In 2015, Mum had actually told me that there was a property for sale not too far away that was a single storey semi detached that was for sale.
Wife and I had given it a look, and we didnt really fance it.
Perhaps it was due to the greedy pigs who lived in Setia Eco Park who had given us the perception that the newer stuff was better, looked bigger, being apart of a "priveleged" community being gated and guarded, and the best thing to do was to find something "somewhat" new for a Home.
Perhaps it was the way how the tenants at that time kept the garden like a salad forest growing stuff all over the place that made it look unappealing to us.
We had driven up to the house, took a look from the outside and found no interest in it.
However, looking at the other houses in SS3 Petaling Jaya, were a turn off for us as well. So when we did finally return to observe the house again, things looked, slightly more appealing.
2015 had now passed, and in 2016, a few more drive by's were made. This began to warm up to us.
As we kept on occasionally (and me a little more than occasional) looked at the home again, and again and again, it began to feel a little more comfortable.
One of our neighbors sold us our second Doberman in the 80's, there were dogs everywhere, there was a street light close to the compound outside the premise that provided free lighting at night. The neighborhood also becomes gated at night. So these were plus points with security and we already knew one neighbor.
So I asked Mum again "Do you still have that agents number where this house was up for sale".
As it was advertised in the newspapers and nowhere online. Thats right, no iproperty, no propertyguru and stuff. Just good old fashion newspapers.
Mum had to dig up a few months of Newspapers before finally finding that number. I consider myself lucky as the papers were YET to be sold off to be recycled.
Mum digs, and Mum found. She calls the property agents, and as it turns out, the property was still up for sale.
Joy oh joy, let us take a look at this place we said.
We decided on a Sunday to have a look together with my parents and wife first. To which I found the home having a decent vibe, though dark due to the tenants love for planting stuff all around the compound.
Here are some images, where on the 2nd of May 2016, we took a look at the premise for the first time. And heres an image :
Seriously what the fuck is up with that Salad Garden
I had delayed myself by 1 year by not taking a look at this opportunity and today, here I am and I actually like this place. I actually was supposed to view this property in 2015 and didnt attend the viewing because we were just a bit turned off but man how wrong were we.
Besides one shitty neighbor built right to the boundary.
Moving on, it had taken us over now 4 years to look at our First Home.
On the way out as I was leaving the property, I saw the view that we would have with the property as I was facing the gate ready to leave. This is the view. And for some reason felt "I love this view and I would like to own it" :
Facing south all towards Australia. The tree on the left coincidentally is a tree native to Australia as well called the Bottle Brush Tree. I never get bored with the view of the skies
As we had taken a survey of the property and had just stepped out the front gate, I I actually told the agent "Consider it done, we will do a small negotiation and we can move on"
This upset the wife but I cant disagree with her. It was a little selfish of me as this was our Investment into what is supposed to be Our Home anyway.
This too didnt help as some scars were still there from the Section 11 house she loved ever so much.
This very same evening, while in shitty One Soho, over some Vodka and at that time being intoxicated too quite a bit, I told my wife that we should look at the property again with her Mum on the 8th of May.
The very next day, I had called the agent and told him we would like to look at the property again this coming weekend on the 8th and in between a viewing with a contractor if the tenants are agreeable.
We asked for a 2nd viewing as well, during some time I cannot remember with a contractor, Mr. Alex who said it would cost RM 300,000 for renovating the current building and RM 500,000 for a 1.5 storey conversion.
Pfffft, fuck it. That kind of money is mentioned on websites like lowyatt for greedy contractors who really want to eat Steak everyday Medium Well in Bangsar. Fuck off. That too by making 100 or more percent profit and with the intention of giving you sub standard quality that breaks apart faster than a China made piece of furniture from Ikea. More of this later.
The 3rd viewing with Mum in Law began to feel a little more comfortable for the wife, even with the section 11 house still being her dream home. Mum in law had a similar vibe that things are good and nice. Things were beginning to look better. The only thing though during our visits was this smell coming from the back of the Home that smelled like you just stepped into a Vet. They had cats.
My wife and I discussed things and there was still some slight apprehension.
The next day, the 9th of May 2016, it was a Sunday in the evening at shitty One Soho.
My wife and I decided to call the property agent. We made an offer of just 30,000 less for the property which the agent declined. In the end he agreed but decided I didnt like the number we were agreeable to so I made an offer at only 20,000 less for us to move on.
We agreed.
Putting down the phone, felt exciting at first, but then fears of an offer made before to a house in Setia Eco Park earlier had come back again.
Questions like "What if the owner declines?" and "What if I get played out again like in Setia Eco Park" occurs.
Sobriety had hit me fast of those questions. To which Vodka was needed to feel good again and think about the next steps and what to do. This was probably around the 7 PM hour on this Sunday, and we decided that we will send an SMS (Because the agent is an old chap you see in his 70's, so no Whatsapp here).
"Can we meet this coming week to put in our money for our Earnest Deposit"
To which an SMS only came in the next day for the arrangements of the Earnest Deposit such as when, where and all that will take place.
This was beginning to feel serious, but still had at the back of my mind the greedy fucks at Setia Eco Park burning me out again. Will it happen again this time ? We had been burnt before, and didnt want to go through this again.
We had now 2 weeks to pay up our Earnest Deposit.
So through the rest of the days waiting, more Vodka was consumed, time passed slowly before reminding the agent - possibly was a Thursday, 19th of May 2016, of our meeting set up the day after.
A cheque was also then prepared. A bank draft, to which the 3% Earnest Deposit, was paid by me. I did this because I felt that it was good to have something done as a man, at 33 years old that time, who has accomplished doing something mature such as Booking A Home.
In addition, I still felt that the wife was still having emotions on the section 11 home. Sometimes, homes can do this to you when you really fall in love with one. I never came as close to how much she REALLLLY loved a home she saw as much as the section 11 home.
The day before the meeting, another SMS was sent saying something along the lines of "See you tomorrow, Earnest Deposit Cheque is Ready" This took place on the 20th of May 2016
That night, I drank more Vodka. I couldnt believe we had come this far before having something formal happen to our lives.
The following morning on the 21st of May 2017, the day had finally arrived. The week had been long with Vodka nights daily and getting smashed. Worries had to be doused with Vodka and now its time to take a bath in our shitty One Soho bathroom with our broken down heater.
We prepared to get ready. We showered, I took the cheque from our prayer alter, grabbed my keys and headed to SS3 where the meeting was held at S Double Joy Restaurant.
We met during breakfast around 9 AM. The Property Agent was having some noodles and a coffee. We too decided to have breakfast too.
My wife and I ordered toast and some tea. We chatted for about 15 minutes while wolfing down the toast which by the way is excellent. Something lowyatt folks wont understand because toast to hipsters and lowyatt folks for breakfast means having Avocado Toast with a fucking Chai Latte.
We then passed over our cheque, we asked the agent to sign our copy, and we signed the Earnest Deposit.
Formalities done, some kind advise was shared and we then got up and wished each other.
Walking back to the car felt strange and different. I was an adult, a young adult. I dont know what I said while walking back to the car but knew what I felt.
In the car we were happy as a couple, the wife had to go somewhere so I dropped her back at One Soho.
We kissed each other and we moved on with our day.
Its our First Home. We finally have a cheque in someone elses hands, paper work is going to be done in our names, we are going to have to contact banks, lawyers, sign documents and bla bla bla.
We were going to get our keys.
Next up its all the documentation stuff. What you will need, what we went through and what needs to be done.
But before things get finished here,
Its strange, the Home we have, was actually a place during my early teens (13 or 14, maybe even 12) when I used to cycle (not with a fucking hipster bike, a mountain bike) around the neighborhood where our Home is.
I used to cycle around the neighborhood as well where we have our home now in SS3.
I used to think looking at our neighbor "Thats where were bought Spike" our second Doberman. Thats right, we didnt have a Shitzu or some shitty small dog, being called Ko Ko or something. We had Spike.
I used to also think "The Home next door looks better than Spikes house".
How things come full circle almost 20 years later. I truly love this stuff. What a journey.
~fin~
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