Furnishing Our Nest

Peas on the balcony

As soon as we had word that we had been approved for the lease on the apartment we were able to start stocking up on essentials like crockery, cutlery and bedding.  We would also need a fridge (for beer, obviously) and we managed to find one on Gumtree;  the bloke threw in a washing machine for another $150 (we didn’t know at that time there were laundry facilities outside but even with hindsight it was a good investment).

The only problem was he wanted to deliver Friday morning and we didn’t want to leave white goods out in the street all day as we were reliably informed they would be nabbed because they were clearly working and in good nick.  People leave stuff out on the street and depending on the quality, will be picked up within the hour.

So, after a bit of running about, trying to get access through the agent to the parking underneath the apartment (big fail), I managed to get one of the other tenants to leave the front door open so we could simply store the fridge and washing machine behind the gate until we got the keys later that day.  The parking was sheltered and so even if it rained (which it did, of course) the white goods would be protected from the elements for a few hours at least.

Then we went up to Kmart to buy a duvet, cover, pillows, sheets etc although at this stage we had no bed and we knew we had the prospect of sleeping on the cold, hard wooden floor on the first night.  Unfortunately the duvet we purchased was nothing more than a mattress protector so our first night was cold and uncomfortable, both of us waking up with stiff backs on Saturday morning.

We also visited a couple of charity shops (Op Shops as they are known here), and picked up a few bits and pieces there but were taken aback by the cost of some items - it was clearly cheaper to get new stuff at Kmart as you don't seem to be able to get the bargains here that you do in the UK.

It was while we were at Kmart that the utilities that people called, advised that an extortionate fee of $155 would be payable to get connected that day, and faced with the option of being without electricity or gas until at least Tuesday (Australia gets a day off for the Queen’s birthday and it was that weekend) we really had no choice.

We were then advised that we had to confirm the mains switch was set to the “off” position and that their representative could gain access to the property if he needed to.  He couldn’t confirm that access was needed, except to say that if it was, and access could not be gained, we would still be charged the $155 but have now power until Tuesday.

After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing with the utilities people and the agent we did what we could and were relieved when we finally got access to discover that we did indeed have power and that the power company rep wasn't electrocuted in the process (which we thought was pretty unlikely anyway but we were relieved nonetheless.

On Saturday we hired a Ute and bought (and collected) a second hand bed, again courtesy of Gumtree which was proving to be a Godsend.  Gumtree also provided us with a second hand 4 piece leather suite which was the subject of some bargaining and discussion, not between the seller and us, but between ourselves.  The suite comprised of a 3 seater sofa, a 2 seater sofa, a chair and a footstool.  It took two trips to collect it, and it was the heaviest suite known to man.  I won’t describe in detail the wrangling that went on but we eventually hauled the lot upstairs and although clearly we don’t need that much furniture it is very comfortable and surprisingly doesn’t crowd the room too much.  We will probably get rid of the chair and footstool at some point but in the meantime…

We planned a trip to the market at Camberwell Sunday morning which left us disappointed.  It was described as a great place to pick up bargains from clothes to furniture but we found it no better than a very bad, very expensive boot sale full of rubbish and we didn’t find anything we needed apart from a rubbish bin.

From there we decided to bite the bullet and go back to Kmart because it was clear that we weren't going to get anything cheaper second hand.  We bought a kettle and toaster, pots and pans, and cutlery and crockery sets.  We also bought a cheap plastic clothes dryer (twice – we left it behind the first time!).

While we had the Ute we picked up a patio set for $47 from Bunnings (the Australian hardware store, the equivalent of B&Q) which was an absolute bargain.  We would no doubt be spending many an hour outside on our balcony watching the world go by (and the parrots) with a cigarette in one hand and a beer/wine in the other.

Our rather crowded living room

It was also very cold in Melbourne and while warmer than a UK winter, Australians don't believe in heating or insulation and so we were feeling very chilly.  By the time Monday came around we couldn't take it much more and rushed out to Bunnings before it closed its doors for the evening and bought an electrical oil heater which initially did little much than keep the chill off the apartment but eventually warmed the place up quite nicely.

And while we were waiting for the jobs market to pick up we returned to Bunnings once more to pick up all the equipment we would need to plant some peas, carrots and spring onions (which apparently grow all year round but I remain unconvinced) and they are currently sitting on the balcony, not doing very much at all.  We closely examine them for signs of life but we suspect it’s too cold even for peas.

And we finally bought a second hand TV and set top box for $50.  Once again this was courtesy of Gumtree and we had to drive all the way to Wyndham Vale (about an hour and a half) but it was cheap, it works perfectly and Paul can watch the cricket and it will help us wile away the hours while we are searching for work.

So our advice for furnishing an unfurnished place cheaply is:-

1.  Try the Op Shops and markets but don't expect too much.  Bargains are rare and many pieces are overpriced.

2.  Gumtree is your friend but try to hire a Ute or van as most sellers require you to pick up.

3.  Kmart sells stuff cheap and even if the old adage is true (buy cheap buy twice), when you have limited funds, you just have to hope that you won't have to buy the second time until you have found a job.

4.  Bunnings is great for outdoor stuff and a lot of apartments have balconies and you can pick up some really cheap patio furniture.  You can also spend an absolute fortune but they do have a range for all budgets.

5.  Growing vegetables is something you can do all year round in Melbourne if you have enough room. Veg is quite expensive here so worth it once you've made the initial investment of the troughs and pots assuming, of course, you will still be living here to eat the stuff.

So we slowly settled in to our new home.  It took a while for the real estate agent to provide the remote control for the car park and at the time of writing (more than 2 weeks down the line) we still have no second set of keys or the keys for our letterbox, despite repeatedly and politely asking for this.  It seems real estate agents are of the same ilk all over the world.

The changing view from the balcony

But we loved the apartment, it was perfectly situated 2 minutes from the beach and the trams, and 5 minutes from Acland Street centre one way and Fitzroy Street in the other direction.  The balcony was a real bonus and the view in the mornings was lovely, watching the trams trundle along the Esplanade while yachts and ships passed in the distance.

So, despite my misgivings Paul had been right and we had found somewhere to call home for at least 12 months within 5 days of arriving in Melbourne.  Providing we could find jobs to pay the rent we really thought we could be happy here.  We just needed secure employment in order to pay the rent and the bills and that was to be our next major challenge;  it was going to prove a process that would stretch our patience, frustrate us both and test the limits of boredom we could endure.

It was also a period during which we really wondered what was going to become of us as our funds were quickly diminishing with the high cost of living and it was made even more unnerving by the fact that we really didn’t have the option of returning to the UK as the work situation there was worse.

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