Changed da house,
Changed da look.
BTW, my bathrobe's usually pink
and we don't have a fireplace.
Other than that,
it's pretty accurate...
Psst...click the words above to navigate.
Best viewed, unfortunately, in Internet Explorer.
Friday, October 28, 2005
~ The problem with comparison ~
When Tony and I got our offer accepted at the new place, we told ourselves we'll try not to look at property guides and display windows of realtors because we'd only be killing ourselves.
But the curiosity got too much when Tony's parents told us that the house next door has gone on sale. And suddenly, we needed to know what the Jones's were selling for.
Apparently, $21,500 more than what we offered on ours. And at first I did a "HAH!". And once I realised their EER is 3 while ours is 5, I did a double "HAH!". (EER stands for Energy Efficiency Ratio. For a hugely heater-dependent state like Canberra, a good EER is optimal. And the max you can go is 6.)
And then I saw the photos. And fell in love with the design of the house.
Our townhouse lies right smack in the middle of a row of terraces, so I had imagined that the layout of the insides (walls, etc) would be the same across the board. Not so. They had managed to lump 2 of the rooms (our alcove and the smallest room in the front) into one living space, which means they lose a study room but gain a lounge area. I can't even say their layout is a mirror image of ours, because it has walls where we don't and rooms where we don't. Their living area seems much smaller and they were only able to fit one nice long cushy couch. But they have very nice feature walls. And stainless steel kitchen furnishing. And the coolest Japanese sunken entertaining area with water feature in the courtyard at the back. And suddenly, I have a serious case of House Pride.
Or House Envy. I think the latter.
We went over today to suss out the different layout and drool over the sunken Japanese gimmicky bit. It was uber modern, uber chic, and probably explained the price difference. Tony reasoned that had we seen this place at the price they were offering for, we would have moved on because we were looking for a 4 bedroom place at about the same price they were offering this one. I know he's hit the nail on the head, like always. But gosh, I loved the house. And all the furniture in it.
I think the main thing lies in the furniture. Kate and Mark lent us a book catchily entitled "Your mortage and how to pay it off in five years - by someone who did it in three." I was hugely sceptical at first, because the author paid off her first house in the late 1980s before this ridiculous boom in house prices hit Australia - and Canberra in particular. I mean, it's one thing to have a 17% interest on your house back in the 1980s... but if the house back then costs a paltry $151,000 to sit on 4 flipping hectares, we'd be able to pay off the entire house in 3 years easy. With money left over to buy a pony and 5 alpacas. (Something's gotta be done with the grass.)
But Tony, practical as ever, cooled my heckling and cackling by highlighting that even if the figures are way off in the book and we can't pay it off in 3 years or even 5, at least we can pick up a few tips. One of the tips was no big surprise - sacrifice.
The first time I went to Kate and Mark's rental home, I oohed and aahed over what they'd done to it. Everything matched. Their furniture matched. Their column oil heater matched the furniture. But more importantly, they have furniture. They have proper nooks and crannies and shelf space. They have a cosy nook with warm lighting and armchairs by the bookcase. They have bouquets of candles that - you guessed it - emit the most wonderful smells that manage to match everything else.
Tony's CDs are in a pile of boxes beside the television. The bunny-ears for our TV reception is everywhere it can be to get the best possible reception. It does not match our couches. Our couches match. Sort of. They are different shades of dark orange. Our carpet is blue. I never thought blue and orange were a great colour combi, because they're not. My el cheapo $20 Reject Shop shelf is the only other piece of furniture we have that allows display space. We have 3 photo frames bearing pictures of our wedding. None of them match (all were separate wedding gifts). I have a tablecloth that either matches the couches or the carpet. I try, but it's a challenge. I sigh at my dismal effort at home decoration. I fear Kate has it to a tee, and I simply ain't got the knack.
Or the budget.
The truth is, we've been saving up for a house since the day we got married. It feels like Tony's been saving up for a house since he was 3. Truthfully, with such a hefty student loan to pay off as a start to our marriage, our plans were to pay off my loan first and then put the rest of the savings into the house deposit. God's fab timing and providence as usual solved at least one of the issues for us, and so we started the journey towards owning a home much sooner than we anticipated. If it hadn't been for Tony's discipline and stewardship with his assets, I wouldn't even have the slightest chance of House Envy because I simply wouldn't be this close to owning property.
So yes, we don't have furniture that match and we lack shelf space. And we don't have some water feature in the backyard unless the neighbours hose us accidentally. But we have a lot more than we ever imagined for a long time - I have a lot more now than I ever imagined for a long time. This is good. Keep the candles.
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