Image by Ania via Flickr
I'm moving house! Or I have to, soon.
The lease on my current house is expiring and while I love the place, I have been falling sick quite often in this house. I don't agree with heaters as they are incredibly dry and my skin is too sensitive; I also don't like the electricity bill when heaters come into play. So I'd much prefer a house that isn't going to be freezing cold while it's nice and warm out like my current house.
However, moving is one thing, actually finding a new place to call home is another. While I wish it was as easy as waltzing into a different place and say "alright, let's move here!", anybody who rents will know that this isn't quite the case.
Because it is when you are house hunting and running from inspections to inspections that you realise just how little your budget stretches sometimes. With Melbourne living expenses so high, and me merely a poor student / part time worker / home crafter, it really doesn't stretch all that far. And the places that are within my budget are usually about the size of a shoebox.
But sometimes you do find gems, and it's those gems you have to grab hold of and never let go.
Image by Esquareda via Flickr
After a week of house hunting , 20 inspections later and a very tired me, here are some things I'd like to have a rant about:
1. Support pillars: Now, I understand that they are important. They do keep the building stable after all. But right in the middle of the living room? Really?
2. Kitchens: So I'm aware that the modern day society is more and more prone to takeaway and 2 minute noodles. Unfortunately I belong to the diminishing group of youngsters who actually like to cook. Kitchens that are the size of a matchbox (fits 1 max) with shallow sinks and close to no bench spaces seem to be a trend. Really?
3. Weird layouts: Disjointed kitchens (you have to run back to the front door to get to the kitchen) and toilets right at the main doors. Whoever came up with these ideas, ought to be shot in the head. I don't think I want to be seeing a toilet or a bathtub the minute I open my front door, thank you very much.
4. Real estate agents: Yes, I do realise that they have a lot of house inspections to supervise. However you'd think that part of their job was to ensure that they had the right keys. The number of times I've had to wait and waste my time while a real estate agent jabbers frantically into a phone trying to convince a colleague to bring down the right keys.... I could have made it to another house inspection!
I'll stop here. But you get the idea, it's not all that fun house hunting. However the prospect of a healthier 2010 spurs me on!
So far I've put in 3 applications and shall spend the next few days biting nails waiting to hear the outcome of my applications. I have a favourite house that I hope I get, a place that I'd be quite happy with if I get it, and the last was a "If all else fails, this isn't so bad either." So here's hoping!
And to make this a little bit more chitty-chatty, tell me about your house renting experiences, what have you found in rental houses that were just utterly atrocious? I remember a friend telling me that she found a place that had bolts on the outside of the toilet door but not the inside. Creepy!
So please share, I can't wait to hear from you!
Remember! Our current giveaway is from Kirsty from Filmless Photos: Enter the giveaway here
.JPG)
Posts
Good luck with the house hunt. I hope you get the number one place. I have been very lucky to not have to do the rental search thing, but we will move next year and I am already not looking forward to it!
ReplyDeleteMost of my house hunting experiences were when I was in college, and people didn't want to rent to three college-age girls, even though we were not partiers. Very irritating!
ReplyDeleteSome potential insight on the apartment with the bolt on the outside of the bathroom door: It may have been installed to keep small children out of the bathroom when it was not in use, so they would not pour all the liquid hand soap down the drain or unroll all the toilet paper when the adults were in another part of the house! We have had to do this with our bathroom. My youngest is autistic, and we have not been able to get her to understand that no matter how fascinating it looks, it is NOT OK to pour all the liquid hand soap down the drain!
Good luck with the house hunt - finding one is always a nightmare!
ReplyDeleteThe last place I lived was a large Queenslander cut into 5 units, there were 2 bedrooms but you could only get to the second bedroom through the bathroom *_* Very awkward if you want to shower and your flatmate wants to get to their room! Up in Bris there is a shortage of rental properties so it took us 6 months to find this place and we had to go privately because no one would rent to two 21yr olds in case we were "irresponsible". No one seemed to be able to tell me how it was irresponsible for a stable couple who were both working, didn't party or drink to want to be independent XD Now after 2 years I'm glad to be leaving here!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the hunt!