ISSUED!

OK. I know I only posted, like, half an hour ago. But this news is just too good.
Our builder just notified us that the council have issued our building, plumbing and special plumbing permits. We have the all clear and can start at our leisure! Yay!!!
Now one more hurdle - the dreaded bank. We have pre approval but there has been a couple of small blowouts. Hopefully we don't need to jump through anymore hoops with them. We have to wait until Monday to find out.
As soon as we pay the deposit we're go!
OMG.

Our home. Here.

Our lives. Changed.

Logistics

Up until now I've been distracting myself from stay-at-home-motherly duties by making airy to-do lists of logistics of the move south. But now. It's real. Geoff is home for a week from work then he really isn't back here in Wagga until we do the Big Move in late January. That means going through the storage unit, clearing out all of his stuff from Mum and Dad's and helping me with the odd job like paint stripping the table top.
I'm getting serious quotes now from removalists and really starting to feel the financial weight of just moving some stuff, not all our stuff - just some stuff, over Bass Straight. It is an expensive piece of water.
I upped our space from 20m3 to 25m3 and the price jumped by $1000.
I was looking into a shipping container from Wagga to the farm but that was about $11000 (including the container to keep).
When money is tight it is time consuming to find the best value. I think our best and cheapest option is still just the traditional removalist truck. Our quote for 20m3 is $3150.
And then what to do with the stuff as the house won't be ready until March. I was worried about storage on site of our stuff so I was looking at hiring a container locally for a couple of months - about $1500.
Thank goodness our builder has promised the garage at lockup stage so we can put stuff in there. We have to do our big move then as we have some things they need to put into the house (like the kitchen benches). So we just wanted to do one Big Move and have it all over. Geoff will be working so Molly and I will move down permanently with all our stuff!
I have no idea. None. What we will do for accommodation. We have asked a neighbour about staying in their self contained apartment usually reserved for their kids. Hopefully that will come about. Our other option is onsite caravan. I will happily suffer either. I'll just be absolutely stoked to be down there for ever!

Geoff finished sanding the table;

No more until it's back together with the black varnished legs in the new house :-)

More projects

So I found these chairs in Vinnies today. Another project to add to this one. 

They're a bit scratched but solid. Recliners. Comfy as. I'm going to reupholster them to go in the lounge room. 

I'm thinking (p)lush velvet. 

Oo la la! 

And here's an update on the table situation;

I've roped Farmer Geoff in to do the paint stripping of the table top. I didn't want to ruin my hands :-)

Patience

It is indeed a virtue.

And happily one I have been in possession of... so far.

I have to admit though it's wearing thin. I knew the council process was the most likely to cause delays. And it hasn't disappointed. Ticking bureaucratic boxes. With every email or phone call from the builder - a deep breath taken and another invoice paid. The biggest issue has been the water treatment plant and dispersal area.

The end is in sight. Hopefully in less than two weeks we will have the green light. That of course will then depend on the bank. And they aren't known to dawdle...

In happier news I have engaged an old friend who happens to be a cabinet maker to build me my two kitchen benches. My kitchen will be very simple with no cupboards. Just the two benches - one for the sink and dishwasher and a big island bench for prep. Everything else goes into the large walk in pantry. I'm very lucky - he's making me an end-grain butchers block as well and doing it for a great price.

They're going to look amazing.