House hunting

Well I've just been reminded that I've been a bit quiet - so here's the latest update on my saga of house hunting.

As you know, 6 weeks ago I found the *perfect* house in the *perfect* location for the right money etc etc and they turned me down because of Trubby - apparently the owners had hassle's with a tenant who had a dog - and now wont even allow goldfish - stupid people Grrrr!

Finally, this last Friday, I think I've found something as good - but in a different way. Its a similar-sized house, its further away from work but the rent is cheaper so the money still works out. But mainly the new place has the same sort of really good vibe. You know like when you walk into a house for the first time and it feels like you are coming home ....

The views out the front are jaw-droppingly good for this part of the world! Its on a quiet street - no through traffic, no yobbos - ah bliss!

The downside is that it is a pole house in the side of a hill - so you have to walk up what seems hundreds of stairs to go into the back door - the views out the front are utterly magnificent - though - once I figure out how to move everything in.

Its only two bedrooms but that's enough space for me. Paul and I don;t want to co-habit which is good! Sharing bills and having someone else comment on where yo spend your money is not good for a relationship .... in my opinion :):)

I put an application in on Saturday morning before being called into work to relieve someone who was heading home sick. On Saturday afternoon Paul and I headed out to the place again to get a better feel for the actually practicalities of moving large pieces of furniture and my never-ending boxes of books up those stairs. That's when we noticed it ....

The house is built in two sections one have over the other - like two stories but the top layer pushed back into the hill. Well I'm renting out the top layer. We were assured by the real estate agent that the lower level was used by the owners for storage purposes only. You can see where this is going ....

Yes we noticed the lower floor has someone actually living in it! There was a bed, with rumpled bed clothes, dishes in the sink, a fry pan toaster etc in clear view ..... and worst of all there was a full ashtray of cigarette butts on a chair on the open porch.

Some of my best friends are smokers. I know what to expect when I visit their homes and that's cool. But I'm not a smoker, and I really can;t stand second-hand cigarette smoke wafting in my front doors from next door. Its one of the most annoying parts of my current neighbours! I cannot open any of my front or side windows, because they smoke outside their front porch constantly day and night - chain smoking whenever they are home - and it sickens me to have my furniture and my stuff inside my house stinking of their cigarette smoke !!!!

Anyway, I was rung by the Real Estate this morning at 9:45am (we had a public holiday yesterday so I reckoned they probably spend a whole hour checking my application before ringing me) and advised me my application was successful. The house was mine when do I want to come and pay the bond?

I stated that I would like some answers first before I accepted the place. I explained what I saw and asked what the deal was. The RE agent was completely flustered. They knew nothing about this! The owners have not sublet it via *their* RE agency - it must be the owners themselves!

Well, I asked, am I renting the whole property or just the top floor - will I get the courtesy of written notification by the owners before they enter the property - or are they free to come and go or even live in the lower story if they so choose? Oh no, says the RE agent, they wouldn't do something like that! Can you get that in writing me, I ask. Certainly says the agent, I will call the owners get right back to you.

That was at 9:45am this morning. Its now close to 9:45pm .... I still haven't received that call ....