Over time, I’m coming closer to understanding the whole ‘home among the gumtrees’ thing. Lots of plum trees, verandah out front, clothesline in the back, and a sheep or two (I mean, maybe a dog or two) – what’s not to like?
Maybe it’s a result of having lived in some houses that could be called very, very nice in conventional terms, and concluding that I just don’t care that much for the bells and whistles. Central heating? It’s expensive to run. A pool? Just one more thing to maintain. Double glazing? Sure, but it doesn’t make a heck of a lot of difference. Cutting-edge kitchen? I can make do with whatever. It’s just not what I want to spend my hard-earned dough on.
What I am willing to spend money on is the essentials, like hiring top notch conveyancing specialists. Collingwood property sales aren’t known for being dodgy, as far as I know, but you do hear things, and a good conveyancer should be able to help you spot legal red flags.
At the end of the day, though, even the best conveyancing solicitors can’t save you from making a bung decision, especially if it concerns stuff outside the domain of property law. For me, that would be something like getting sucked in by a charming designer bath, or a lovely garden, and then paying the price for it – literally. I’m not saying those things are bad or that people should buy houses that have them, just that it’d be a waste of money for me.
How do I know this? Because I’ve bought into such luxuries in the past, and then regretted it. I’m talking from experience here. When all is said and done, what I truly want is simply a roof over my head that’s not about to collapse, and mortgage that’s paid off by the time I’m 60. Oh, and a kookaburra, an old rocking chair and whatever else is specified in that song. That’ll do me.