Mar 31/12 4:53pm
To recall the last 5 days feels like at least 2 weeks! We are still at the homestay near the beach and unfortunately it's been a bit frustrating. We've looked into over 30 places to rent (some we only drove by, others we took the full tour) and it's a bit of a challenge right now to either find one we like or to secure one we like. Gone are our hopes of finding one in the beachside suburbs and we may be settling for an apartment rather than a house. Many people rent out their places via property management realtors and all of the offices we went into, they said they didn't have much available. Then on Wednesdays and Saturdays, that's when people place ads in the paper. It's a classic case of being too informed. Last time we looked at 2 or 3 places and picked one straight away. This time we know more about what we want and where we want to be so we aren't so hasty in deciding. Which is a good thing in the long run as we hope to be somewhere that suits us well, but in the meantime just proves to drive us mad.
We've also been to a couple places where there have been several interested parties there at the same time so it seems that owners have their pick. If we aren't quick to act we miss out and when we call about it, even though it's only a day after we saw it listed, often it's gone. Yes, yes we know it means that these places weren't meant for us but gosh this patience thing can be difficult. We both seem to carry our impatience as a flaw but I think it's because once we know what we want, we just want to get moving with it. It would be fine if somewhere wasn't ready right away because at least then we'd have a date to work towards. It's been a stark reminder to us as well that Kiwi houses are a far cry from the places we're used to. Many of the flats we've seen are probably 20-30 years old and almost as many haven't been updated along the way. As we knew from before, they don't insulate homes here as a standard - or they didn't used to. Some people have retrofitted their houses but most haven't - especially if it's just a rental property.
So we face the choice of upping the ante and paying over $1200 a month (which has been our limit thus far) or being more patient for a good one to show itself. We almost had a win today because the house had actually been updated and even had insulation and a heating/ventilation system that uses the warm air up in the roof to heat the house. It was $295/week but was quite a ways from the city centre. It didn't seem like we could walk to anything and the quick solution would be to get a second car. But then we hit the brakes because those are some of the reasons we chose a compact city anyways! We want to walk lots and work it out with just one vehicle. I'm happy to bike around as well but that place was even far for that.
It's funny with the weekly rent prices how we are shopping within a range of $800-1200/month when at home we'd at most be looking within a $200 window. But you see $240 per week and then $280 and it doesn't sound far apart until you add it up. But it means we're comparing apples to oranges although the price of real estate is jumping here as well. Certainly not as much as at home (although Auckland must be nearing that) but it means we need to keep the price window wide or we'll be doomed to a junky place.
We're awaiting a callback on a little apartment, much like the one we had previously, but I gotta say most people aren't keen on us not being employed even when we tell them we have a bank letter showing our balances and that we planned for up to 4 months of expenses.
I just finished my book so now I have less distraction from the hunt - which is full-time effort! I was reading Mockingjay, the last in the Hunger Games trilogy and although I kept reading I find it so deeply unsettling!! Just the whole idea of that kind of a world and the notion of war creeps me out completely. I almost didn't finish but I'm glad to get to a happier ending so I can just think of that part rather than the rest of it.
Yesterday, we met up with the volunteer co-ordinator for the surf festival that takes place here shortly. We've signed on to help out where we can. The timing feels a bit tricky because next Thursday is a big test run day but the festival doesn't begin until after Easter weekend. So we are looking for work and kind of hope that we don't have to start before that. The co-ordinator is born and bred here so he has heaps of contacts which he's already offered up. So in my opinion it's a good investment to put the volunteering at a priority since we'll get to know both friends and people who may be in a position to offer us work (or a place for that matter!) but it would be hard to ask a place to wait on hiring us. We do know that many people take the week after Easter off work so hopefully places are moving slow enough on hiring that it would work out just right. so again, patience sounds like it will be the order of the day.
I definitely believe that if we rush in that won't serve us well. So, the right place is coming to us and I think we just need to balance out the looking and the fun. Then it will seem like less of a chore. Dustin's been surfing every day and I've been on a couple runs on the walkway. Other than that and driving around, reading the paper, and staying online we haven't been up to much else. I wanted to check out these dog trials going on this weekend but we didn't get up to it. Dustin's golfing tomorrow with an old work mate so that will be nice for him.
Ok, time for dinner. And practicing patience. We'll have to create a mantra and keep it in mind. Patience will provide us with what we want. Sounds good!
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