Back The New House Save as PDF
Chapters (81)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for Tess Stimson
  3. Dedication
  4. part one
  5. chapter 01
  6. chapter 02
  7. chapter 03
  8. chapter 04
  9. chapter 05
  10. chapter 06
  11. chapter 07
  12. chapter 08
  13. chapter 09
  14. chapter 10
  15. chapter 11
  16. chapter 12
  17. chapter 13
  18. chapter 14
  19. chapter 15
  20. chapter 16
  21. chapter 17
  22. chapter 18
  23. chapter 19
  24. chapter 20
  25. chapter 21
  26. chapter 22
  27. chapter 23
  28. chapter 24
  29. chapter 25
  30. chapter 26
  31. chapter 27
  32. chapter 28
  33. chapter 29
  34. chapter 30
  35. chapter 31
  36. chapter 32
  37. chapter 33
  38. chapter 34
  39. chapter 35
  40. chapter 36
  41. part two
  42. chapter 37
  43. chapter 38
  44. chapter 39
  45. chapter 40
  46. chapter 41
  47. chapter 42
  48. chapter 43
  49. chapter 44
  50. chapter 45
  51. chapter 46
  52. chapter 47
  53. chapter 48
  54. chapter 49
  55. part three
  56. chapter 50
  57. chapter 51
  58. chapter 52
  59. chapter 53
  60. chapter 54
  61. chapter 55
  62. chapter 56
  63. chapter 57
  64. chapter 58
  65. chapter 59
  66. chapter 60
  67. chapter 61
  68. chapter 62
  69. chapter 63
  70. chapter 64
  71. chapter 65
  72. chapter 66
  73. chapter 67
  74. chapter 68
  75. part four
  76. chapter 69
  77. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  78. Keep Reading …
  79. About the Author
  80. By the same author:
  81. About the Publisher

We’re at the end of a row of classic Fulham terraced houses painted in delicate pastel shades of periwinkle and lemon and mint green, which means we only have neighbours on one side of us, so more light, less noise. You can get into the garden directly from the side street rather than having to go through the house, a boon when you have to deal with pushchairs and bicycles and all the rest of the paraphernalia that comes with children.

We had to renovate from top to bottom when we moved in eight years ago: we were among the last in our street to dig out the basement, but doing so increased our square footage – and property value – by thirty percent overnight. I had a floor-to-ceiling glass light well put in where the side return used to be, extending down into the basement and up through each of the three main floors of the house: the architect was sceptical, but it was more than worth the cost.

Smoked oak flooring. A Chesney fireplace, bespoke kitchen cabinets, Miele appliances and Carrara marble, a walkout rooftop terrace. Our asking price is simultaneously audacious and reasonable.

We’re going to need every penny to buy the Glass House.

To be honest, I’m surprised a couple in their late twenties with two young children can afford a house anywhere near our price point, but apparently they’re successful lifestyle vloggers with their own Instagram and YouTube channel, KyperLife, an irritating portmanteau of their names. The woman’s been videoing herself as they’ve viewed the house, despite me asking her not to – I don’t want our kids’ bedrooms all over the internet.

They’re holding hands now as they gaze at the house from the garden. It’s clear they love it. They’re already feeling a stirring of possessiveness as they imagine where they’ll put their furniture.

When they come back inside, he’s the one who reaches me first, squaring over-muscled shoulders and extending his hand with a simulacrum of spousal authority, but she’s the one in charge. It’s always the woman who picks the house.

‘Kyle Conway,’ he says. ‘This is my wife, Harper.’

‘Pleased to meet you,’ she says.

He gestures around the sitting room. ‘Julia says you renovated the whole house, top to bottom,’ he says. ‘You’ve done an amazing job.’

‘The previous owner hadn’t touched it in forty years,’ I say. ‘Some of the rooms didn’t even have light fittings. It was easier to rip everything down to the studs and start again than try to fix it.’

I try not to wince as Harper scratches hot pink acrylic nails across the textured sisal wallpaper, a hungry look in her eyes. ‘It must be hard to sell after all the work you’ve put in,’ she says.