At two o'clock the next day we set off to view the house that is up for auction. Andy, Layla's boyfriend, is kind enough to pick us up and drive us there, so we do not have to take the bus or the train.

We drive along some narrow roads. There are houses directly at the street, with not even a pavement to separate them from the road and passing cars. If I lived in a place like this, I would be scared every time I left my front door because a car could accidentally run you over. I do not even want to imagine what it would be like if there was a car accident right in front of your house, or even worse, if a car took wrong turn and landed right in your living room.

I really hope the place I am planning on buying has a little pathway in front of it before you get to the road.

As we continue driving on, I see a sign saying we are leaving Aberystwyth. A few moments later, I spot a sign telling us that we are now entering Bow Street. This is the street that the house is supposed to be in somewhere.

We almost miss the street as it is covered by thick trees.

Andy turns up the little pathway that leads to the house I saw in the newspaper yesterday.

It only took us about seven minutes by car to get to here, so luckily it is not far away from the university.

The real-estate agent, who shows people the houses before they are sold, is already waiting for us outside the house when we arrive.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The first impression of the house from the outside is a little frightening. Layla was right, the house looks exactly like the picture in the newspaper she gave to me yesterday.

In some places there are roof tiles missing. The windows are cracked in places. The house itself must have been white at one time, but all that is left now is a horribly dirty grey colour, and moss has wound itself up most of the exterior wall. The driveway is also made up of broken tarmac, as if someone had taken a hammer and smashed up all the stones.

But still, this does not scare me off. It is a house, after all, and I have the chance to get it really cheap, cheaper than any other house. And anyway, I am pretty sure it will look good, once it is renovated and redecorated.

"Hello, welcome. My name is Declan Johnson, but please, call me Declan," the man greets us with a warm smile.

He is only a little bit taller than me and has blond curly hair. He is wearing a black suit and has a suitcase in his left hand that matches the suit perfectly.

"Hello. My name is Riley Rivers and these are Layla and Andy," I introduce us.

"Okay, and you are looking for a place all to yourself, is that right?"

"Yes. I want to have some peace and quiet. It really helps me to concentrate more on my art," I explain.

"Then this is perfect. This house is for sale with no reserve. There is no minimum bid for this house, so you can start the bidding at the price that suits you... Well then, shall we go in?" Declan asks, beckoning us to follow him.

"It's a bit creepy, don't you think?" Layla looks at me worriedly.

"Yeah, you can't seriously be thinking about moving into this dump...It's well..." Andy starts but is interrupted by Layla.

"...falling apart in all sorts of places," she finishes Andy's sentence.

"Yeah, I know, but I think with a bit of work, it could look really nice", I reply, smiling at the thought of this house being my own one day.