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Phew.... what a weekend!Posted on Sunday 26 August 2007 at 05:34 - Post Comment
I tell you, T and I feel like we are going to need a nice week at work to get over our weekend! Following on from the mortgage application and our subsequent 'conditions' appeal we have yet to hear back. This could mean that it has gone higher up the decision making chain at Westpac so it really is a case of wait and see.
Despite this, we have cracked on with things and arranged to do a building inspection first thing Saturday morning. The estate agent was there, the builder (Mark - the partner of my work colleague Carlee) was there along with Carlee, as well as Mark (also from work) and his wife Gail. Plus T & I = 7 people. We didn't think this would be a problem though as we'd assumed the house would be empty as the tenants would have been asked to make themselves scare.
WRONG! They were all still in bed! Surveying Mark had to wake them up one by one, and it got *very* uncomfortable for all concerned, especially as some of them seemed to be unaware that the house was being sold!!! Eventually we all stood outside whilst the inspection was finished, but it left a bad taste in our mouths. So much so that T and I started to seriously question whether we were really doing the right thing in buying it. Anyway, we ultimately decided that seeing as we have already signed what's done is done, so we may as well ride this purchase process to the end and we'll only find out in a year or two if it is a good move or not. Mortgage permiting and all that. Still, despite the bad feeling from the current tenants (and to be perfectly fair I would have been pissed off if I were in their shoes) it is still a nice house, and I can see us being happy there.
After this fun and games we then took Mark and Gail on a tour of the open homes run by homebuilders here in Canterbury. The first stop was our old favourite - Canterbury Homes. The house there is still gorgeous, and we still love it, but we were met with the news that a price rise on materials is coming up (again!) in October, along with another rise in January. After doing the sums, this works out to be terrible news as it effectively means the basic house will be at the top end of our budget. Not good. It also means that we can't get the 'extras' that we'd really like, such as a gas fire (as a feature) and a central heating system (for day to day). It would also take away our landscaping and driveway budget too. Is our dream slipping from our financial grasp....? Gail and Mark also loved the house but found the Canterbury Homes prices to be just too high.
So, never to be defeated, we headed off to see Horncastle Homes (out of our league as really expensive but absolutely stunning) and then we looked at Golden Homes. It was here that we had an epiphany, as they are just so much cheaper than anything else we have looked at. T - as direct as ever - asked why, and the answer we got was that they are a national company, and as such buy materials for over 20,000 homes each year. Other big builders in the local area build maybe 2000. Therefore the bulk prices they get from suppliers are just so much better as they have more than 10 times the buying power of othe companies. The building quality in the show homes was certainly there, but without the bells and whistles of the Canterbury Homes houses. Still, for a projected saving of between $30 and $50k, they are certainly looking 'Golden' in our eyes right now! So much so, that we have just rehashed some old house plans and have given them to their rep to price up. It could be that the dream is not yet squished! Here's hoping anyway.
As I don't think that we've stuck them on here yet, here's a pic of the plans so you can see what we're aiming at:
You just would not believe the weather we have had over the past two days. Honestly, it has been like summer in the UK. Yesterday was wall to wall sun and temps up to 15 degrees, and today has been even warmer - going to 17 degrees in the shade. In the sun, it has been roasting so it was on with the T-shirts. After the open homes we took Mark and Gail to the beach at New Brighton and walked the pier then had an ice cream. A great was to unwind after the ups and downs of the day.
Seeing as the weather was so good again today, I jumped at the change to get out to the beach and wet a line. And what a day for it! You could see all the way up to the Kaikoura Alps, and closer to home the super clear skies meant a view like this - yup , they are snow covered peaks in the distance!:
The day proceeded to just get better from there, as an hour afer taking this I had a massve bite and hooked into a good fish. It gave a decent scrap as I bought it in closer and closer, and a few minutes later it was ashore and I had caught my very first ray! Here it is with my trusty old beachcaster:
And here it is with trusty old me. I am chuffed to absolute bits here:
Apparently they are very good eating, but I wanted to let this one go so unhooked him and let him slip back into the sea to grow a bit bigger and make someone else's day. I was, as scouser Mark is wont to say, 'buzzing me tits off'.
Whilst I was away proving my true talent for fishing, T had lunch with her mate Chanelle and then headed back home to do some painting for our house. On my return these masterpieces awaited:
T has a few plans in this regard but I'll leave it to her to tell you all about them.
So, that is about it for us. It's been a mad weekend, and I am looking forward to a little bit of a relax this evening. The week ahead will be a busy one for both of us, with some major decisions to make so let's see how it all works out.
Just a final note on Oscar. He is proving to be a great cat, and is now eating properly after T found some 'real meat' cat food at pac'n'save so no more of that tinned rubbish in gravy. Hell no - this stuff is the business, as it is chopped up raw meat and Oscar simply adores it. After he has stuffed his belly in the morning, it is then time for a snooze - usually in the place where all cats know is best - in bed:
Sweet dreams folks!
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