OK it's been a while (I've been slack - well no, actually I've been busy) so I'd better try and catch up on everything
A few weeks ago while house-hunting we looked at a place that we thought was quite nice. I phoned the real estate agent during the week and asked him to fax me the paperwork to check out. He never faxed it and I never heard anything else. When I went back to look at the property online it had been taken off. So I assumed it had been sold.
Then last Friday night (the night I wrote my last journal entry) I was looking at properties online and I saw a place I liked the look of. Soon I realised it was the same place, just different pictures. And when I read the blurb it was really funny and didn't sound like anything a Real Estate agent would have written. At the bottom of the blurb it said that the vendor was selling the property himself and not going through a real estate agent. The quoted price was also lower than the Real Estate Agent's price and there was a comment saying rather than paying fees to the Agent the Vendor would pass on the savings to the buyer.
I emailed the details to Trent and said "We should go and have another look at this place". And so on the Saturday we went and had another look. We met the guy who was selling the place and his wife. He had bought the place around 5 years ago and had pretty much gutted it and started from scratch. He'd renovated the whole place to live in himself. Then he met his (now) wife and she already had her own place as well. So they decided to live in her house and sell his house. We decided that we really liked the place and so we organised with the seller to come back the next day so that our families could have a look at the place too.
That night we had a break from house business for a while. Some friends of ours have been living in England for the last 4 or 5 years and have just moved back to Australia. So we went round to their new place and had a lovely dinner and chat and lots of excellent red wine. Yummy!
The next day we went across to the house again where we met my mum, Trent's mum and my Uncle. They all seemed to like the place which was good. My Uncle has been renovating his place for years so he has a really good eye for structural integrity of houses and can spot bad workmanship a mile off. He was really impressed with the place which was a good sign.
So our families left and we went back in to negotiate with the seller and his wife. They had made us tea and coffee and had chocolate biscuits which was nice. We sat and negotiated for a bit. Then Trent and I went for a short walk to make a decision. Then we went back and negotiated some more.
It was pretty short really. We came up with a price we were all happy with and a settlement date we were all happy with. We all shook hands and then the seller popped open a bottle of French Champagne which we drank while we did all the paperwork stuff. It was soooo much nicer than having to deal with a real estate agent! I have to admit it was completely terrifying though!!!
After we left Trent phoned his mum (who had had to go to work) to tell her the good news. We then drove round to my Uncle's place where my mum, my Uncle and his girlfriend were all waiting expectantly. I said we'd bought the place and my mum screamed for joy and jumped in the air and hugged us both.
We left my Uncle's about 2pm and went and had some late lunch. We came home and had a power nap for about half an hour (it was exhausting!) and then had to get up to go to my work Christmas do.
When we got to the venue for the Christmas do there was a queue out the door. It was hot and sticky, people were smoking and the queue wasn't moving at all. We were almost ready to give up and go home when some others from work arrived. Luckily Sandra's sister works at the venue so she managed to get us all in straight past the queue. When we got in it was soo crowded and sooo hot and soo loud we just wanted to leave. We stayed for a drink or two and then said to the others that we were going outside for a bit. We went outside and walked along the wharf in the cool breeze. That was nice!
The others came out from the venue too because they were sick of it as well. We all decided to just go back to Kathy's place and get pizza instead. After the pizza we came back home and tumbled into bed. I was completely exhausted but I couldn't sleep because I was still scared and happy about buying the house.
What a weekend! Phew!!
This week has been dragging so slowly. Things are busy at work and the boss has been a bit cranky. Have also been phoning up solicitors and mortgage brokers and stuff, trying to get this house buying thing moving along. Also had to call the landlord and break the news to him that we are moving out.
Thursday night we had Trent's work Christmas Party. It was quite nice. Just a dinner at a pub/bistro type thing. Friday night I had another one of my work Christmas things which was also at a pub/bistro type thing.
Today we did not have to go house hunting and we also did not have to feel guilty about not house hunting! Amazing! It would have been nice to celebrate this fact by lying in bed all day but no such luck. We got up and started cleaning the house in a very thorough way. Man I hate house-work! Then we went out to the shops and bought some Christmas presents and started stocking up on food in preparation for Christmas Day when everyone is coming over here.
Now I know why they call it the silly season! I need a rest
This journal entry is sooooo looooooooong no-one is going to want to read it!
Mood - Same as usual - tired but happy
Music - Xmas song by Tripod
How exciting! Congratulations on it all, you must be ecstatic! Though it sounds rather strenuous... You should just sleep through Sunday - forget it exists for one weekend.
AC
A few weeks ago while house-hunting we looked at a place that we thought was quite nice. I phoned the real estate agent during the week and asked him to fax me the paperwork to check out. He never faxed it and I never heard anything else. When I went back to look at the property online it had been taken off. So I assumed it had been sold.
Then last Friday night (the night I wrote my last journal entry) I was looking at properties online and I saw a place I liked the look of. Soon I realised it was the same place, just different pictures. And when I read the blurb it was really funny and didn't sound like anything a Real Estate agent would have written. At the bottom of the blurb it said that the vendor was selling the property himself and not going through a real estate agent. The quoted price was also lower than the Real Estate Agent's price and there was a comment saying rather than paying fees to the Agent the Vendor would pass on the savings to the buyer.
I emailed the details to Trent and said "We should go and have another look at this place". And so on the Saturday we went and had another look. We met the guy who was selling the place and his wife. He had bought the place around 5 years ago and had pretty much gutted it and started from scratch. He'd renovated the whole place to live in himself. Then he met his (now) wife and she already had her own place as well. So they decided to live in her house and sell his house.
That night we had a break from house business for a while. Some friends of ours have been living in England for the last 4 or 5 years and have just moved back to Australia. So we went round to their new place and had a lovely dinner and chat and lots of excellent red wine. Yummy!
The next day we went across to the house again where we met my mum, Trent's mum and my Uncle. They all seemed to like the place which was good. My Uncle has been renovating his place for years so he has a really good eye for structural integrity of houses and can spot bad workmanship a mile off. He was really impressed with the place which was a good sign.
So our families left and we went back in to negotiate with the seller and his wife. They had made us tea and coffee and had chocolate biscuits which was nice. We sat and negotiated for a bit. Then Trent and I went for a short walk to make a decision. Then we went back and negotiated some more.
It was pretty short really. We came up with a price we were all happy with and a settlement date we were all happy with. We all shook hands and then the seller popped open a bottle of French Champagne which we drank while we did all the paperwork stuff. It was soooo much nicer than having to deal with a real estate agent! I have to admit it was completely terrifying though!!!
After we left Trent phoned his mum (who had had to go to work) to tell her the good news. We then drove round to my Uncle's place where my mum, my Uncle and his girlfriend were all waiting expectantly. I said we'd bought the place and my mum screamed for joy and jumped in the air and hugged us both.
We left my Uncle's about 2pm and went and had some late lunch. We came home and had a power nap for about half an hour (it was exhausting!) and then had to get up to go to my work Christmas do.
When we got to the venue for the Christmas do there was a queue out the door. It was hot and sticky, people were smoking and the queue wasn't moving at all. We were almost ready to give up and go home when some others from work arrived. Luckily Sandra's sister works at the venue so she managed to get us all in straight past the queue.
The others came out from the venue too because they were sick of it as well. We all decided to just go back to Kathy's place and get pizza instead.
This week has been dragging so slowly. Things are busy at work and the boss has been a bit cranky. Have also been phoning up solicitors and mortgage brokers and stuff, trying to get this house buying thing moving along. Also had to call the landlord and break the news to him that we are moving out.
Today we did not have to go house hunting and we also did not have to feel guilty about not house hunting! Amazing! It would have been nice to celebrate this fact by lying in bed all day but no such luck. We got up and started cleaning the house in a very thorough way. Man I hate house-work!
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