Saturday, November 22, 2014

Flat viewing, II

As they left, they thanked me for both responding promptly to their email of interest and for providing a short description of how one finds our flat.  I thought, why wouldn't I want to make it easy for potential renters to come and look at our place?  I said to the gal as she was putting on her shoes, 'you're welcome' and 'why not respond promptly?'  They had just come from initially trying to rent a flat in Lausanne.  'You wouldn't believe it.  We'd email asking about a place and if we could view it and NOTHING.  Or maybe they'd get back to us after a week.'  I can't imagine that making people wait is an effective model for renting out flats.  If you're keen to have your place seen and, ultimately, rented, then you're making connections with folk as quickly as possible, or is that just me?

Out of the fifteen, or so, visitors we've had viewing our digs, a few have thanked me for providing directions, a few have thanked me for my prompt response, but today was the day I was thanked for both.  -made me feel good.

Sadly, the 'thank you' couple didn't seem terribly interested in renting our 5-room wonder.  The had a decent look around the apt. and then bade us farewell.  If someone passes on seeing the Waschküche, Weinkeller and Garage, then I know I've lost him.  The Waschküche, large enough to be a second storage room, is really a must-see.  Heck, even if you don't want the flat, you should really see what not a lot of folk in German CH have: private wash facilities.  No schedule, no sharing, no worries.

WTF

I had a lovely and chatty woman came to the view the place this past week.  As I was showing her the Waschküche she told me of an almost brawl she had recently had with her seemingly haughty neighbor who found it perfectly acceptable to use the washing machine outside of her scheduled slot.  'I came down to the wash room and there she was washing on my day.  I said, 'hello, this is my day!'  The Italian apparently shot back with, 'you fucking Germans!  Always you and your rules!'  The Italian went straight to the big guns.  I guess it didn't seem to matter that the rules imposed on them were by the Swiss Germans and not the German Germans, but no matter.  The fight almost ended in fisticuffs, the woman told me as we stood inside my spacious wash room, my clothing having been left in the dryer over night.  'I wanted to take my fist and smash her in the face with it.'  This from a seemingly mild-mannered person.  Being denied one's weekly wash day is not a trifling matter.

I expect more visitors as no one has yet jumped up and demanded we rent them the flat.  I don't expect more 'thank you's' but certainly would be happy to receive them.  I'm off to respond to a few more emails of interest.  -mustn't keep them waiting!

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