Wondering why you haven’t heard from me for 6 months?
The past 9 months I have been renovating my 1950’s cottage here at Glen Aplin. It has been 262 days, 6,228 hours, and 373,680 minutes.
The Glen Aplin community has a population of 566 and it has grown over the past year. Stanthorpe is 10 minutes away and this is where I do my shopping. The Granite Belt regions is known for “Brass Monkey” season from June to August when the city folk come to experience the cold weather, the fireplace on 24/7 and the wine tastings.
For me the past 9 months has been renovations and getting the compliances for council done in the cottage. The got the council inspector to come out to have a look in August hoping I would get council approval yet no, I had to complete what was on the building application and more.
When the inspector was here, he asked if I was going to repaint the cottage. No was my answer and he replied, “the paint is flaking on the back wall of cottage you will have to repaint that area and, on the sides, too”. I had to pay $110 to get a 6-month extension to complete the compliances for council, the date was 3rd February 2023.
As December and January is very busy times for tradesman and the two builders I have are booked up. I set a goal to achieve the council compliances by 14th November 2022 written down on my frig. I contacted Herbie an electrician who has done odd jobs around the cottage, asked who he would recommend installing the corrugated iron around the stumps of cottage. Herbie answer was “I can do it for you” so measurements were done, corrugated iron to match the colour of cottage arrived and we were all systems go to complete 1 of the compliances.
The 4 jobs to be done for council where:
- Guttering 3 metres replaced.
- Sanding and painting of the ridge tile of roof at front of cottage.
- Sanding faking paint and repaint back and small areas of the sides.
- Surrounds of cottage where exposed stumps are seen.
As a beauty therapist and founder of skincare Door of Youth. It was time to wear my trade woman hat and get things done. As a single lady it was up to me to make it happen.
- Barry came and replaced the guttering.
- Alan came and sanded the high spots on cottage and painted the ridge tile of roof.
- I sanded the flaking paint from the cottage took me many ours over 1 week (seemed like a month), painted undercoat and 3 coats of paint.
- Herbie the corrugated iron surrounds of cottage which took 2 full days.
I emailed the council on 09/11/22 to book in the final inspection and the date was set for 2pm on 15/11/2022, 1 day after by goal date 14/11/2022. At 2pm the council inspector arrived and within 10 mins all was ticked off and he left.
Herbie arrived at 2.30pm with the Veuve Clicquot Champagne in bucket with ice!! Friends Ann and Mike joined in on the celebrations and POPPED the champagne. It was a BIG celebration!!
May I take you to when I vacated Varsity Lakes?
I had bought the cottage March 2021 from a house removalist place at North Brisbane and waited 11 months to be delivered. Delays, delays and more delays!! After my divorce, I moved into a rental house at Varsity Lakes on 8th October 2018, on 8th October 2021 I vacated the rental as I was told by the house removalist the cottage would be delivered.
Well, the curve balls just kept coming. As I had given notice for the rental at Varsity Lakes, I had hired to 20-foot containers to be on the land at Glen Aplin as on the 8th of October the furniture removalist arrived. The removalist man arrived with an attitude of do I have to be here!! As they are packing the truck, the removalist says “we won’t fit everything in the truck” well that was it I broke down in tears, what am I going to do?? The bond clean was booked for that day and the new tenants moving in the next day.
Ok Debbie it is time to stop crying. The furniture that was left went into the garage, I called the landlady explained the situation, I told her I would be back on Monday to collect.
The removalist had left, and I had to get to Glen Aplin to make sure all was packed in containers. With Benji (fur baby) and my car full to the top I drove the 3 hours to my future community. I stayed in a cabin at https://sabosonsevern.com.au/ for the weekend then Monday drove back to Gold Coast, went to my friends Deborah we drove to picked up a truck, then to Varsity Lakes to collect the furniture out of the garage. We had a giggle as I was driving the truck (inside I was upset and so nervous) as it started to rain, and I just prayed. A total of 6 hours’ drive for me that day.
The Angels were looking down on us as we got to the storage container on the land it stopped raining while we unpacked my dining table that has been in my family for 46 years. We went back to the cabin I was absolutely exhausted and teary. The host Lizzie have us some dinner and we were in bed by 7pm as the next day was a 3-hour drive back to the Gold Coast.
I was now homeless and had no place to live. My dear friend Deborah offered her home and guest room to Benji and I.
I am not sure what keeps me going when those curve balls hit!! I have always been independent and a little stubborn. Though on this journey I have “stepped up and kept moving forward”.
I am a “Woman of Persistence”.
November 29th, 2022, as I write this blog. I am sitting at my desk that is in my lounge room looking out the window at the country and living my best life in my adult years.
Next blog will share about the curve balls when the cottage arrived.
Your Self Love Concierge
Debbie Majella xx
