Well, we found a place to live! Woohoo

What a process. Apartment hunting here was very different that I expected. We used the website realestate.com to see what was available in our price range and preferred neighbourhoods. But it was hard to look very far in advance. We found that usually listings would come up that were available right away or within the next two weeks. This was hard for me because it felt like we were leaving it to the last minute and I was scared that we wouldn't find a place in time.

The rental market is very competitive here. And it was a busy time of year to be looking because it is summer, and school was about to start. There were a lot of university students looking and we were told that it's common for some international students to pay a full year's rent up front! The process is a place gets listed with an inspection time, which is basically an open house. The real estate agent will show up for 15 minutes and you can check out the property. Then if you are interested, you can submit your offer online.  We went to a few inspections where there were easily 40 people waiting to get in and there was ever less than 10 people.

Together we looked at over 15 apartments. I went to even more than that. There was one property we saw back in early December that would've been perfect. We really regretted not putting in an offer but it was available too soon. There was another property that we were really interested in that had an amazing view.

We also saw some duds. We saw one that was in the same building as the first one we loved. It was a great space but there were no windows to the outside! They just had a few frosted windows that opened to the courtyard in centre of the building. But no fresh air? And how are you supposed to know what to wear in the morning if you can't see the weather outside? There were several other units we saw that could've worked but they didn't have air conditioning. That was a deal breaker for Tj, especially in the middle of the summer when it's been hitting 40 degrees. Another thing we saw a couple of times that I didn't like was one-bedroom apartments with ensuite bathrooms. That would not be ideal for when we have guests, even if that only adds up to a few weeks a year.

But in the end I think we found the perfect place! It's in a brand new building, in our favourite neighbourhood. It's small, but all the appliances were included which is awesome (usually you have to provide your own fridge and washing machine). It's in our favorite neighbourhood - South Yarra/Prahran. The best part is the gorgeous kitchen! I'm also excited for the balcony. There's no view, and there's a building right across the street, but we have never had an outdoor space. It's going to be so much fun to decorate. The only thing I know I want is a really comfy reading chair and some plants to give a bit more privacy. 

We have had our keys for about a week now, and have slowly been moving things over one suitcase at a time. Our furniture has finally arrived from Canada and we are just adding finishing touches now, trying to see what we need and decided where to hang artwork. I am so excited to live here!

Let me know if you have any ideas for the balcony :)