I think it’s safe to say that I live in the Coldest House in the Universe(tm). In fact I’m thinking of getting Guiness to come down here and declare it to be so. This morning, for instance, I awoke just the wrong side of 6am, and despite the double doona deployment on my bed, felt too cold. One shouldn’t feel cold in the morning in bed. It’s meant to be a warm place, a spot you don’t want to leave in the morning. Not to mention that I could see my breath in the bathroom, before I’d sipped my first cup of tea.

The problem is insulation, or lack of it, and since it’s a rented house, there’s a limit to action to remedy this. I could leave the (very effective) heater running all night, but I’d prefer to avoid expending more expense and unnecessary fossil fuels, so what I’ll need to do is prepare to deploy the secret weapon: the fabled third doona.

Ultimately this will get fixed when I buy a house and move. When will that be? Uhh.. well, good question. An almost continuous number of depressingly expensive houses have been sold in the area in the last few months. Let’s face it, prime position in the world’s most livable city ™ doesn’t come cheap.

Why do I want to buy a house? I be in control of it. To be able to improve it and change it without having to ask permission, and to know that it’s me that benefits from improvements I make, not some unseen owner and subsequent tenants. To be able to have pets if I want them. To not have to listen to whinging about repair costs (other than my own whinging).

And I never want to have to move again. I hate it.

So, what do I want in a house?

Three bedrooms for preference, one to be a study, but could probably get away with two at a pinch if the living area is big enough that an area can be set aside for the computers somewhere. Especially if there’s room to extend later if I really need more bedrooms. The usual other requirements… you know the kind of thing, a toilet (indoors), bathroom, decent-sized kitchen (well, one I can shoehorn my enormous fridge into, at least), etc.

Has to be the right location. Within 10-15 minutes drive (or preferably walk) of my kids’ primary school. Within 30 minutes of work. And within 10 minutes walk of 7-day-a-week shops (supermarket, bakery etc) and railway station and a park — I firmly believe getting exercise as an incidental part of your lifestyle is the easiest way to stay fit, so I aim to leave the car at home as often as is convenient. If it’s too far, it’s not convenient, and it won’t happen. And not on a main road. If the location is no good, I won’t enjoy living there, and I might as well keep renting.

A garden big enough to for the occasional kick-to-kick in would be ideal. I don’t really care about undercover or off-street car parking, since I can never be stuffed guiding the car into the garage anyway.

And the clincher? Well I don’t want to be half a million dollars in debt. Tricky, that bit.

(By the way, passed my old place today. They’ve still only sold half the renovated flats. heh.)

PS. I see from looking back through the diary that it was equally cold last year.