me give you just one, tiny example of the kind of nonsense that can delay a house sale….
At the rear of the house is a small kitchen, which is set back into the garden. It was built with the house in the 1900s. When the buyer’s surveyor and valuer came ’round to see the property, he described the kitchen as an extension. Quite reasonable, one would have thought. Oh no…the buyer’s solicitor sees the word ‘extension’ and wants to see the planning and building certificates which of course, don’t exist because it was built with the house. This is made even more ridiculous because the buyers intend to knock it down and build a REAL extension across the whole of the rear of the property. So, I have to take out an indemnity insurance at my own cost, to cover there not being planning or building consent for an extension that doesn’t exist.
Of course, if I charged what the solicitor charged to think up that one, I could afford a nice new 27″ I-Mac.
Tag Archives: sales
Two hats (or is it three?)
One of my blog followers (thank you both) asked why, as a property investor, my photograph on LinkedIn showed me holding a guitar. Well, it’s true, I do wear two metaphorical hats. Although I earn my daily crust through property, My passion is music and in particular, classical and flamenco guitar.
Growing up, I was always fascinated by the instrument and the people who could play it. Folk music was at the height of popularity and the local folk club would let you in free if you sang a song. Clearly I was fiscally tight, even in those early days and I learnt to play a few chords so I could go and watch the likes of Ralph McTell up close (he borrowed my plectrum once…that’s as close as I ever came to fame)
Luckily, I had a really pushy music teacher at school, who ‘encouraged’ me to take classical guitar lessons. I had a series of very inspirational teachers and ended up winning a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London, where I studied with a marvelous teacher and concert artist, Carlos Bonell. It was during those college years that I got bitten by the flamenco bug and went to study with Juan Martin in London and Pepe Martinez in Seville.
Pepe was an interesting character…never seen without a cigar in his mouth and an ex butcher. That may seem like a random statement but it was so hot during the summer, that I had my lessons at 2 a.m. followed by a steak sandwich for breakfast, sitting on his balcony, watching the sun come up.
Some people hate it but as well as playing, I just love teaching, it’s something that gives me a real kick. At this point, I want to make a plea to parents, thinking of buying their offspring a guitar; Please DON’T. I am not trying to discourage you from buying, just don’t do it until you have asked a teacher’s advice. I used to be head of guitar teaching for West Sussex Music Service and start of every term following Christmas, my heart used to sink as each new instrument was pulled from its case. A bright pink, ‘my little pony’ guitar might look cool (unless you are a boy) but it sounded like a bag of spanners and was as easy on the fingers as a cheese grater.
When it was time to move up to a better instrument, the choices were even worse. Two makes dominate the market and therefore, don’t really have to be competitive in terms of quality and price.
I got so fed up with looking for decent instruments, that I started importing Abanico Guitars from China. Don’t laugh….there are a couple of really good Chinese makes out there (although most of the samples I imported were burnt for firewood). So now I suppose, I actually wear three hats; My property investing is my living, my guitar playing is my passion and my guitar import business keeps me sane after Christmas. Now, where did I put that pink paint and pony transfer?
http://www.abanico-guitars.co.uk
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