SAG -Chapter 31 Finding the Right House

Early the next morning, Zhang Sicheng and Liu Lu finished breakfast and left for work as usual.

Zhang Ran first took the two children to school.

He had originally planned to spend the morning wandering around, but before long he received a call from Meng Xin.

“Mr. Zhang, I’ve found a few more properties. Are you available to view them now?”

“Sure,” Zhang Ran replied.

“Give me the address, and we’ll head over.”

“The first one is still in Azure Garden. I’ve already picked up the keys. I’ll wait for you there.”

After hanging up, Zhang Ran immediately called Meng Mingxuan, and the two headed out together.

“Morning, Uncle Zhang.”

Meng Mingxuan greeted him.

It was obvious he hadn’t slept well the night before.

Zhang Ran casually asked, “Have you had breakfast?”

“Not yet.”

Meng Mingxuan grinned.

“Why don’t you go look at the house first while I grab something to eat?”

To be honest, he found house hunting incredibly boring.

And whenever he was around Zhang Ran, he always felt an inexplicable pressure.

Whether it came from growing up hearing stories about Zhang Ran or something else, he couldn’t quite tell.

Zhang Ran glanced at him.

“It’s fine. Missing one or two meals won’t hurt a young man.”

“From now on, go to bed early and get up early. Then you won’t have to skip breakfast.”

Meng Mingxuan’s face immediately fell.

It looked like breakfast wasn’t happening today.

When they arrived at Azure Garden, Meng Xin was already waiting outside the main gate.

The moment she saw them, she hurried over.

“Mr. Zhang, this way please.”

As she led them inside, she introduced today’s first property.

“This one is an unfinished unit, but it’s on the first floor of Phase One in Azure Garden.”

“It comes with a private garden and a basement.”

“The layout and location are excellent.”

“The interior area is 143 square meters…”

In truth, Meng Xin wasn’t particularly optimistic about this listing.

There were two reasons.

First, it was expensive.

Second, it was still a bare-shell apartment.

The main reason she had chosen to show this property first was to establish a price comparison.

It was a common sales tactic.

By first showing an expensive property, clients often adjusted their expectations before viewing more affordable options.

Zhang Ran simply nodded.

“Let’s see it first.”

But when they arrived…

Zhang Ran’s eyes immediately lit up.

The house sat almost in the center of the community.

The distance between neighboring buildings was generous.

Just beyond the front yard lay the community’s central garden.

Meng Xin smiled.

“Mr. Zhang, although this is a first-floor unit, the natural lighting is excellent.”

“You could say this is the best location in the entire development.”

They were standing directly in front of the property.

Outside stretched a 100-square-meter private garden.

She continued enthusiastically, “You could install a door here leading directly from the living room.”

“When you have free time, you could grow flowers or plants.”

“You could even build a sunroom here. It would be a wonderful addition.”

Meng Xin was clearly good at her job.

Once she started describing a property, the words flowed effortlessly.

“Let’s go inside.”

Zhang Ran said.

Meng Xin led them indoors and began introducing the layout.

“This is a classic three-bedroom, two-living-room, two-bathroom design.”

“The master bedroom has its own private bathroom.”

“The apartment has excellent cross-ventilation.”

“Two bedrooms face south.”

“This is considered one of the best floor plans.”

Almost immediately, Zhang Ran fell in love with the property.

The layout was perfectly balanced.

There was a private garden.

More importantly…

There were two basement levels.

The first basement level featured three south-facing rooms with skylights.

Even during the daytime, they received plenty of natural light without needing lamps.

The second basement level was somewhat smaller.

Still…

It was more than large enough for both a home theater and a private bar.

Originally, Zhang Ran had only intended to buy an ordinary three-bedroom apartment.

But the moment he saw this one…

He knew.

It simply felt right.

With a property like this, there would never be concerns about running out of space in the future.

Nor would the family have to worry about feeling cramped.

If necessary…

He could even live in the first basement himself.

Although it received a little less sunlight, he only needed it as a bedroom.

And then there was the 100-square-meter garden.

He already had plans for how to use it.

After carefully touring the house two or three times, Meng Xin finally asked, “Mr. Zhang, what do you think?”

It was simply standard sales procedure.

Every agent asked this after a viewing.

She hadn’t expected much.

In fact, she was already preparing to take them to the next property.

Instead…

She heard Zhang Ran say, “We’ll take this one.”

“How much is it?”

Meng Xin froze.

Then delight and nervousness appeared on her face simultaneously.

This property wasn’t cheap.

She quickly tried to prepare him mentally.

“Mr. Zhang, because it includes a garden and two basement levels, the unit price is somewhat higher.”

Zhang Ran smiled.

“I understand.”

“Just tell me the price.”

“I’ll decide whether I can accept it.”

Seeing he wasn’t joking, Meng Xin grew genuinely excited.

“The registered floor area is 143.8 square meters.”

“Neither the garden nor the basements are included in the official deed.”

“The total usable space is over 300 square meters.”

“The owner is asking 11.2 million yuan, which works out to roughly 78,000 yuan per square meter.”

After stating the price, she nervously watched Zhang Ran.

When she saw him about to speak, she quickly added, “By the way…”

“Will you be taking out a mortgage, or paying in full?”

Zhang Ran looked at her curiously.

“Does that make a difference?”

Meng Xin smiled.

“The owner’s position is that if it’s a full cash payment, the price is negotiable.”

Her meaning was obvious.

Whether it was cash or a mortgage, there was always room for negotiation.

She simply couldn’t phrase it that directly.

To be honest…

She hadn’t expected Zhang Ran to even consider paying the full amount.

Zhang Ran understood exactly what she meant.

He answered casually, “Cash.”

“When is the owner available?”

“Let’s sit down and talk.”

Meng Xin froze for another moment.

Then her heartbeat accelerated wildly.

If this sale went through…

She wouldn’t need to work for the next six months.

Looking at Zhang Ran now, he didn’t seem to regard eleven million yuan as a particularly large sum.

Apparently…

Both she and her coworkers had completely misjudged him.

He wasn’t merely a friend of some rich second-generation heir.

He seemed to be one himself.

Just one who preferred dressing like an ordinary person.

“I’ll call the owner right away.”

She hurried off while speaking.

“Please wait a moment.”

Stepping aside, she quickly dialed the owner’s number and explained the situation.

A few minutes later she returned, struggling to suppress her excitement.

“Mr. Zhang, the owner is available right now.”

“Why don’t we head back to the office first?”

“He said he’ll arrive in about thirty minutes.”

Meng Xin knew this business well.

When buyers and sellers agreed to sit down immediately, the odds of closing the deal were extremely high.

By contrast…

When buyers said they’d “go home and think about it” or “come back in a few days,” the success rate dropped dramatically.

After all…

Buying a house was, in many ways, an impulse purchase.

Once buyers went home, they’d begin second-guessing everything.

Their psychological budget would gradually shrink.

Negotiations would become much more difficult.

That was why…

Being able to sit down and negotiate immediately was the best possible outcome.