The search is exhausting - I saw five places today between 11 AM and 7 PM. Going to work is much easier! I found a couple possibilities along with the crazies - phew!
#5 - A normal one
My day started in Princes Hill/Carlton North on the opposite side of the city from where I live now. It was a beautiful sunny day (though still cold), and I saw lots of people running and walking dogs on my way to the house. It was in a very residential area, a little further north than I wanted and about 1 km from the closest grocery store. The house was very cute from the outside. Sally is a radiographer at the children's hospital and bought the place a few weeks ago. She seems nice and completely normal. Woo hoo! The house has super tall ceilings, two huge closets in a big bedroom and a giant bathroom, with a courtyard in the back. The primary drawbacks were only one loveseat for seating in the living room, no central heating, and not being super close to cafes, shops, pubs, etc.
#6 - Mr. Clean
My second stop was in the ultimate location - half a block from the train station and Chapel Street shopping, only two train stops from the city, and right in the middle of the action. It was a beautiful townhouse, well decorated with granite counter tops, wood floors, and my OWN bathroom. It was far and away the best place I've seen. BUT... James was a little over the top. He said he requires a very clean home environment. I was happy to hear this because I like it clean too, until he went on and on about every item that must be granted the highest attention to detail (eating only at the table on a placemat, closing the toilet lid before flushing, not using the dishwasher as it wastes energy and may store a dish he wants to use, the way in which a dish should be washed, the fact that the bathroom must be spotless 24/7 given it is the guest bathroom, and on and on). The thing is that I didn't disagree with anything he said, and would probably keep the house exactly as he would prefer, but the fact that he was so overbearing and demanding with his preferences made me weary that I would feel him lording over me and be uncomfortable bringing others into the house.
#7 - Creepy old guy
Oh wow! Just down the street from the 'perfect place' was a dodgy dungeon hole of a place. My intuition told me it wasn't going to be good, but I went anyway. An older guy answered the door (late 40's - early 50's?) and I cautiously followed him into the apartment. He showed me the pet possum on the deck, and there was porn showing on the TV in the living room with teddy bears lining the back ridge of the sofa (??). I just thought to myself, how can I get out of here as quickly as possible? He immediately followed that thought with asking me if I liked the place and wanted to move in. I was flustered and muttered something about continuing to look at options as I made a move for the door.
#8 - Foreigners
The next place was also in South Yarra, but closer to the city and opposite the Botanical Gardens. A German architect lives there and I met some of his German friends who were over for coffee. The conversation was easy and the place was comfortable. The room was large with three great windows wrapping around a curved corner and a huge BIR (built-in robe). The small galley kitchen, minimal living room furniture, and distance from a grocery store were the cons on this one.
#9 - Fertile lemon tree
My last stop of the day was a house in Richmond with two girls who work in the city. They were really great, and I think we'd become good friends. It was pitch black by the time I got there, so I couldn't really get a good feel for the neighborhood. The room was large with wood floors but had no closet of any kind. They reminded me that IKEA is just down the road. There was a huge courtyard in the back with a 'very fertile lemon tree' and a peach tree. One of the girls owns the house. My first visit to Richmond did not win me over (granted, it was at the end of a long day), but I've been told my many people that Richmond is a really great place to live with lots to offer, so I'm willing to reconsider.
