A Slow Crawl.

As you’ve read, it started back in about April, when we went and had a proper look at the block, did a whole lot of talking and working-out stuff, and some more talking – and then finally made an offer.

We were nervous about making an offer, as we pretty much had no savings left from the last few years of having had various kids come back home – so we didn’t want to make an offer, then find out we couldn’t get a loan!
It would have been rather embarrassing, especially for a real estate agent, and when the sellers are ‘well known about town’ types… 😐

Anyways – caution to the wind – we haggled some, and the offer was accepted.
In the meantime, we got to work on the loan docs also.

Then – joy oh joy – just as we got the pre-approval (the day we headed off on vacation actually!), their accountant decided that they shouldn’t sell this financial year…!
So, whilst they have agreed that the land is ours, and we do trust that they wouldn’t sell it out from under us, it means that they won’t sign a contract until July 1 – which has been disappointing.
You know how it is…. – once you’ve made a decision – you want to actually be DOING stuff.

The upside of this though, was that it gives us a little time to get together some extra $$s, in case we have to top up the loan, and to also find a ride-on, and source things like power/septic/water etc, as well as time for designing our shed/home.
We also had previously planned a vacation to NZ from mid-May to early June, so at least we wouldn’t be sitting around home gnawing our knuckles, waiting for things to start happening!

At this point in time, we anticipate the shed being our eventual home – unless it’s financially unviable/prohibitive to bring it up to habitable council spec, so the current plan is between July and Xmas, we gradually move stuff over into a shipping container, and work on the shed to make it comfortably habitable (to our standard, not councils), when we can.
We will live rough for as long as we need to with a portaloo and camp stove etc, working our way to lining it, then adding a proper bathroom, kitchen etc, and then getting it to habitable council spec.

If that isn’t financially viable, we will look at maybe building a small kit home (think granny-flat size) that will be to council habitable spec from the get-go.

So that’s where it all stands at the moment.
We’re hoping to go out to the Farm this weekend to clean up some, mow around the shed and slab, and mow in markers ready for where the house-fence lines for the dogs will go.

Here’s hoping the weather gives us a break for a couple of hours!!