Property Life Lessons, Part One

Achieve what you want and Protect your Assets

My first property I owned was 50 acres of bushland with a bird watching hut on it in the Dromedary area with my partner of 2 years. We managed to get a full land loan to purchase this block. It was peaceful and relaxing. We built in the bird watching hut, so that it was a small shack, money was tough, so we looked for second hand materials. This shack we used for sleeping and cooking on weekends. It had a loft for sleeping, a kitchen bench with sink, a pot belly heater we used for cooking. A water tank outside and outside toilet. It was simple but comfortable. Another 2 years later the opportunity of buying a house in the Tarraleah area and moving this house down to our block arrived. I thought to myself, this is achievable, so I started doing my research, looked for the best people to do the job, worked out the costs and went to the bank. It was all pos sible and the bank approved a construction loan.

We were excited and scared, our first big loan and moving a house on trucks, with no real insurance. If the house didn’t arrive, we where out of pocket. Insurance Companies back then, where not really happy about insurancing houses on trucks, we would only get a very minimal amount back if something went wrong. Plus the road into our bush block was very narrow and lots of sharp bends and a drop on one side. We had to ask nearby owners if we could remove there fence to get around a corner and we had to make a new track into our property to get the house down to where the house would sit on the block.

We went to the auction with a list of houses that we liked, we didn’t get the first few and they where going for a high price, we had a budget of $9,000 for a house, can you believe it? We ended up with the best house that we liked for the price of $5750.00, we where very excited. It was a large house, 3 good size bedrooms, large laundry and large kitchen, dining and lounge. As luck would have it the gentleman that rented the house, came and said to us that he had kept the new carpet that he paid for out of the house and we could purchase that off him for a small amount.

We got busy making sure everything on the block was done, plumbing, electrical poles, foundations etc.

Then the big day arrived and the house was cut into three sections and placed on trucks, it all went well. The builders where extremely professional and took pride in making sure the house wasn’t damaged, so that it went back together properly. The crane driver was a friend and he was extremely skilled. We looked at some of the other houses that were being removed and they were dodgey and damaged, some cut these houses with chainsaws, not removing roofing iron or other parts that could go back onto the house. Plus, some people got in cranes that where too small. There were some real horror stories. I was relieved that I had done my homework and had the professionals. We stayed at the hotel that night, our house was sitting on the trucks. The next morning we were up at 6am. It has snowed overnight and snow was on the ground everywhere. We all got ready, three trucks, transport vehicles in front and behind the trucks and my mother in one vehicle following and myself in another vehicle following. It was a great life experience. Driving down the road, watching my house on trucks. The distance of travel from Tarraleah to Bothwell to Dromedary, was around 150 kms. We had to go this way because of bridges and power lines etc.

When we got to our road, the first problem arrived, they couldn’t go over the small bridge, and we weren’t even on the small narrow road into our property. I was starting to get nervous, it’s not going to work, and they won’t get into our property. They pulled down one side of the bridge railing and because the truck drivers where experienced they got over this hurdle. They moved forward very slowly along the dirt road, to our narrow road, it was amazing to watch the truck drivers maneuver the trucks around the corners, it really was breath taking. Such precision, only inches from the side of the banks and drop offs. They made it, three trucks and three sections of house. The builders and crane where ready to piece the house back together.

They worked like trojans and there where people everywhere, neighbours and people from down the street, called in to watch as they had seen the trucks coming up the road. People where helping, making coffees, chatting, what an experience, unforgettable. The crane driver pieced the house back together perfectly, I was amazed at the excellent professional work of the crane drivers and builders, you could walk through the house and the only way you could notice that it was cut, was the plaster missing on the hallway ceiling and some in one of the bedrooms. They had cut down between the floor boards in the hallway and you couldn’t notice. They had removed the colourbond sheets on the roof, so they could be put back together properly. We only had to replace some plaster on the bedroom ceiling and hallway and when the trucks where coming in, there was one piece of gutter damaged that hit a tree. Nothing really! An amazing Job.

We had seen houses, where the owners had to replace all the plaster, floorboards, roof etc because of damage and the unprofessional workmanship.

This house cost next to nothing to buy and move, erect on the property. Even though that relationship ended. It was the most peaceful and tranquil house, it gave me peace inside in troubled times.

The lesson that I learnt in this is anything is possible, but do your research, ask around, do your budget, look at all the options, how is the best way to do it? who do I ask? what do I need to do? when do I need to do it? Make your list and take one step at a time? Breaking it down into little steps, takes the “Big Job Syndrome” away. These are the great life experiences you can have and remember.

The other main lesson I learnt: protect your assets that you work hard for. Have relationship agreements, look at contracts and titles options for giving you options if you need the out or wish to buy the other party out. Relationship are partnerships, like in business and it has its risks, minimise the stress on yourself and be prepared in the good times.

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