AND WILLAGEE IT IS

Susan and I took a deep breath after our intial real estate failure and fled to Melbourne.

OK. That isn't really the story. We already had a trip back east booked to go to the Port Fairy Folk Festival and catch up with friends in Melbourne. 

It did mean that we missed out on a week of inspections so as I sat in Melbourne Airport on Friday 14 May waiting to fly back to Perth, I got back to work and started checking the inspection listings. And there was another house in Willagee....just around the corner from our previous attempt to buy. The inspection time clashed with a lunch we had planned with friends so before getting on the plane, I sent off a request for alternative time. And when I got off the plane, there it was - 4.30pm that afternoon.

It was tight squeeze, picking up Indigo from the Furbaby Retreat in North Perth and then racing south in the school pick up/escape for the weekend traffic but we made it. 

And we loved it.

106 Archibald St



Of course, it's not perfect but let me list the things that work for us:

- 2 bedrooms with ensuites, so no fighting over who gets the bigger space

- 2 office areas

- 2 living spaces, so separate TV experiences can be had

- 2 alfresco areas 

- a red kitchen, much to Susan's delight

- beautiful jarrah floorboards through out

- recently painted inside

- built in 2008 so little if no renovation to be done

- and of course there's a pool.



There are some steps to the pool which isn't as big as our Loch St one and there are no vistas from the bedrooms with building close to the fence line. It's on a slightly busier road than Cummins St with a small shopping strip 5 minutes walk away. But that was about all we could complain about. The owner was recently widowed and downsizing. She was clearly very house proud because it was in immaculate condition. 

Susan and I went home, had a stiff drink, and decided to put in an offer. The game is to try and make the top offer so we took what my favourite website, propertyvalue.com , thought it was worth and topped it. An offer which was $200k less than we'd put in for Cummins St so we had nothing to lose.

Within an hour, we had a call from the real estate agent saying that it was an acceptable offer and they were going to present it to the owner next day. On Saturday, we filled in some more forms and waited....

We were enjoying lunch with friends when at 12.18pm the phone rang. Our offer had been accepted. All done and dusted in less than 24 hours. That's how hot the Perth real estate market is.

Who knows what Willagee will be like to live in as a suburb, but the house feels just right for us. And there will be room for you to come and visit.


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