Why does Mum need a twobedroom flat? Shes already sixtyfive. Shell hardly have guests, and with her sisters she can sip tea in the kitchen.
Honestly, a onebedroom flat will do her perfectly.
Margaret Andrews knows why her son Michael and daughter Olivia have turned up. The issue had already flickered through Michaels mind a week ago, when the whole family gathered to celebrate Sophies birthday Sophie being Margarets youngest granddaughter.
Michael and Olivia have just arrived and havent exchanged a word when the doorbell rings. Their neighbour, Mrs. Nina Clarke, peeks in.
Oh dear, Im late, Margaret. Youve got visitors, the elderly woman says, blushing.
Theyre family, Nina, replies Margaret. Whats the matter?
My sewing machine jammed again the thread is tangled and I cant get the bobbin out. Ill drop by later, sorry.
No problem, Ill have a look in a minute, Margaret says.
She turns back to the kitchen and addresses Michael and Olivia:
Ill be with Nina for five minutes; the kettles on. You two, have a look around.
She quickly deals with the neighbours issue and heads back home. Standing in the hallway, she pauses, struck by what Michael is saying.
Olivia, Ive done the maths. This flat could fetch at least £85,000, while the twobedroom unit Mum plans to move into is only worth about £30,000 in that area.
You want Mum to hand us the difference? A million each? Olivia asks.
Exactly. Not a million, but £120,000 each, Michael replies.
Where will she get that? Olivia wonders.
I told you Ive crunched the numbers. Why does Mum need a twobedroom flat? Shes sixtyfive. Shell hardly host anyone, and with her sisters she can have tea in the kitchen.
Frankly, a onebedroom flat is more than enough for her. A decent, refurbished one would run around £600000 in our market.
I was looking at places nearer the centre, in a relatively new block, with shops and a health centre close by, Michael explains.
Im not sure Mum will agree, Olivia objects.
Im actually against her moving at all, but if shes being nudged into a retirement home, she might as well get something decent for us.
Margaret has lately been thinking about returning to her home town. When she moved to the south for work, she was fortyfive. At that age you dont make many new friends; she had a few acquaintances, but its not the same as lifelong bonds.
She hadnt wanted to move then to quit her job, pull the kids out of school and relocate to an unfamiliar city. Yet her husband was offered a good post at a factory in London, and she agreed.
Twenty years pass: work, family, occasional trips back home. Two years ago her husband dies unexpectedly. Her children have their own families, and Margaret feels like shes floating in a vacuum. When she retires, loneliness deepens and her sisters start calling.
Without waiting for Olivias reply, Margaret bangs on the kitchen door as if shes just arrived.
Michael and Olivia are in the kitchen; Olivia has already poured tea and sliced the apple cake Margaret baked.
Mum, are you sure you want to move? Olivia asks.
Yes. With your father gone, nothing ties me here. After twenty years this place never felt like home.
What about us? The grandchildren? Olivia presses.
Olivia, you have your own lives and worries. I dont want to be a burden. Your kids are grown, they dont need a nanny. Id rather not sit on a park bench with other retirees, clutching a stick.
Thats not for me. Id end up with books and the telly. My sisters, many old friends, a village house not far from town where the whole family gathers each summer.
I keep dreaming Im back in my hometown, walking down the street, and everyone I meet feels familiar.
Alright, Mum, what about the flat? Michael steers the conversation toward practicalities.
Ill sell it and buy a new one, she says.
Do you want help with the sale? Michael offers.
Ill go through an agency. The advert is already online, so Ill start sorting things out.
Mum, Im not offering help for nothing. There are scammers everywhere. You could lose both cash and property.
Dont worry. Lisa Cole will handle the sale shes the wife of Uncle John, Dads deputy. Remember her?
Lisa runs her own agency, and Natashas trusted realtor helped Paul buy a flat recently, Margaret adds.
How much are you aiming for? Michael asks.
Lisa says £85,000 is a fair price, but we could list a bit higher at first. Ive checked the sites; thats the market.
Theyre cheaper elsewhere, Olivia notes.
Yes, a similar twobedroom flat goes for about £70,000.
Olivia, Michael, we have a request: after you sell the flat, could you each give us about £30,000? Michael says.
£30,000 each? I wont have enough for a new place.
Why not? You could buy a smaller onebedroom flat.
A onebedroom would be uncomfortable for me. I need two rooms: a bedroom and a living area.
Some threeperson families live in onebedrooms, Michael retorts.
Those are people who cant afford larger homes. I can, and I dont understand why I should give it up. I want to live comfortably.
It would be fair to Olivia and me. Its still a family flat.
Michael, I never expected to discuss this, but remember our fathers will gave us everything we were entitled to.
He left you nothing but the flat. Now you want to split it with us?
Michael didnt phrase it well, Olivia interjects, trying to help. He meant you could give us a portion if you have money left.
He has a mortgage; Illya and I want to buy a cottage. Even £500000 would help.
Even if you buy a £120,000 flat, youll still have a million left over, which were already talking about.
Yes, there will be a surplus. It will cover the move, the renovation, and furnishing Ill need furniture and appliances.
The leftover is my safety cushion; Im not getting any younger. I dont want a health crisis to become a problem for you.
So you wont give us anything? Michael asks.
Michael, Im surprised you started this talk. Youre thirtyseven, Olivia thirtyfour, both universityeducated, both working.
You still have years of mortgage payments ahead. But youre not struggling. If I hadnt decided to move and sell, would you have managed without a plan to relocate me?
No, Mum, sorry we brought it up. We just thought
You thought Mum, whos always helped you, would never say no. Margaret replies.
I wouldnt refuse if you really needed it. I think youll manage: Michael can finish his mortgage, Illya can save for the cottage, and everything will be fine.
Margaret follows through: she sells the flat, relocates to her hometown of York, and buys a new home near the old family house where she and her late husband once lived. Relatives pitch in, helping with the furniture and a fresh paint job. Now, waking up each morning, Margaret Andrews truly feels at home.
