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Packing up

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It is amazing to see your whole life in a shipping container. We waved off our container expertly packed by Grace Removals . We had used cheaper options in the past but knowing we were moving interstate and that it may be in storage for a couple of weeks we decided to go with Grace. We are so glad we did. These guys were great - from turning up on time, to keeping us informed through to checking with us about how we wanted things done and how they would do them. Watching these guys was like watching Tetris masters at work. Every space was utilised. The container was actually packed to within an inch of the doors.  T he truck was to leave us on the Monday afternoon, be at the train terminal by Tuesday and be on the Sunshine Coast Depp by Thursday. Grace were happy to leave the shipping container at the Grace Sunshine Coast yard for two to three weeks prior to charging storage. As it turned out we found a rental within 10 days and a phone call later we had a delivery date for the end

Sea Change Reality Check

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Here’s the thing. We did go back to Sydney. We went back to work and study and school and all the rest of our lives. We also went back to the search for our new house. Unfortunately we continued to be disappointed by the quality of offer and value for money of houses on the northern beaches. Here are a couple we considered House One: I considered this because it was right opposite the northern end of Curl Curl Beach. I am not even sure my wife looked at it twice. It was was not the prettiest house and needed work but it was in such a good location.  It seemed to be on the market for a long time and  I think at one stage in the campaign they were considering offers over $2 million. It ended up going for $2.480 million https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-north+curl+curl-126561286 House Two: This was a good house and advertised in our price range but it was going to go to auction and we both k

Noosa Perfection

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Noosa was perfect. The weather was beautiful, everyone was together having fun and enjoying each other’s company. We were in the water most days even my wife who rarely if ever gets in the water at Manly. We lazed around for days on end dreaming of how we could live like this all the time. This was heaven. You know what it is like you visit a place you love, the next you know you standing outside a real estate scheming of how you could chuck in the job, move out of Sydney and live the life. There were a couple of houses that I could see myself in even from that first weekend. There was such a price difference between Sydney and Sunshine Coast. We could not believe what you got for money. We even considered stepping back from the beach itself to find more quiet. Maybe something in the Hinterland. Not something I initially would have considered but certainly an option after having a look at these properties. This first one was an Endeavour Prize house and was on the market through Richar

Living the Sydney Dream

I must admit we had it pretty good in Sydney. We had been lucky enough with a couple of houses to get to a point where we were essentially mortgage free. After we sold the last house our daughter suggested we move to Manly on the northern beaches. We loved the water and normally spent some portion of the weekend at Manly anyway. As it turned out we bought a little semi on the Flat. The Flat is about a six block area at the northern end of Manly where you have an absolute flat walk to the beach. We were a 6 minute walk from the house to the walk’s edge and most afternoon’s my daughter and I had a race home to see who could get in the water first. Those first couple of years were great. You had the crazy of summer but you also had the proximity to cafes and restaurants and were just a ferry ride from the city. Even in winter the water was still warm and the crowds were all but non existent. You also had a quiet, slower period over those winter months, a breathing space where everyone co