Well hello there to the people that come here from http://forum.homeone.com.au/ expecting to see us building an Allworth Lachlan Elite.
Much has happened since my last post (I know I've been very slack).
We haven't seen another block of land that we like / could afford lately... so the dream of building our home seems to be just a little beyond our reach.
We've seen 2 houses in particular that we like enough to contact the agent for an interior visit (as opposed to the regular drive bys).
I like to believe in fate... because each time I've rang to talk to the agent I've been told that a) the house sale is due to settle this week... and b) the owners accepted an offer on the weekend!
Each time this has happened we have just decided that it wasn't meant to be.
Just on another, more positive, note... WE HAVE A BUYER FOR BRUCE'S HOUSE!!!
A lovely lady called Betty has paid a deposit! Her daughter lives just 3 doors away so it's a perfect situation for her. She started packing the day she saw Bruce's place and her house was on the market the next day!
They had an open day in the first week... and their agent has suggested that the area is very popular so they don't expect it to be on the market for too long.
So it would appear that we will be cashed up and ready to move very soon. All we have to do is settle on what we want to do. It is going to come down to what's available and how much we love it.
Bruce says he's "flip flopping" between building vs. buying and suburban block vs. acreage!
We like the idea of having a bit of space between us and the neighbours... but then someone has to look after all that land and with us both working... will we regret going down that path?
We will need some yard as we are going to get married in it once we've settled in!
So the journey continues... who knows where it will end?
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
It just wasn't meant to be...
Well... it's been a little while since I've posted.
The biggest news is that the block of land we had our eyes on has sold. In fact, the real estate website says "Under Offer" so it's fairly certain we have missed the boat on this one.
I'm a firm believer in that things happen for a reason. If we were truly meant to have that block... it would be sitting there waiting for us when we were cashed up and ready to buy. So it's back to square 2 (square 1 was picking the builder/house).
Strangely... neither one of us are really disappointed. Bruce admitted that he'd have liked a slightly larger block with a bit more room on each side of the house. I added that I was worried about how much road noise we would hear from a road behind the houses that were across the street.
So... someone else now has the problem of building on that block. They will have to jump through all the hoops the Council wants with regard to the RAAF noise. Double glazed windows / extra ceiling and wall insulation / solid doors / thicker gyprock... etc etc etc.
One other thing that the new owners might have to contend with is a family of plovers that has taken up residence on the block. They are not a bird to be tangled with. Have a look at this for "built in weaponry"!!
The biggest news is that the block of land we had our eyes on has sold. In fact, the real estate website says "Under Offer" so it's fairly certain we have missed the boat on this one.
I'm a firm believer in that things happen for a reason. If we were truly meant to have that block... it would be sitting there waiting for us when we were cashed up and ready to buy. So it's back to square 2 (square 1 was picking the builder/house).
Strangely... neither one of us are really disappointed. Bruce admitted that he'd have liked a slightly larger block with a bit more room on each side of the house. I added that I was worried about how much road noise we would hear from a road behind the houses that were across the street.
So... someone else now has the problem of building on that block. They will have to jump through all the hoops the Council wants with regard to the RAAF noise. Double glazed windows / extra ceiling and wall insulation / solid doors / thicker gyprock... etc etc etc.
One other thing that the new owners might have to contend with is a family of plovers that has taken up residence on the block. They are not a bird to be tangled with. Have a look at this for "built in weaponry"!!
That photo was taken with a very long lens... :-)
The last few times I've been to the block... I haven't been able to get more than 2 meters across the footpath before they take to the air and start dive bombing. I believe they mate for life and they come back to the same place to have their babies each year... so imagine them deciding that they liked your back yard!!
So... where to from here?
We've decided that we'll try to concentrate on selling Bruce's place before we worry too much about what's available elsewhere.
We've also done a flyer to deliver to every mailbox in Bayway Village too. Most of the people that have looked at the house so far are either friends or relatives of people that live in the park.
Once we've sold that... we'll look at what's available and then decide if we are building or buying a house.
I love the thought of having something completely new that we've watched rise from the dirt. However, the appeal of buying something and not having to wait so long for it to be built is there too.
At this point I really don't know what we'll end up doing.
What I do know is that we'll do it together and we'll be happy either way.
It's great to be making such huge decisions with someone and knowing that they think the same way you do. Our dreams / doubts / plans / ideas / worries / thoughts and goals are the same...
We could live in a tent and I'd be happy.
There are some things that money just can't buy!!!
Carol
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The Move is Done
Well Bruce and I are now officially living together. It's taken us 4 years to get to this point but we both believe this is where we are meant to be - together.
The move has gone exceptionally well. Nothing has been a drama! Even the things I was avoiding the most worked perfectly.
Things like...
Merging the TV's and DVD's - this was so simple and everything is working like a dream now. Perhaps we should be in business setting up people's TV's etc!!!
Two computers - no problem. We bought a switch box from Officeworks and so now we have 1 monitor, 1 keyboard/mouse, 1 set of speakers and 2 computers. All we have to do is push a button to go from one computer to the other... like magic!
Two fishtanks - the guppy babies are fine - as I mentioned in my other post. The big tank has relocated very easily too. Because stress can cause "white spot" we decided to treat the tank to try to avoid it. This has worked - even at the half dose we had to use because of the clown loaches - however the clown loaches have gone to God (seems the half dose was still too much).
So... besides the aquatic sadness... everything else is fantastic.
We had Bruce's girls (Kimberly & Maddi) here for a week and everyone had plenty of room to move around the house without falling over boxes or each other.
Our 3 bedroom house is now really only 1.4 bedrooms - but we are as happy as can be.
One step closer to BUILDING!!!!!
Now all we have to do is be successful real estate agents and sell Bruce's house.
We've made a website to achieve this (feel free to share it around).
www.283waratah-bayway.blogspot.com
Someone has just told me that we can do a free listing on realestate.com.au too... so there's no guessing what we'll be looking at on the net tonight hey!
Don't you just love the internet!!!!! What did we ever do without it???
The move has gone exceptionally well. Nothing has been a drama! Even the things I was avoiding the most worked perfectly.
Things like...
Merging the TV's and DVD's - this was so simple and everything is working like a dream now. Perhaps we should be in business setting up people's TV's etc!!!
Two computers - no problem. We bought a switch box from Officeworks and so now we have 1 monitor, 1 keyboard/mouse, 1 set of speakers and 2 computers. All we have to do is push a button to go from one computer to the other... like magic!
Two fishtanks - the guppy babies are fine - as I mentioned in my other post. The big tank has relocated very easily too. Because stress can cause "white spot" we decided to treat the tank to try to avoid it. This has worked - even at the half dose we had to use because of the clown loaches - however the clown loaches have gone to God (seems the half dose was still too much).
So... besides the aquatic sadness... everything else is fantastic.
We had Bruce's girls (Kimberly & Maddi) here for a week and everyone had plenty of room to move around the house without falling over boxes or each other.
Our 3 bedroom house is now really only 1.4 bedrooms - but we are as happy as can be.
One step closer to BUILDING!!!!!
Now all we have to do is be successful real estate agents and sell Bruce's house.
We've made a website to achieve this (feel free to share it around).
www.283waratah-bayway.blogspot.com
Someone has just told me that we can do a free listing on realestate.com.au too... so there's no guessing what we'll be looking at on the net tonight hey!
Don't you just love the internet!!!!! What did we ever do without it???
Saturday, October 10, 2009
1 down 1 to go...
Well we've been busy this last week (when we haven't been at work) shifting stuff from Bruce's place to mine. The outdoor area at my place is full of everything that was in Bruce's shed at his place. The 2nd bedroom here is almost full. We'll be filling it to the brim this weekend after we move some of the last big things down (fridge, desk, lounge etc).
One thing that has relocated without any dramas at all has been the first of our fish tanks. We successfully rehoused the guppy babies from the old hexagonal tank to the newer Aqua One tank. So they now live on the filing cabinet next to my desk.
You can't see it very well in that photo - so have a look in the next one - there are 25 babies in that tank!
They were surprisingly easy to catch in the old tank. They are so inquisitive so as soon as we put the container into the tank to catch them they swam over to see what was going on (food???)
So they are all settled and very happy to be in their new home. Some are already bigger than they were just a few days ago!!
Today we are relocating the bigger tank... so when it's all set up I'll put up some more photos!
Off to do more moving now!!!
One thing that has relocated without any dramas at all has been the first of our fish tanks. We successfully rehoused the guppy babies from the old hexagonal tank to the newer Aqua One tank. So they now live on the filing cabinet next to my desk.
You can't see it very well in that photo - so have a look in the next one - there are 25 babies in that tank!
They were surprisingly easy to catch in the old tank. They are so inquisitive so as soon as we put the container into the tank to catch them they swam over to see what was going on (food???)
So they are all settled and very happy to be in their new home. Some are already bigger than they were just a few days ago!!
Today we are relocating the bigger tank... so when it's all set up I'll put up some more photos!
Off to do more moving now!!!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Disappointed
It seems like we’ve taken 3 steps forward this week and 2 steps back.
The sale of Bruce’s house has fallen through.
The guy that wanted to buy it is now having trouble raising the extra funds. Something about black marks at the Credit Reference Association and a dispute with Optus over a duplicate account. So he’s buying a place at the other end of the street instead. Good luck to him.
In the meantime... we are still packing.
The house is going to be easier to sell if it’s empty... so Bruce will move to my house as planned and it’s back to the drawing board with regard to our “house selling blitz/campaign”!
We plan to do some mini renovations to the house... new screens on some of the windows (hail damaged)... maybe some new carpet... not sure about new curtains as that’s a personal preference thing. After the major dust storms we’ve had there’s a fair bit of external cleaning to do too. And I might put in a few more plants too. Perhaps some impatiens to block the view under the house and give a nice soft edge... (Bruce says “we’ll see” – which is his way of saying “I don't think so”). I think it will improve the whole visual appeal... so it might happen one day while he’s at work... ;-)
We have a deadline for the sale - 31 December 2009. There’s a 50% discount on stamp duty that will save us thousands – and it expires at the end of this year. So we need to get our new house moving before then! No pressure at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Over at my place it’s filling up rapidly. I’m sure we’ll fit it all in. The girls will be sharing a bed on their weekends... and at this stage we are hoping we’ll be able to leave that bed set up in the 3rd bedroom so they can sleep behind a closed door (instead of on a mattress in the lounge room). It all depends on how much stuff we can sqeeze into the 2nd bedroom.
This weekend is the final move and we have 2 lounge chairs, a fridge, a queen size bed, a double bunk with 2 mattresses, a desk, a bookcase, a washing machine and a TV unit to fit into a room that’s already half full. Let’s just say there will be some box shuffling happening this week in readiness for the weekend’s influx of furniture.
Oh wow... you know I do my best thinking in the shower... and when I’m typing!!! I just came up with a space saving idea!!! So I’m off to email it to Bruce to see what he thinks.
We can do it. We can do it. We can do it.
The sale of Bruce’s house has fallen through.
The guy that wanted to buy it is now having trouble raising the extra funds. Something about black marks at the Credit Reference Association and a dispute with Optus over a duplicate account. So he’s buying a place at the other end of the street instead. Good luck to him.
In the meantime... we are still packing.
The house is going to be easier to sell if it’s empty... so Bruce will move to my house as planned and it’s back to the drawing board with regard to our “house selling blitz/campaign”!
We plan to do some mini renovations to the house... new screens on some of the windows (hail damaged)... maybe some new carpet... not sure about new curtains as that’s a personal preference thing. After the major dust storms we’ve had there’s a fair bit of external cleaning to do too. And I might put in a few more plants too. Perhaps some impatiens to block the view under the house and give a nice soft edge... (Bruce says “we’ll see” – which is his way of saying “I don't think so”). I think it will improve the whole visual appeal... so it might happen one day while he’s at work... ;-)
We have a deadline for the sale - 31 December 2009. There’s a 50% discount on stamp duty that will save us thousands – and it expires at the end of this year. So we need to get our new house moving before then! No pressure at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Over at my place it’s filling up rapidly. I’m sure we’ll fit it all in. The girls will be sharing a bed on their weekends... and at this stage we are hoping we’ll be able to leave that bed set up in the 3rd bedroom so they can sleep behind a closed door (instead of on a mattress in the lounge room). It all depends on how much stuff we can sqeeze into the 2nd bedroom.
This weekend is the final move and we have 2 lounge chairs, a fridge, a queen size bed, a double bunk with 2 mattresses, a desk, a bookcase, a washing machine and a TV unit to fit into a room that’s already half full. Let’s just say there will be some box shuffling happening this week in readiness for the weekend’s influx of furniture.
Oh wow... you know I do my best thinking in the shower... and when I’m typing!!! I just came up with a space saving idea!!! So I’m off to email it to Bruce to see what he thinks.
We can do it. We can do it. We can do it.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Good News!!!
Well it looks like we may have a buyer for Bruce's place already. We had plans to do a letter box drop... and a web page... and now none of that is necessary!
A couple came to look at the outside of the house yesterday while Bruce was at work and told our neighbour they would be back this morning. Just before 9am they were here and within 10 minutes they had made an offer!
After a bit of talking... negotiating... we are prepared to accept an offer that is just $5K under what Bruce had hoped to get for the place.
The scary part is the time line. Today is the 19th and the guy would ideally like to move in on 30th... that's when he will have the money and when he has to move. That's also just 11 days away!!! Even though we've already been packing/cleaning there still so much to do!
What a head spin this is. We haven't even officially accepted the offer yet and we are making lists of address changes... things to do... people to ring...
We both also need to get some time off next week so we can pack/move/clean... (Bruce is on the phone now doing that)
There's a whole shed full of camping gear and a lifetime of "stuff" to go through. We also have 3 fish tanks to be relocated. One of our guppies just had babies a few weeks ago and they are so small it's going to be fun finding them all to make the move!
Anyway... I'm off to make the list bigger... and then go and pack some boxes!!!!!
The news is good but it's daunting at the same time.
Carol & Bruce
A couple came to look at the outside of the house yesterday while Bruce was at work and told our neighbour they would be back this morning. Just before 9am they were here and within 10 minutes they had made an offer!
After a bit of talking... negotiating... we are prepared to accept an offer that is just $5K under what Bruce had hoped to get for the place.
The scary part is the time line. Today is the 19th and the guy would ideally like to move in on 30th... that's when he will have the money and when he has to move. That's also just 11 days away!!! Even though we've already been packing/cleaning there still so much to do!
What a head spin this is. We haven't even officially accepted the offer yet and we are making lists of address changes... things to do... people to ring...
We both also need to get some time off next week so we can pack/move/clean... (Bruce is on the phone now doing that)
There's a whole shed full of camping gear and a lifetime of "stuff" to go through. We also have 3 fish tanks to be relocated. One of our guppies just had babies a few weeks ago and they are so small it's going to be fun finding them all to make the move!
Anyway... I'm off to make the list bigger... and then go and pack some boxes!!!!!
The news is good but it's daunting at the same time.
Carol & Bruce
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Hopeful
As mentioned in my last post, we have to sell Bruce's house before we can move forward with OUR new house.
He has a very cosy 2 bedroom house at Bayway Village at Fern Bay (relocatable home park).
For those that don't know - Fern Bay is a Newcastle suburb - next to Stockton. Stockton has the most amazing beach (I'll add some photos to this message later). The Newcastle Airport is only 5-10 minutes along the road in one direction and Newcastle is 10 minutes in the other direction.
"Bayway" has a small country town friendly feeling about it. Everyone says "Hi" as they pass you and you never really feel alone (it's a gated community so it's very secure for someone living alone).
There's a kids playground and a pool just a few minutes walk from his house. There's also a bowling green, tennis courts and a "community hall" that I believe you can book for parties etc.
Anyway, it's served him very well for the time that he's been there... but it's time to move on to something that will fit the both of us.
We have a "for sale" sign in the kitchen window that has generated a few lookers.
In fact we had some ladies come through today looking at the place. Bruce seems hopeful that something might come of it.
These houses sell without all the legal requirements and charges that a normal house has so we plan to sell it ourselves (no real estate agent commission!!!).
Our strategy is to take lots of photos and create a flyer. Then we'll do a letterbox drop around the park and the nearby area. We might even do a webpage and email the link to everyone we know.
So - if you know anyone in the Newcastle area that is looking for a bit of a sea change or is wanting to downsize as they get older (but not move into a retirement home yet) then leave us a message!!!
It's exciting to think that we might be moving one step closer to OUR PLACE.
Bruce's daughters, Kimberly (15) and Maddie (almost 11), are beyond excited at the prospect of having a room of their own in the new house. We plan to have a girlie day out shopping for things to decorate their rooms the way they want them.
I'll put a link here to the "for sale" webpage when we do it.
In the meantime... we'll keep our fingers crossed that we sell it quickly.
We want to be in the new house by Christmas 2010.
HO HO HO (hopeful)
He has a very cosy 2 bedroom house at Bayway Village at Fern Bay (relocatable home park).
For those that don't know - Fern Bay is a Newcastle suburb - next to Stockton. Stockton has the most amazing beach (I'll add some photos to this message later). The Newcastle Airport is only 5-10 minutes along the road in one direction and Newcastle is 10 minutes in the other direction.
"Bayway" has a small country town friendly feeling about it. Everyone says "Hi" as they pass you and you never really feel alone (it's a gated community so it's very secure for someone living alone).
There's a kids playground and a pool just a few minutes walk from his house. There's also a bowling green, tennis courts and a "community hall" that I believe you can book for parties etc.
Anyway, it's served him very well for the time that he's been there... but it's time to move on to something that will fit the both of us.
We have a "for sale" sign in the kitchen window that has generated a few lookers.
In fact we had some ladies come through today looking at the place. Bruce seems hopeful that something might come of it.
These houses sell without all the legal requirements and charges that a normal house has so we plan to sell it ourselves (no real estate agent commission!!!).
Our strategy is to take lots of photos and create a flyer. Then we'll do a letterbox drop around the park and the nearby area. We might even do a webpage and email the link to everyone we know.
So - if you know anyone in the Newcastle area that is looking for a bit of a sea change or is wanting to downsize as they get older (but not move into a retirement home yet) then leave us a message!!!
It's exciting to think that we might be moving one step closer to OUR PLACE.
Bruce's daughters, Kimberly (15) and Maddie (almost 11), are beyond excited at the prospect of having a room of their own in the new house. We plan to have a girlie day out shopping for things to decorate their rooms the way they want them.
I'll put a link here to the "for sale" webpage when we do it.
In the meantime... we'll keep our fingers crossed that we sell it quickly.
We want to be in the new house by Christmas 2010.
HO HO HO (hopeful)
Sunday, August 30, 2009
It's all happening!
I guess a bit of background is in order first...
I'm Carol and my fiance is Bruce. We've been together for almost 4 years and he finally popped the question on 3 July.
We've lived apart all this time (long story) but now we are looking at building our first home together.
We initially thought we'd rent... then decided to buy... and now we are building.
Nothing signed yet... but we have found our builder (Allworth Homes) and we have found our house (Lachlan Elite). We've looked at so many builders and designs and have not found one that even comes close to ticking as many of our boxes as this one does.
We like that this is an L shape design... so we can build a verandah that will overlook the backyard/pool. Also, the "activities room" is where the bar and pool table will be and it's nowhere near the bedrooms!!
Now all we have to do is sell Bruce's place, borrow a stack of money and buy some land.
Land... hmmm...
The house we have chosen needs a slightly wider block than most we have looked at. We have found a block for sale not far from Bruce's work (or mine) and it looks perfect.
I'm Carol and my fiance is Bruce. We've been together for almost 4 years and he finally popped the question on 3 July.
We've lived apart all this time (long story) but now we are looking at building our first home together.
We initially thought we'd rent... then decided to buy... and now we are building.
Nothing signed yet... but we have found our builder (Allworth Homes) and we have found our house (Lachlan Elite). We've looked at so many builders and designs and have not found one that even comes close to ticking as many of our boxes as this one does.
We like that this is an L shape design... so we can build a verandah that will overlook the backyard/pool. Also, the "activities room" is where the bar and pool table will be and it's nowhere near the bedrooms!!
Now all we have to do is sell Bruce's place, borrow a stack of money and buy some land.
Land... hmmm...
The house we have chosen needs a slightly wider block than most we have looked at. We have found a block for sale not far from Bruce's work (or mine) and it looks perfect.
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