Wherever I Lay My Hat

I have been asked to leave my current apartment. Not through any fault of my own, but because the owner wants his son, who is moving to Melbourne, to live here instead of me. Not the greatest piece of news I could have gotten.

So since that bombshell, I've been looking for somewhere new to live. Two problems with this - one is that the time limit is stressful. Two months sounds like plenty, until you realise that the standard practice is to wait for inspection days, send in an application, then wait for a response, and if you are not successful, you have to then do it all again. If you do many simultaneously, you risk getting four approvals, or four denials, or any number of other obstacles you have to negotiate.

The other problem is that I am currently unemployed. I would much rather have moved in a more secure and trustworthy financial situation than I have found myself in, indeed that was my very plan. But no, forced to move when I'm not ready means you have to take me as I am, and that does not put me at the top of anybody's approval pile.

The answer is to hope, to be charming, and to project an air of confidence and trust. I absolutely have enough funds to handle at least six to twelve months of rent, even if I didn't get a job in between. But I am anticipating getting a job in between, that was the point of this time off - to re-skill myself - so it shouldn't get that bad.

I had no expectation, at this short notice, of getting an ideal place. Compromise is the name of the game in a situation like this. I had a few possible wants that I hoped for, though, including a private area like a balcony or yard, and hopefully separation from neighbours so I don't have to share a wall with household noise anymore. I wanted to stay living in my current suburb, as it's really nice and I love it here, but it became clear very quickly that the rent would be too high to get that, especially with my other desires, so I ranged my search out a little further.

Well, I have just learned today that I have been successful in finding a new place to live. And it's perfect.

It's in a beautiful quiet suburb.
It's close to shops and transport.
It's a separate cottage.
The living area and kitchen are both bigger.
It has a separate laundry.
It has a private back yard.
The shower and bath are separate.
It's got a second bedroom, which I can use for storage/ my DVD library.

I could not ask for somewhere any more ideal. Everything I wanted, and more. It's a dream!

I hope living there is as good as it first appears.

Now I just have to pack and relocate.