Still waiting on transfer

I've now signed bond and transfer documents. Paid in my deposit and all costs.


Now it's just a matter of patience (which I sorely lack). I'm hoping transfer will be effected around end of September / beginning of October. But until I hear something further, it's just a long waiting game with no end in sight.


I'm already researching things like ceiling insulation to decide what I want to do before moving into the house. But then it's hard to decide until I have keys to the house. Without measurements, I cannot even get quotes so don't know what is affordable yet.


I guess I should find something to distract me for a month or two. Every time I do research on things to do, it is frustrating. Because I cannot get quotes, cannot make decisions.


Even the new shower is purely academic until I have keys and can measure up to see what size shower will fit into the bathroom.


Sigh....

Bond finally approved

Just a quick update to say I had my bond approved. So now it's just a count down until the day transfer goes through. Then I can move into my own home and settle down at long last.


I'm now staying in the small Karoo town of Uniondale in a rental. I have to confess that I am enjoying it and meeting people all the time.


I love that I can see my new house from the garden of my rental. And I am anxiously waiting for my final move as I have such big plans for that house.

Moving again

Well, I'm moving again. At this point, I've done minimal packing and really couldn't be bothered. I'm packing the most important stuff (like breakables) and will toss the rest into black bags over the next few days.

And of course at this point, I'm still waiting on a bond application. So no clue if this is my last move or if there is another one around the corner. Maybe that's why I'm so disinterested.

But I have to confess, I cannot wait to get out of here. Although I'm in a lovely village, I don't enjoy the house I'm staying in. On days like today, when the wind is howling, it really sounds like the roof is going to blow away. Let's hope it resists the wind at least until after I'm out of here. The rain will not do my poor pc much good.

Seriously though, the owner of this place has a lot of work to make this place into a lovely home.

My new rental accommodation is in much better shape. And walking distance to some shops, a restaurant and a pizza place (and I just love pizza of course). And yay, it has a covered stoep at the back. A place where my kitty can hang outside even when it's raining and I can enjoy the sunshine without dying of heat exhaustion (if summer ever arrives).

Social life in the sticks

I find it quite amazing that although I live in a place where I only know a very few people, I often end up having quite a social life.

Take last night as a good example. They don't sell fresh milk in the shops. So you buy directly from the farm. Yesterday, I stopped around 5.30pm to buy milk from the farm. I ended up staying for dinner and chatting with my friend. I only got home at 12.30pm this morning.

Naturally I overslept. 

People out here in the countryside are just so friendly.  I am loving it. It's very different to the cities (particularly my life in Johannesburg). 

Less suspicion amongst people just makes socialising that much easier.

I'm loving the fact that crime is low. I can safely walk to shops, to friends even at night.

Where is my home?

One bank has just turned down my bond application. I am still waiting on the other banks in the hopes that someone will find value in this little house I like.

The valuer says the 3 bedroom house, double garage, double car port on 5000 square metres of land is worth no more than R150 000. I don't know what planet he's living on, but where in South Africa can you get all that in any condition for that price he's given.

So it looks like I probably won't get my house. While I'm not admitting defeat, I have decided that it's high time I moved into a comfortable rental home where I can settle in properly while I'm house hunting.

Another friend seems certain that the universe is blocking my purchase of all property because he thinks I'm supposed to be living near Cape Aghulhas. He and his wife will know by the end of September if they can afford their huge game farm there. 

At this point, I'm willing to take a look once they've bought. Maybe he's right - maybe that is where I am destined to live. At this point, quite frankly, I have no clue.

I'm being blocked left, right and centre so maybe Andre has a point. Another month or two of looking certainly won't kill me. And if there is a perfect place for me, I look forward to finding it.

A garden full of horses

I've been approached by potato farmer who wishes to use some of my huge garden to farm potatoes. He'll give me a few pockets of potatoes as payment.

He also asked if it's ok if one of his assistants lets his horses graze in my garden. Since they won't eat my herbs, I'm fine with that idea.

I went to go look at the horses this morning. They're not only beautiful horses but friendly too. There are 2 of them with their little foal. It's so adorable. 

Living in the countryside is definitely suiting me. I love all the farm animals that are in the area. And even in my new town, I will be living in the rural section so will be surrounded by horses, cows and sheep. Still debating if I should get a big animal of my own. Which animal would I get - probably a horse. But that is something I can worry about much later.

I still haven't found the card reader to get my photo's from my camera to my pc. I cannot wait to move to my new house and unpack everything. Thankfully the new place has cupboards (unlike the rental), so I'll actually be able to unpack all my boxes.

Snakes in the garden

Well, I've had a chat with the current owner. I asked him whether he's ever had snakes in the garden or house. He said that the only snakes they ever found were 2 boomslangs when they first moved in and nothing since. Hopefully I won't find any when I am living there.

But that is something worth noting since boomslangs are venomous. Thankfully they say you usually have a few hours before the venom actually starts acting. Thank goodness.

I definitely like the idea of having time to get to the doctor or vet should myself or my kitty ever get bitten. Also, I did read that they are not very aggressive and will only bite if threatened.

I guess climbing trees is not such a good idea and any clearing of the back garden will need to be done carefully.

And of course, I also need to be very careful of spiders since I'll be on the outskirts of the town, in the rural district. Eek - with my arachnophobia that won't be fun.