Status Update

Finally! It's only taken five weeks but we now have a tenant for the house. Not helped at all by the laziest real estate agent in Brisbane, but hey, we're finally going places. Quite literally.

So the current status update is both the wife and I have finished work and we've basically been sitting in a holding pattern waiting for the house to rent out. It's been extremely frustrating as we've got this great plan for moving up the coast over summer but the first step in that, renting the house out, was proving to be quite a hurdle.

Our original agent was not that at all. Over the first few weeks we had a few inspections booked but then no-one would turn up. He kept saying we'll need to lower the price which we did assuming his knowledge and expertise was the best advice.

We also had a couple of other issues with him such as his advice to not have an open house and the fact I had to suggest a sign out front and other marketing methods. So when another inspection didn't occur, I had a go at him about the lack of personal service and he seemed genuinely suprised that we weren't happy. What planet must this guy live on?

Alas, upon having a mix-up with the key for an upcoming inspection, we had cause to call him and found his mobile was set to a voice recording saying to log-on to their website and fill out a form and someone would ring you back. We were flabbergasted that this was the process in place for people to make contact, ask a question, book an inspection, etc. Surely some people upon getting that message were hanging up and saying that's all too hard.

The sacking was swift therefore and another agent was able to meet us later that day and get the house up on the internet that night. She also agreed to conduct an open house on the Saturday, in two days time, even though it was her allocated day off. Now that is proper service. It was a shock to us after the crap we'd endured from the other agent.

The open house was a success with a number of groups through that went away with applications. Come Monday, yesterday, two had submitted their applications and we've selected one with it to be all finalised later today. So after getting only one group through in four weeks with one agent, we now had the house rented out after only four days with another.

You live and learn don't you? Just spewing we put the price down as much as we did based on the first agent's advice. Oh well, the mortgage is still covered and we can start moving forward once again.

So the next step? Well, we're off up the coast tomorrow to try and find a house up there. Looks like we'll be moving the weekend after next so time is of the essence and its action stations all round. A massive relief though to get through the first step and our 'seachange' dream remains alive.

Here's to beers on the beach within a fortnight!

EDM.