Can we even stand the wait for warmth? I’ve been cautioned off putting too much effort into the balcony, but moderation is short-hand for wasted enthusiasm. Despite preference for muddy boots over patent leather, and obscene, gluttonous love of rhubarb… our balcony has a big job to do. Occupy my twiddling green-ish thumbs until this: Source: The Telegraph It’s one [...]
Vancouver, you’re scaring me. I thought my original, ugly kitchen cupboards were bad enough. Then Meg reveals her Vancouver apartment’s kitchen – and it’s the exact same thing. Those cupboard doors, with those hinges & handles: I was skimming through some old photos the other day, when I found this little treasure: It’s the first [...]
This time last year, we Vancouverites were getting used to helicopters, motorcades and lots of Scandinavians criss-crossing our city. We were running into the flame wherever we went. There was a buzz – and we couldn’t wait. February 12, 2010 will remain the only time I gladly sat in freezing rain all night – never [...]
Does this photo strike you as odd? Look at the towels on the bathroom stool. Angled just so. An entire apartment staged within an inch of its life and then… that. A forgotten patio undeserving of even soapy water and a scrub brush. Such a contrast to the interiors. Who cares? The place sold. Yet blank balconies [...]
Last time I invited you to Vancouver, you quite liked it. Today, you’re going to cry. Not particularly festive – but we’ll regroup for hot chocolate later. Vancouver apartment kitchens generally kind of suck. In terms of the (pause to count)…. TEN rental apartments that Paolo & I have suffered between us, each & every [...]
2 days to possession Dear Landlord, Here’s why you’re having no luck in renting our apartment. Rest assured, we really don’t care – and it’s no inconvenience at all to hit the beach every night while you tirelessly show the place. Still, you might want the inside scoop. Sidenote: Vancouver’s rental market is atrocious – [...]
Bidding war? Didn’t see that coming. Hours and hours and hours later, Paolo’s damn phone rings. He nods a lot and a lot of “OKs”. It’s us versus an unseen them. Load your weapons: our bidding war has begun. At least in a live auction you can stare down your bidding opponents. This apartment-buying hoop-jumping means a fair game [...]
Some days, I think we should just up sticks and move to Detroit. We could buy half of Motown for what our microscopic Vancouver one-bedroom ugly baby will eventually cost us. Half of this photo is Canada, so we’ll have that as well: Vancouver’s housing prices make me mad. Play the addictive quiz game Crack Shack or [...]
Watch out Vancouver, it’s open season on your open houses. This Saturday was our first “Ok, now we’re officially searching” open house. Much different to the “Dude, I am totally being nosy and getting away with it” open house. Was I meant to dress up? I did. I made an OCD, colour-coded list of our attack-plan [...]
Vancouver! Are you kidding me!? As a local first-time home buyer, you’ll all but have to take up yoga. Deep breaths and calming thoughts? Gather them round and hug them tight. Here’s the awful fact: to buy anywhere decent in this city, you need $300k. Believe it. But I’m a first-time buyer! How can I possibly? [...]
