Following the sad end to John Trowell’s long occupation of the flat above the club, we had to decide on the best way to maximise the benefit it could give to our members. John had for many years given us all great service every bridge evening by looking after the refreshments and he had also acted as caretaker and gardener. We decided that trying to find someone else willing to do all this would be very difficult and that a better way forward was to maximise the clubs revenues by renting the flat out at the best possible rates. The need to protect our income was made more urgent by the fact that the downstairs room, which had for the last few years given us some income, was not wanted any more by our current user.
We decided that we needed help from an expert, so we approached three agencies that specialised in flat rental in the Reading area. We chose Elwes, a local firm, to help. They confirmed that if the flat could be refurbished to a very high standard it could be let out to a professional couple (no pets, no children and preferably non smokers) who wanted easy access to the station and to the many businesses in Reading. The flat was in a very sad state, not having been touched for many years. We were very lucky to find someone (recommended by Hedy Brown) who could undertake the work at a reasonable cost. This was no simple decorating task, the roof was leaking, the ceilings collapsing, the windows did not open, the wiring was well beyond its useful life, there was no central heating or hot water, the kitchen and bathroom were very old fashioned and needed to be gutted and totally replaced.
Barrie (the jack of all trades who did all the work) completed the task over a six month period. This, plus lots of work to choose carpets, curtains, dish washer, washing machine, fridge / freezer, the fitted kitchen, the bathroom units, has resulted in the flat being ready to rent by August the first. Elwes were also doing their job and ensured that the flat was safe (Corgi certification was essential), clean and up to the standard required by a demanding client. We also had to make sure that the services were all OK, the TV aerial installed and the telephone line properly connected (the flat has a study with lots of power points and telephone connections), again aiming to attract a high rent and good tenants.The efforts have paid off and Elwes have done well to get our new tenants installed and paying rent at the first possible opportunity. The inventory and rental agreements have been signed and the rent is already being collected. The first tenants are South Africans, Evan works for Microsoft and Caroline in Fleet Street. Of course with so much work having been done there have been many small matters that we have had to resolve; if you are paying a good rent for a quality flat you want everything to work and be up to standard.
We have not finished yet, the hall way is to be decorated so that the new carpets will not look out of place and we will all be able to play in comfortable and well maintained surroundings. The garden also has to be brought under control and we are getting quotes from various gardeners.
So far we have spent over £20,000. We have been able to do so because of the willingness of many of our members to support the club with loans, which we will start to repay in the next year. To all who have helped, a very big thank you. It is also worth remembering that we can all help to keep the club looking good by treating it with respect and care.
I look forward to the garden being reclaimed and to a future in which we live amicably with the tenants that are now so important to our clubs financial security.
Mike Ribbins, Chairman (October 2002)
In the account above Mike omits to say that the management of the project was carried out virtually entirely by himself. The club is very grateful for his efforts on its behalf.