Rental hunting

So it seems to find a place in the country to rent is like finding a needle in a hay stack. So we decided to broaden our horizons and look further afar. A four bedroom house on 2 acres a ten minute drive away sounded great. No so... Very 70's decor complete with a terrarium and an indoor pool including fake rocks and plants, and carpet that made me thank goodness that i was suffering severe sinus problems at the time. I started to feel a little concerned that i would be enduring a forty minute round trip for school each day.. However, whilst enjoying a yummy lunch in the local pub with the family Mr Libra discussed our plight with the publican. One phone call later with some very generous locals and we have a quaint little cottage on a three hundred acre working dairy farm to rent whilst it is on the market to sell. We headed out to visit and were delighted with what we found!! Very lovely family, and cottage complete with chooks, goat, cats, cows which meant two very happy little girls who cant wait to move to the "farm".... Now to pack.... However with Mr Libra sustaining a broken foot, packing may be on the back burner for a few weeks!!

Melissa xx

House plans

Time to decide on THE house to put on our lovely green patch... Mr Libra said he would only build the house i had gazed adoringly at when ever we drove past one, a white weatherboard with a full verandah. We spent some time looking at other house plans however kept coming back to the Harkaway Home that i had dreamed of for some time. After numerous discussions, copious amounts of time spent on the internet, and visiting their display home numerous times we decided on a facade - now to perfect the layout!! Each night we have both gazed at the plan longingly and used the measuring tape to measure out the spaces to ensure they will suit. I must have flipped through every home magazine i own ( which is far too extensive!!) countless times looking for more ideas. I also have a burgeoning file with pictures torn out of mags sectioned into each area of the home, which i have been madly flipping through to ensure that all my "wants" and some "needs" are incorporated in the plan. There have been a few tense moments and some eye rolling - however we drew up a rough sketch and met with Harkaway.. I was super impressed with how quickly the initial sketch bounced back into my inbox!! A few more alterations and it seems we may be ready for a further appointment to pay the deposit and get this ball rolling!!

the decision

It all happened quite quickly, a discussion about needing a bigger house to accommodate our growing family, the green light from Mr Libra, and i was on the phone to the real estate agent the next day. It was on the market within the week and the joy of keeping an immaculate house for inspections with two small children began...

Fast forward ten long weeks of endless inspections - 9 in one weekend with Mr Libra away for the weekend and house guests - thanks very much - and it was under offer. Some quick handy work to ensure the permit for the barn that had been erected years before, but somehow was without a final inspection was granted and we were away.

So whilst the house was on the market we set to the arduous task of finding some land to build THE house on. Land is scarce and expensive where we are, nothing felt 100% RIGHT, a few felt OK but the price was definitely not going to be conducive to building THE house that would include all of the I WANTS that i had collected from magazines over the years and compiled in my house file - including the full big white verandah......

We started looking further and further afar, and had always discussed a move to the country before the girls got to high school. Then we stumbled across the rolling hills and green pastures of country Victoria....... After looking at several parcels of land, a few meals in the local pub and a number of drives to the country we purchased our piece of the hills to build THE house and indulge in the country lifestyle...