Front gardens

I've also mostly finished the front gardens. I planted only native plants - banksias, grevillias, paperbarks and native grasses. I planted many varieties of each plant. Mostly I used tube stock because they grow well and only cost $1 per plant instead of $8 - $20. When planted as tube stock most native plants will outgrow the more mature versions.

I still have to get some banksia ground covers for one small section of the garden, but I'll do that next Sunday at the markets.

Only thing left to do out the front is to deal with some drainage on the side of the house at the end of the drivewa and to get turf to fill in the gaps.

Garage and study now in use

We've had a 4 day weekend for Easter so I've been working hard on the house inbetween studying.

On Friday I cleared out the garage and set up the study. The garage still has a little way to go because I need to move the rest of the shelves in there -but that has to wait until we have shelving in our cupboards first.

Nesting

1. gravel then ag pipe.

2. fill with gravel

This is my first weekend at our new home that I don't have to go anywhere. No cleaning the old house or trips to the dump. It's the first morning that I've just been at home relaxing and pottering around. Some call it nesting - am cleaning, going to try to connect the dishwasher, going to try hanging the clock and the towel racks. I've even watched a movie this morning in our comfy loungeroom with the soft carpet.

I saw a wallaby on the lawn this morning and heard whipbirds out in the bush. The quiet was only disturbed by my noisy moving 2 square metres of gravel in behind the driveway retaining wall. Got the country music cranked up on the stereo for company.

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Dit is mijn eerste weekend in ons niew huis waar ik nergens naartoe moet gaan. Ik hoof de oude huis niet op te ruimen. Het is de eerste morgen dat ik gewoon kan relaxieren. Ik ben aan't pootsen, de vaatwasser aan't connecteeren, en de handook 'rack' installeeren. Van morgen heb ik nog eens en film gekeeken in de huiskaamer met lekker zagt vloor bedekking.

Ik zag en wallaby op de graas en vogels in de boss. Ik heb van morgen ook 2 metre steentjes achter en muur ge daan (zie fotos). Ik heb de country muziek lekker hard en ben er mee aan't zingen.

Driveway being installed

The driveway is going in slowly because it has been raining a lot this week. The first pour was completed yesterday but today we got sooo much rain that I don't think the second pour will happen unless we get at least 2 days of complete sunshine to dry everything out. Good to know we get good rain here. The water tank overflowed today ... good sign for a gardener.

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De driveway wordt geinstaleerdt. Maar het gaat langsam omdat daar zo veel regen is. De eerste stuk was gisteren gedaan. Maar ik denk dat de tweede stuk niet tot volgende week gaat gebuuren omdat zo veel regen heeft gevaalen dat de zon teminste voor twee dagen moet schijnen voor dat het droog genoog is. Good voor mij dat het veel regend want ik ga en mooie tuijn hebben.

Bond issue resolved - cost $150

The rental bond issue has been resolved. They will deduct $150 cleaning fee and the RTA will contact me about return of the balance.

I know she was being unreasonable and that's all that matters. Didn't cost me any more than if I'd paid someone in the first place, but I know the house is immaculate for the next poor soul who rents it.

Am at home this lovely Tuesday afternoon doing some uni work in our fantastic new home!!! It's so lovely. The grass has taken well and is lush and green. We're hoping the rain goes away so that the driveway can go in. We've got a list of things we need quotes on so that we can organise them.

Loving the new place. It's so peaceful and spacious and relaxing.

Now I best finish this assignment *laughs*

Rental bond problems

After I spent 9 hours cleaning the rental property the real estate has sent me a list of issues:
- window tracks not clean enough
- a few patches of floor not sufficiently cleaned
- fly screens not sufficiently cleaned
- ceiling fans dusty
- light fitting not sufficiently cleaned
- laundry tub and shelf dusty

I am livid but have decided that I am taking the moral high ground. I could rush around and get angry, but really what's the point. We're never going back to the slum and I told the real estate so.

I told her to organise a cleaner and that it shouldn't cost more than $150 and that we anticipate she won't dock rent. Ultimately, I don't care anymore. It's money we didn't have anyway. Hopefully we get at least $500 back so I can get my motorbike repaired.

I did call it a slum to her. And I mentioned that I wish that I'd checked the Residential Tenancies Act while we'd lived there because she failed to keep the house in good repair.

Oh well - live and learn. That's why we own our home and don't rent. Let the slum lord continue on her way - karma is a bitch!

Upadted contact details

To anyone who has received my blog in email form and tried to respond I haven't received your emails.

I have changed email address. Am using my hotmail address - I've now worked out how to update it and if you reply to this I should get your emails now.

Sorry if I have not responded to you ... it's because I didn't get the emails.