Decision
I have made a sensible decision, and anyone who knows me should be suitable shocked at the concept.
With where I am currently, rent plus public transport costs plus telephone and Foxtel (which I am not going to worry about in the new place) comes to about $300 per week. So as a result the plan was to find a place on my own where I can walk to work for about $300 per week. This would put me directly no worse off from my current state, overall better off as a lot of the related costs like electricity would end up being much lower, and being able to walk to work would make me feel better.
So my first inspection last weekend I saw a number of apartments in the new Tip Top redevelopment just off Lygon St. Most of them were 40 square meters in size (plus balcony) for $285 per week, and my immediate reaction was “not quite”. You see I need three spaces in my home: bedroom, living space plus computer space. With these apartments there just wasn’t quite enough space in the open plan kitchen/dining/living room to be able to fit my computer desk and a couple of couches and a dining table.
In the same complex was another apartment that was 48 square meters (plus balcony) with a better layout and a car space, for $355 per week. While outside my original budget, I theoretically should have been able to sub-let the car space to another resident for $30 per week, bringing the cost down to $325 per week, which still seemed reasonable.
I put an application in for the large apartment, but unfortunately didn’t get it (probably because I put the application in Monday afternoon and the real estate agent prides itself on responding to applications within 24 hours, so I was probably too late).
The problem is, that raised the theoretical bar in my head above what I wanted to spend, which meant that I was looking at some 2 bedroom apartments on Saturday that were $395 to $416 per week, and I was about to put applications in on them.
Stupid, stupid rat creature.
After a deep thinking night and morning, I’ve reset my brain back to where it was, and am not considering any of those expensive properties. Preferred is $300 per week or less, up to $325 per week for something really good, or $355 per week if it includes a car space that I can reasonable expect to sub-let for the duration of the lease.
I am going to put in an application for the original apartments I saw that were $285 per week. Some of them are still available (I spoke with the agent when I was looking at some of the others on Saturday) and I shouldn’t have any problem getting one of them. If I get one I’m going to need to do some shopping though. My large fridge is too big for the spaces these kitchens have for the fridge, so I’m going to have to downsize, I’m going to get a front loader washing machine so I can stack the drier on top of it in the laundry cupboard, and I’m probably going to need a smaller computer desk.
I don’t think I’m going to worry about a dining table initially. I don’t expect I’ll be having dinner guests, so eating at the end of the computer desk should be fine for me on my own. If I find I can fit one I can get a new one later.
Overall this should save me a reasonable amount of money, and that’s the end goal. I’m never going to be able to afford to buy if I’m never able to save up enough for a deposit, am I?
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