Welcome back to Flora and Grace! These last 3 weeks have certainly been life changing in many ways......put the kettle on, sit yourself down and join me on my rollercoaster ride of these last weeks.
I'm definately greyer than before.....I feel lie I've aged at least ten years, I'm still in disbelief and I'm sure you couldn't have written this episode in my life! As you may or may not know my plans have been to return to the UK after ten years away......easier said than done and when you have two businesses it takes some strategic planning....you can't just upsticks and leave. Zucchini has been mega busy....14 weddings in 21 days takes some doing so why would you need added stress in between....well you wouldn't now would you?
I have been negotiating a sale of a business I have not far from Zucchini.....found a fabulous couple in May this year who visited the island, liked the business (not Zucchini by the way) gave us a very substantial deposit......fabulous....or so I thought! I.....in the meantime found the perfect apartment just where I wanted to be in the UK and made an offer which was accepted. Unfortunately for me they had put a very tight time scale on paying the deposit on this flat due to many timewasters in the past and the vendor wanted some commitment to see the purchase through to the end. Decision was made by us to proceed and pay the deposit....after all we had this quite large some of money deposited for the business so all was hunky dory....or was it??????
Nooooooooo this couple arrived in September at the start of our very busy wedding season to take over the business and pay the final amount to complete the purchase. They arrived the day before completion, took over the business on the morning with a view to paying the final amount after seeing their lawyer on the afternoon.....we never set eyes on them again......no completion, no money just a text at 3.20am in the early hours of Saturday morning to say that they had flown back to the UK to consider their options agggghhhhhhh!
A nightmare had begun.....3 weeks until the completion of my flat, no sale on the business.....if I didn't complete I would lose the flat, my rather large deposit and no way was I moving back to the UK.......gutted all my plans ruined....family back in the UK disappointed, ruined plans all round.
I think the only thing that finally pulled me through these agonising few weeks as we continued to try and sell the business was prayers....what else could I do.....I needed a miracle and that did happen my prayers were well and truly answered. I found a buyer who we had spoken to prior to speaking to the horrors who let us down and in less than 3 weeks we did the deal......close to the knife edge as we could get.....the sales agreement was completed at 9.30pm this Thursday evening.....I was due to complete on the flat on the Friday morning.....fingers crossed. Money was transferred by telephone straight to my lawyer at 9.45pm which arrived at ten am the next morning.....I told you it was by the skin of my teeth......COMPLETION was at midday on Friday....hurrrrrrah the property was mine.....nothing lost but hours of sleep, weight and piece of mind but we got their in the end.
Never again....the stress was JUST TOO MUCH its taken us both from Friday until today to finally digest that the flat is our's and we are going home. This situation could have gone against me....it didn't and I am eternally grateful to be able to tell the tale. As for the COUPLE of plums who almost ruined our plans....well we shall see...........????????????????
This has been fairly life changing.....I am a very trusting person and do take people at face value....never, ever again. With life back on track and everybody happy we continue to proceed with Flora and Grace. The shop will be secured on Monday and my plans will resume. We should open the doors in January 2012....can't wait!
I am eternally grateful to a handful of people who helped us through this ordeal.....you know who you are....I can't thank you enough....I only hope one day I can be there for you if you need me.
Happy endings are always the best....I feel like the luckiest person on earth today! Xxx
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