By the time I walk back through into the open-plan area, Elana is sitting at the table with the report.
‘Great, let’s have a look.’
I take the seat next to her and we both lean over the document, scanning the pages for anything that jumps out.
‘Ah, the woodworm.’ I point to the paragraph and Elana nods.
‘Yes, we had the wood treated before we moved in, just in case anything was still live.’
‘Good, even if it’s old stuff it’s always best in a property of this age.’
By the end of the document, I only have two concerns.
‘There are some blown areas of plaster under the stairs. I noticed it when I turned the outside tap valve on and it’s mentioned in here. It also talks about similar areas across that back wall. Let’s take a closer look.’
I drain my coffee mug and then grab the clipboard, heading off to take a look at the under- stairs cupboard.
Crouching down with the door open, there’s no smell of damp. I turn on my small pocket light and train it on the back wall.
‘Elana, if you look over there you can see that there’s no visible signs of mould, or anything that indicates water ingress. This hollow plaster will need to be hacked away, I’m afraid. But let’s check further along the wall.’ I stand up and walk her over to the bottom of the staircase.
‘If we pull out this unit I think you’ll find similar problems along the entire run. I had a look at the ground levels outside this morning and I’d say that in the past the level outside has been lowered to cure a persistent damp problem. The exterior wall was then treated, but over time the moisture left in the wall has affected the bonding of the plaster in a few places.’
Sure enough, as I ease the cabinet forward and begin tapping the wall, I demonstrate the difference in sound between plaster that is firmly attached, and the hollow sound where the moisture has forced the plaster away from it.
Elana gives me a grimace.
‘I had no idea there was even a problem. Is it difficult to fix?’
‘Don’t panic. This is minor stuff and there are people who will ignore the problem until it spreads, cracks, and eventually a chunk of plaster falls off. It’s a messy job hacking off the blown areas, but once it’s been patched you’d have a sound surface to re-paint.’
The worry line on her forehead deepens.
We move on into the kitchen, which is the easiest room. The newly fitted units are fine. The areas that need tiling above the work tops are sound and the ceilings throughout have been replaced. It then takes about twenty minutes to measure up the downstairs to get the square meterage for the flooring. And then we’re done.
‘The good news is that there are no really nasty surprises here. And the survey report confirms that. Shall we take a seat and start making that list so you can prioritise the work?’
***
An hour and a half later Elana seems relieved that although she’s only going to get a few things done within her five thousand pound budget, she has a good grasp of the outstanding jobs.
‘Thank you for explaining things in detail, Luke. It really helps. I didn’t know where to start, if I’m being honest.’
‘Hey, it’s my job. If you are happy to accept that the plaster has to be remedied first, then it will probably take about a week in total, with drying time, before you can paint over it. However, that won’t stop me from laying the flooring, assuming you pick something that is a stock item. It’s a pity you don’t have enough money to replace the downstairs windows, too, as that will be quite a messy job at some point in the future. But it’s a costly one.’
‘I think I need a strong coffee, will you join me?’ She’s frowning again, but maybe she has a headache. It’s been a lot to take in.
‘That would be great, thanks.’
‘I’ll just pop up to check on Maya – can you carry these biscuits through to the sitting room? We might as well make ourselves comfortable. Back in a couple of minutes.’
I watch her walk across to the staircase, stooping to take off those dusty socks, and then taking each step carefully to move soundlessly up to check on her daughter.
Even though they are two instead of three, this is still a good life for them both. It’s not perfect, but Elana is clearly a survivor.
I head off to the sitting room, put the small tray on the coffee table and then make my way out to the downstairs cloakroom, phone in hand.
‘Dad, it’s me. I’m at Bay Tree still, so I’ll be quick. The lady asked me to price up the outstanding work. She only has a small budget, so she can’t afford to have all of it done immediately. Is there anything we can do for her?’
‘This is the widow lady, right?’
‘Yep.’
‘Up to you, my son. There’s always flexibility in the price if you’re prepared to do it yourself, or I can help out. If it requires Andy or Greg’s involvement, then obviously it has to be the going rate. It’s the extra petrol, pulling them off other jobs, etc. You know the score.’
‘Thanks, Dad. I’ll talk to you about it tomorrow.’
When I return to the sitting room Elana is curled up on the sofa, having changed into leggings and an over-sized jumper. I don’t make a comment because it’s not my place, but she looks very different. Amazing, even.
‘She’s sound asleep. I needed to get out of my work clothes, too. I hope you don’t mind. It’s time to relax.’
‘It’s a long day when you have a kiddie around. That had never crossed my mind before Joe came along.’
I lower myself onto the sofa opposite her, taking the mug of coffee she’s holding out to me.
‘Here’s to an action plan,’ she says, raising her own mug in the air and I do the same.
‘Look, I’ll be straight with you. Most of the work here is stuff I can do without any help. Labour is costly and usually the only way to save money is on the materials. Like you have cheaper flooring, or things are made good rather than being replaced. I think we can help each other out a little here.’
I hope that didn’t come across as sounding dodgy. Her reaction is merely a blink, she’s still curled up and hugging the coffee mug in her hands as if to warm them.
‘Sounds interesting. Tell me more.’
I lean forward, placing my mug back onto the tray and clear my throat.
‘I have a lot of free time, except for Saturdays. Being able to earn a little money on the side would be very helpful at this moment in time. You’ll get more for your money because I won’t have to charge you the firm’s usual hourly rate IF you’re prepared for me to work outside of normal hours.’
Elana is watching me, her eyes scanning my face.
‘But it’s a family business you work in, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, and that presents another problem. We’re committed right through until early March. Admittedly, after that we could then have two people working here, but it’s still a wait.’
‘Ah, and you’ve just been kind enough to sort my other issues, which have, no doubt, put you behind on the jobs you should have been