News Flash 19 – March 2011

Ok so in order to commence our trip there were obviously some milestones to cover off, as at the completion of this trip we will be returning to live in NZ.

So the next milestone was to sell the house in Melbourne and this week that was achieved – a good result overall especially given the Australian New Zealand exchange rate currently.   We were really pleased to be at the end of the open homes and living as though on show as people stood at the front of the house trying to see inside without waiting for an open home date.  

 
We even had some people looking in through the windows.  It was hard not to wave to them!  The hardest part now is that we have to be out of the house in just 45 days, so Peter is very busy making arrangements with the moving company for the furniture etc to be internationally packed ready to be sent by container to New Zealand.  If we don’t buy a house before the end of June the furniture will all need to go into storage for a period.



Next was for Gill to resign from her work – well let me tell you we anticipated that she would do this in late April which would give her employers about two months to find her replacement.  Well best laid plans and all that, her boss drove past our house earlier this week and saw the sold sign on the gate, yep you guessed it she asked Gill why we had sold and they now know.  Makes it easier and harder for Gill but regardless she will leave her employment of the last nine years at the beginning of July.

We have also had the challenge of trying to find somewhere to live until our planned departure from Melbourne in July.  After searching the internet we have been fortunate to be able to rent a small fully furnished house in a suburb about 12 kilometres north west of Box Hill.  The owners are a young family who are going to Europe to visit with family for three months and they are keen to have someone pay the mortgage while they are away.  Good to know that we can help someone out!  This is certainly a good solution for both of us.  We take over the house from the 1^st May and will only have a short two week gap between homes – just as well we own a caravan!