Madge's Super Housebuying Thread

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Madge
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Re: Madge's Super Housebuying Thread

Post by Madge »

Everything is still chugging along. The loan was approved, so we're gonna be in mountains of debt soon, yay!

The pest inspection was done and fortunately the place doesn't have termites.

It's kind of frustrating how long this is taking though! It's still gonna be another month before we get the keys, and I'm getting antsy. I want to begin attempting to make the place liveable!
Madge
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Re: Madge's Super Housebuying Thread

Post by Madge »

Oh my goodness we finally got to have another look inside the house. All of the furniture was gone! It looked so empty, but it looked huge. You could really see the chips in the paint on the walls.

The best thing we found out was that we have a HUGE walk in wardrobe with drawers. I was expecting we'd need to find some things to put our clothes in, but no, we have an even bigger wardrobe than the 7 year old house we're living in had. Pretty neat.

Also found out that our kitchen is really nice. Looking forward to cooking in it. Looking forward to getting some furniture set up.

ALSO, IT TURNS OUT WE HAVE ROSES AND A PEACH TREE. I'm excited about the roses and Paul is excited about the peach tree! Awesome.

I also got a bank cheque made up for $55,000, which is my life savings. Is it bad that holding a cheque for that much money really doesn't feel like a big thing at all? I'm really worried I'll lose the darn thing:

And here's a photo of me, Paul, and the peach tree. Also the house we bought or something:

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In three days we'll get the keys and come into possession of the house. And then some internal photos. We need to figure out where we're going to put all of our computer desks and whatnot, too. So many decisions to make!
Madge
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Re: Madge's Super Housebuying Thread

Post by Madge »

Aaand tomorrow is the big day. We and the parental units are all so excited. Started trying to sort out all the books in Paul's bedroom. We're going to have his bed as a temporary bed unit, and a mini fridge to start things off.

Minor, annoying speedbump: the 78 grand in cheques was made out to the wrong name (turns out the seller doesn't want it made to their name but to their superannuation fund, and they neglected to tell us this until 4pm the day before settlement). So we have to bring the cheques to the two separate banks tomorrow morning and get them re-done, which will probably cost $60. Seems insignificant on the scale we're working with, but every little bit counts. The settlement agent says they'll discount their fee by the replacement costs of the cheques though so not so bad.

Had lunch with my Mum yesterday, and got a couple of things from her house that used to belong to my grandfather, in particular some old "Tea/Sugar/Coffee" containers. Never really thought about it but I always was quite fond of them and they'll fit in with the house well. Also got an ash tray with a picture of a dog on it. I think we'll use it to keep keys in :P

Then spend the rest of the week changing the name on the utilities, and trying to get an internet connection hooked up.
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Re: Madge's Super Housebuying Thread

Post by AngharadTy »

At least that's a pretty small speedbump in the grand scheme of it all. A house! That seems so crazy still. Make sure to roll around on all the floors to mark your territory tomorrow.
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Madge
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Re: Madge's Super Housebuying Thread

Post by Madge »

Haven't posted for a little bit. Last week we got the keys and moved everything in! Yay!

Here's some photos of the very first day: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1108 ... 7135102273

Bad:
- The settlement agent didn't account for the $4,000 our buyer's agent charged us in the amount we needed to make cheques out for, so we had to pay that lovely "unexpected" amount there.
- The dishwasher doesn't work. It heats up but doesn't fill with water. Going to see if we can work out how to fix it.
- The recycling bin was FULL when we arrived! Meanies
- The side gate doesn't have a latch or padlock. We'll have to buy and install one. (Easy & relatively cheap)

Good:
- We have a house, yay!
- Paul's mother was appalled at how filthy the oven was, so she gave us $1,000 in cash to get a new one or get it professionally cleaned. (Wealthy in-laws.... o_____O)
- Internet should hopefully be hooked up by Monday. Excellent. May cause headaches because of old telephone wiring.
- Almost all the furniture is in place, including some stuff that has been put in since the photos above were taken
- Housewarming party on new year's eve.

To do:
- Get a planter for herbs, and figure out where to put it (totally want to put it on that shelf in the kitchen. Not sure if it will be a disaster waiting to happen, though)
- Put up pictures/etc to make it look more homely
- Setup TV/etc
- Buy a new mattress with the money we got for our engagement
- Buy a christmas tree after christmas (over here it's very, very rare to get "real" christmas trees. They're always plastic.)
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Re: Madge's Super Housebuying Thread

Post by redsea_ »

Congratulations Madge! I hope you and Paul are really happy there! I feel like it was just yesterday when I was posting here when we were both teenagers, and now you're a homeowner!

RE: Christmas Trees. I currently live in the christmas tree state (Oregon), so everyone here in Portland has awesome trees. My cousin got a 13 footer for $35 last weekend, and she got to chop it down herself. My roommate and I were just comparing the prices for trees in different places we'd lived in the U.S. and abroad last night. Is it really expensive to get a real tree in Australia, or have people just embraced the reuseable aspect of plastic trees?
Madge
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Re: Madge's Super Housebuying Thread

Post by Madge »

I know, right? I remember posting on NC when I was in high school and worrying about who may or may not have had crushes on me, and all that teenage bullshit. :P

I don't know what a real tree costs. I live in a large country town (pop: 70,000) at the moment and I've seen a few signs on the side of the road advertising trees but I don't know what they cost. I've never heard of someone I know getting a real tree. I remember as a kid seeing all the media about going to a lot, buying a tree, putting it up, cleaning it up after it's dead, and it was all very foreign.

I'm half-considering buying a tree in a pot and using it as a plant for most of the year and taking it inside during Christmas, but I think a large tree would be a better idea 'cause it would look cooler.

Quick google search shows this as being options for getting a real tree near me:
http://www.buggybuddys.com.au/magazine/ ... h_264.html

Prices ranging from $35-$180, but I'm guessing a $35 tree would be quite tiny. I've actually always wanted to try getting a real tree someday, so who knows. Maybe if my family has children we'll do it one year.

Update: My Dad got the dishwasher working. Thinks there might be a leak, so need to keep an eye out for that when we move in.
Larkspurlane
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Re: Madge's Super Housebuying Thread

Post by Larkspurlane »

Wowow, huge grats on the house, Madge!! That's awesome! You must be enjoying it so much.

We are looking to upgrade our 2 bedroom townhouse to something bigger (3 bedroom semi-detached) with a bigger yard for the greyhounds to tear up. I wish we could afford an acreage (sigh...) but it already takes me an hour to get to work, one way, from this distant suburb. ANYWAY, day dreams aside (I also want a pony) this is the place we're looking at. 410,000$, 2350 square feet, 3 bed. And an awesome deck. And it's fenced.

Tell me if any of these show up as "zomg no hotlinking!!"

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Coolest part imo, it's one of those "walk out" basements, so it's basically like getting a 3rd floor downstairs instead of your typical gloomy basement. Would have to tear up that white carpet, though, it's not going to last long with 2 hounds.

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basement from inside:

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Re: Madge's Super Housebuying Thread

Post by Jazzy »

wow, that's a really nice house! I'm quite jealous of the balcony.
Madge
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Re: Madge's Super Housebuying Thread

Post by Madge »

Goodness gracious that's a big, fancy house! Agreed on the awesomeness on the deck.

Also - is it common for back yards not to be fenced in other parts of the world? Because the thought of a house with an unfenced back yard is completely ridiculous in my mind, but I remember the babysitters club books seemed to imply that back yards were often unfenced so I don't know? Unfenced front yards are common though (in fact, we have one).

We have an internet connection at the new place now, and Paul's computer is set up so I have something to type on :). We just got a fridge yesterday and I also bought a printer. The one thing we don't have but need much more than I thought we would is a couch. Didn't realise how often you just want to sit down somewhere comfortable, and we have the choice of sitting on the bed, a dining chair, or a mattress on the floor =/

Keep meaning to take some more photos. Gotta time lapse this stuff :P
Larkspurlane
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Re: Madge's Super Housebuying Thread

Post by Larkspurlane »

I live in a brand new suburb so the builders went all out with fancy things (potlights!!) but there are much fancier units. This isn't even a single home, it's semi-detached. We can't afford a single... but desperately want a 2 car garage with all the snow we're getting this winter, so this one might be it. (I'm the one who leaves the house first so I don't get the garage... poo... I have become handy with my ice scraper however.)

My neighbourhood (& the one where this house is) is a new development so none of the houses are fenced until 1-2 years after the building is complete, in case there are issues with the foundation or anything major that needs to be corrected & would require heavy equipment rolling in near the house. After that time has passed, it still costs like 2-3k to put one in (unless you do cheap chainlink) so a lot of people don't bother, unless they have dogs. But in older, established neighbourhoods most people have fences, I think (looking at my parents' neighbourhood for e.g.)

Congrats on the fridge... haha. And I want more pics, everything in Australia looks so cool. More garden pics!

Do you have any pets Madge?? (other than the neo kind :mrgreen: )
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Madge
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Re: Madge's Super Housebuying Thread

Post by Madge »

I have three rats and a couple of small fishtanks full of guppies! They're ridiculously inbred though, but at least they're impossible to kill so that's something :P

We don't really have a garden, except, oh my god, the inlaws are so nice. I casually mentioned my plan to get self-watering planters and fill them with herbs... I get to the house a few days ago and see they've left a bag of potting soil, a self-watering planter, and some potted herbs in the back yard for me.

Out the front we have some jade trees, white roses, manky grass, and the aforementioned peach tree.

Photos:

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The computer I'm typing this from! Go internet. The internet connection is also nice and fast and unlimited. Much better than living in the country and paying $90/mo for 100GB/100GB (peak/offpeak).

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We now have a TV and hooked it up to the laptop to watch the survivor finale and how i met your mother. Also I watched some top chef. Yay :). Plus, check out my giant plush shark on the bedframe!

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Kitchen complete with new fridge! Yeah, it's filthy, still unpacking.

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Dining with pictures up! Check out the poliwag and magikarp in love. A friend had it comissioned for our engagement, because I call Paul "Pauliwag" and I'm "Madge-ikarp". It's terrible and adorable at the same time. The picture on the top left is a painting of two turtles, and I'm giving it to Josh for our breakup (to be on the 3rd of January, when I move away from Bunbury for good). I just thought it was pretty so damnit I'm displaying it in the meantime.



At your behest, I"ve taken a couple of photos of the outside area but they haven't found their way onto instant upload yet. Hopefully soon. :)
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Re: Madge's Super Housebuying Thread

Post by Marah »

Impressive houses both of you.

And Madge I also did the live in my house while I'm still cleaning/painting/fixing things. It was interesting. Mostly because I was missing some furniture.
As it is my bedroom is still not done (after over a year...) It is still a nice salmon-orangish-pinkish colour. I usually keep the door closed!
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Re: Madge's Super Housebuying Thread

Post by Fjorab_Teke »

I can't believe i haven't posted yet. Congratulations!! And yay for house pics!

As for my "house news," it's officially settled for my family: neither of my siblings is interested in inheriting our parents' home - 7.5 acres of rolling hills with a creek running through. My sister and i grew up there, our older brother and sister-in-law live on the same property up the hill, and nobody wants to see it go to strangers and the fate of subdivision (like everything else around here has) when "that time" comes. It would also be nice for someone to help Mom and Dad when they get more advanced in age. My husband and i eventually want a small farm with room for 4 horses, and...tada, it's already here.

So we're plotting and planning how best to get it done, rebuild the house (we literally grew up in a barn that my grandparents gradually converted into a funny little old house), redo the driveway and fence, and get new horse-buildings. It looks like the first thing will be for us to "buy" the main pasture part since it's legally a 5-acre separate property from the houses, so my folks will have money to start on modernizing/reinforcing/insulating/expanding/etc. the house. We don't know what we'll do with the other house area where my brother and sister-in-law currently live, but that'll be fine to leave for 15 or so years down the road when my husband retires from the military and we move back in, and when they've left to live in her family's old place. This is still our legal home base anyway, looks like it'll be that way forever. :-)
Larkspurlane
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Re: Madge's Super Housebuying Thread

Post by Larkspurlane »

7.5 acres of rolling hills + a creek sounds SO BEAUTIFUL. That is a distant dream of mine... when I no longer work downtown and have to worry about commuting.

As for my house news, we faffed about indecisively on the house I posted (certain elements we wanted were missing, we didn't want to settle...) -- and now it's conditionally sold to someone else. I'm not sure how I feel about it.

BUT a house 4 doors down on the same street has just gone up for sale (I almost said UFT? wow? too much neo). It's a bigger model with a double-sided fireplace (coooool) and again a walkout basement. We're visiting tomorrow!
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