What goes up...
A few months ago I was scouting the real estate websites, just to see what property values were like in our street. This little hunt turned up some interesting news - the old brick house next to ours was to be levelled, subdivided and sold off as three double storey town houses, each worth $530,000. *gasp*
This raised a few issues for me.
First - building houses is noisy business. If I could live in the cone of silence, I would, so I'm not happy that all of this unwanted noise will be going on at, presumably, all hours, and is completely beyond my control.
Second - this patch of land is slightly up the hill, plus, they are going to be two storey, where the old house was single. They will be able to see into my courtyard! And my dining area! Y'know, sometimes, I might find the need to be at the other end of the house, when I don't have any clothes on. Now I'll have to be fully clothed, all the time! And what of spontaneous fun with my fiancee? Grumble!
Third - five hundred and thirty thousand dollars! They will have exactly the same appointments as ours - same number of bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. There are also three residences on our block. The only difference is that they will be taller, and ours are three years older. We had entertained the idea of purchasing the unit we're in if ever it became available... but even if they may have depreciated by $100k, it is still a lot of money for a unit an hour away from the city.
Yes, yes, it's all about the lifestyle. Property advisers in the know are touting our area as 'The new Brighton' (which is ridiculously ambitious, though locals know it's a lovely place to be). The council has initiated lots of (sometimes misguided) projects to revive the image of the less desirable areas, amenities are plentiful, shopping is above average (though for labels, you'll need to go further), the views are amazing, and the peninsula is a hedonist's wonderland. But really, it's not there yet, if it will ever be, and outsiders are all too aware of the stereotypes perpetuated by those whom haven't visited in years. We know that it would be prudent to purchase asap, but the wedding means that we will need to revisit that idea in a few years. By then, prices may well have escalated as predicted, and our hilltop lovenest will be just a dream.
I know I'm only 23, but I get this tightness in my chest when I ponder the thought of moving into a house I don't like, in an area that means nothing to me. I'm sure we'll one day achieve the bay views I so longingly covet, but at what cost?
Eh, looks like it's a renter's life for me.
Anywho's, I was relaxing in the quiet afternoon on the weekend, conquering some sudoku puzzles. A quiet rumble in the distance grew louder and louder. The ground vibrated ominously. The plants protruding above the fence from next door trembled in fear. CRUNCH! BANG! ROAR! I was seriously cheesed - my serenity had been destroyed!
And then a monstrous mechanical arm, loaded with serrated teeth pulled down the wall about 6 metres to my left. It was like something from War of the Worlds, this uncontrollable beast hell-bent on destruction. Samurai and I just stared, eyes wide and mouths agape, in the dubious safety of the dining room, as this house was demolished in no more than an hour.
So, it begins.
This raised a few issues for me.
First - building houses is noisy business. If I could live in the cone of silence, I would, so I'm not happy that all of this unwanted noise will be going on at, presumably, all hours, and is completely beyond my control.
Second - this patch of land is slightly up the hill, plus, they are going to be two storey, where the old house was single. They will be able to see into my courtyard! And my dining area! Y'know, sometimes, I might find the need to be at the other end of the house, when I don't have any clothes on. Now I'll have to be fully clothed, all the time! And what of spontaneous fun with my fiancee? Grumble!
Third - five hundred and thirty thousand dollars! They will have exactly the same appointments as ours - same number of bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. There are also three residences on our block. The only difference is that they will be taller, and ours are three years older. We had entertained the idea of purchasing the unit we're in if ever it became available... but even if they may have depreciated by $100k, it is still a lot of money for a unit an hour away from the city.
Yes, yes, it's all about the lifestyle. Property advisers in the know are touting our area as 'The new Brighton' (which is ridiculously ambitious, though locals know it's a lovely place to be). The council has initiated lots of (sometimes misguided) projects to revive the image of the less desirable areas, amenities are plentiful, shopping is above average (though for labels, you'll need to go further), the views are amazing, and the peninsula is a hedonist's wonderland. But really, it's not there yet, if it will ever be, and outsiders are all too aware of the stereotypes perpetuated by those whom haven't visited in years. We know that it would be prudent to purchase asap, but the wedding means that we will need to revisit that idea in a few years. By then, prices may well have escalated as predicted, and our hilltop lovenest will be just a dream.
I know I'm only 23, but I get this tightness in my chest when I ponder the thought of moving into a house I don't like, in an area that means nothing to me. I'm sure we'll one day achieve the bay views I so longingly covet, but at what cost?
Eh, looks like it's a renter's life for me.
Anywho's, I was relaxing in the quiet afternoon on the weekend, conquering some sudoku puzzles. A quiet rumble in the distance grew louder and louder. The ground vibrated ominously. The plants protruding above the fence from next door trembled in fear. CRUNCH! BANG! ROAR! I was seriously cheesed - my serenity had been destroyed!
And then a monstrous mechanical arm, loaded with serrated teeth pulled down the wall about 6 metres to my left. It was like something from War of the Worlds, this uncontrollable beast hell-bent on destruction. Samurai and I just stared, eyes wide and mouths agape, in the dubious safety of the dining room, as this house was demolished in no more than an hour.
So, it begins.
posted by Janet | 9:48 pm
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