No Estate Agents are open!

barnaby-bear

tek-monkey wrote: »

Instead we have local shops closing down left right and center, because everybody shops at supermarkets. The food is usually sh!te compared to a decent butcher/greengrocer, but we're becoming used to it. Another 20 years and we shall only be able to eat what Tesco/Sainsburys/Asda tell us to.

However, I have to agree. Unless you're sat at home on benefits, how the hell are you supposed to support your local merchants if you work a normal 9-5 job?

You support the business models that have evolved around the both working model - you can go to farm shops that open at weekends, you can use a veggie delivery box scheme - the high street local shops that condescend to only open 9-5, with limited product range, on go slow service don't get the business... the local repair guy who does evening/weekend calls gets business.... but a lot of people forget that local independent shops meant rip off low standard dody corner shops, who'd sell booze and fags to the underage, who treated the staff like rubbish with no prospect of career progression and don't get me started on the £1.50 load of sunblest bread that would go stale within minutes of buying it.... the food at supermarkets is worse than the best local shops but the minimum standards are higher on average and the conditions for the staff good. If a freezer cabinet fails they chuck it, use by dates and proper stock control, proper sourcing, staff on min. wage can aspire to be team leader/supervisor/manager (in dodgy corner shop the boss' son always wins), proper security and underage policies. It was a nightmare in the 1980s if you didn't have a housewife with the time to chat and select the quality local shops... if you can't afford the luxury of someone shopping/tasking in the working day the 24hour supermarket culture is a necessity. Some shops are acknowledging that there is little point opening at 9am on a monday morning and shifting the day later so people working can access them though as re GPs etc...

Fire_Fox

James_N wrote: »

To all those who don't like the idea that it's perfectly reasonable to want to actually SEE a house as a family (this means weekends, or an evening) and that it is a GOOD IDEA for a business serving such a market to be available when your customers are around ...

And to those who feel that it's not reasonable for vendors to maybe be willing to put themselves out a bit when someone is offering to buy your home ...

Move on. We left the 9-5 Monday to Friday, half day Wednesday and Saturday culture some years ago. And yes, I do serve my "customers" at anti-social times when necessary.

Phew!

According to the traffic reports the world and his dog are away this weekend. Having worked many years in gyms I can tell you bank holiday Saturday and Sundays are exceptionally quiet, and bank holiday Mondays you may as well not open at all. However there is always one who turns up at five to four, just when you are locking up!

googler

James_N wrote: »

We've driven to see the location of ten properties over the weekend. Fewer than half have a board up.

Like I said; madness.