Home is Where your Heart is.

I’ve never really been the kind of person who hankers after the past, who longs for different times, different places. I’ve never really been one to get homesick, never have really been stuck on the past, or the future for that matter.  I can be quite content with where things are at now, and where I am, and who I’m with… it never seems as though people are far away any more, and frankly I’m pretty excellent at being alone… I rarely feel lonely.

I notice, when I revisit places I used to live, I don’t feel nostalgic; I think this is because when we hark back to different, simpler times, we wish to go back, to undo past wrongs, to heal, or to relive times when things were better, when we were happier.  I’m not critical of people who do feel this way, but it’s never been part of my makeup.  Maybe the whole ‘No Regrets, No Excuses‘ thing is indicative of this too.  No point in holding on to what’s gone on before, just live, let go and be free.

That’s rather a philosophical way of introducing my new home… A place I haven’t yet seen but to which I’ve committed for the next 12 months. How’s that for life on the edge?  Moving into a place you haven’t set foot in yet…  Life on the edge… that’s me.

I’m comfortable with this because of a combination of gut feeling and advance guard… I saw this flat in my regular perusal of apartments in the area I want to live in and felt at once I should get it checked out… My first wish is a house with natural light, stark contrast to the flat I’m in now wherein the best beneficiary of the light is Lulu, her bed being on top of the microwave, the only place the light falls for any period… Furthermore it’s brilliant to have friends like the Tailor who will serve as the advance guard… and as such I sent the poor woman for a look at the flat with the following exhaustive list of questions…

• What’s the natural light like?
• How’s the water pressure?
• Is it gas hot water or electric?
• How big is the hot water cylinder (I currently have 50 litres it isn’t much).
• What laundry facilities are there?  Separate/shared laundry? Taps in the bathroom? or is it laundromat only?
• Is the car space off the street?
• How noisy does it seem?  I realise |—–| Road will be busy, how much of the street noise do you hear from the house? Do you hear the trams?
• What sort of cupboards are there for storage?
• Is the air conditioner functional?
• What heating is there?
• How many power points are there?  I have only 4 (or 6, 2 doubles, 2 singles) in this house and I’m making do, but if it was less than that things could get tricky with the work station. Are they single or double plugs?
• I see it backs onto a garden, how is that maintained?
• The 2nd living area/study – would it work as a guest area?  I would really prefer a 2 bedroom, but if you think we could make that area work for office and occasional guests, it would be good to know!
• Finally, what lease period are they looking for?
• Is the landlord pet friendly??

Apart from Bliss, you know me better than anyone, can you see me there? That apartment seems kinda retro, I love that about it and it seems just from the pix it will suit my squishy lounge and wooden furniture… it’s certainly in my ideal neighbourhood.

 My wish list is really only

• Natural Light
• Gas cooking (and ideally, hot water)
• Off Street Parking
• Good Water pressure
• Adequate power points for working at home
• TV Antenna
• Separate Laundry

So if you think it fits the bill, and if it looks clean and reasonably maintained let me know!

The Tailor came back and gave it thumbs up, which if you know her, you’ll understand that it must be good.  There’s no mucking about with the Tailor, she’d have no problem telling me not to bother… but her reply simply said… it’s huge, you’re going to need new furniture…

So I applied and to cut a long story short, I was awarded the lease. Now instead of looking at the real estate site looking for a house, I’m looking at Google Maps to get a feel for the area and to get excited about seeing my stuff in the house, and making a list for my next visit to IKEA to start on that ‘more furniture’ project…

I hope it meets my expectations… I should point out that everything on my list above was checked in the affirmative… and best of all? The price, while it’s clearly more than what I’m paying in Sydney is affordable still for one…

Have a look, what do you think.. oh, and by the way, that office? That’s where the spare bed is… you know, for when you come to stay…