[Miscellany]

Sunday, September 17, 2006

house hunting #2

It's Saturday morning and it's already warm out - a good day to go house hunting. The sky is a continuation of perfect blue it's been all week and I am ready for the day. All the houses today look lovely from their photos and I'm wondering just how different they will be in reality. I cross my fingers and hope for the best.

The first house is a single fronted terrace with white pebbles in the front yard. Cemetary pebbles. Obviously they would have to go - I'm not quite sure why anyone would want them in their garden anyway. Inside, the house feels fresh and inviting. Needs restumping. New bathroom (one with a sink that isn't in the shower would be nice). Apart from that - beautiful. Oh, and way out of my price range but of course the emotions have already gotten involved. Damn.

Second house, on the other side of the Yarra. It's a unit, everything ready to go. Excellent back yard I certainly won't take care of but it won't need any major work. A paint job maybe. The price is right - but it doesn't feel like me. It's too...new. The man next door is in a wheelchair. Bro gleefully says that I will be guilt tripped into taking him for "walks" and maybe then taking him to the toilet. I try to give him a chinese burn but I am crap at them and bro just laughs.

Third place is a laugh riot. Getting out of the car I spy a man with spiky hair sitting on the curb and smoking. Looks like it must have been a tough night for him - hangover city. I'm not sure if I want to live near smoker guy. He looks completely dodgy. The estate agent is the father of a child I taught last year. Actually cbg readers it's the father of art material taster, J. The hellos and pleasantries are only slightly awkward as I imagine his child licking the newspaper in the art room. This is another unit. It's in an excellent location and has a view from the private balcony. On the downside the kitchen and bathroom need to be completely gutted and redone. The estate agent walks up and asks what I think. I say: It's hard to believe a man who reads GQ (I indicate the magazine on the coffee table) also has a pair of red used undies hanging off his staircase. The estate agent laughs. Yeah, he's a bachelor. You might have noticed him outside. Right. Surely bachelors aren't all complete pigs, are they? I feel sorry for his future spouse. I hope she kicks him in the arse and makes him clean up. There is a scarface poster on the wall and a spanner on the floor. The whole scene is amusing - but I like the house. I am completely head over heals with the balcony and view. So rare in a unit. As we leave, smoker guy is practising fake karate moves in the driveway. Noice. At least if I move in, he'll move out - right?

Fourth place is an apartment. Great location - waay too small, even for one. Nope.

Fifth place is a workers cottage in an industrial/urban area. It's darling and as far as I can see doesn't have any major structural issues. It's opposite a high school, which I count as a disadvantage. High school kids are dickheads mostly. But I love the house and I almost faint with glee over the fire place. There is no garden to speak of and the laundry smells like cat pee. When #1 bought her house she had a room that she lovingly called the 'piss room'. It had to be completely stripped - but the house is a winner. Maybe cat pee laundry is a good sign. There is no car space. This, is a bit of a deal breaker unfortunately.

Last place - apartment in an art deco building in the city. It feels like walking into one of the buildings at unimelb. Once a unimelb girl, always a unimelb girl. I am filled with an overwealming sense of nostalgia for the old uni days. I am not quite sure where one would hang the washing to dry. The place is overpriced for what it is (though I cannot find a fault). Everything is perfect but I wonder about that old conundrum. Should one buy land or not? What do you think?


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