Tuesday 3 August 2010

Not so nostalgic visit

The very first home that Jason and I bought together is back on the market. We lived there from 1998 to 2002. It was a two bedroom 1950s post war house  - a former housing commission home.

A very neat and tidy starter home for a young couple in the suburbs.


this image has a very similar floor plan and exterior to our first home

We thought it would be fun to go to the open house inspection. You know, show the kids and remember fondly our first foray into home ownership.

Bad idea.

The house had been rented out. And clearly the tenants were not house-proud and nor was the landlord, it would seem.  The fly screen doors were shredded, the polished floors were trashed, there were holes in cupboard doors, the kitchen lino was torn, the decks had been neglected. Ghettolicious.

Not one bit of maintenance. No one gave a flying f*ck in eight years. It is really sad.

I had brought my camera, but I didn't have the heart to take photographs. The old house didn't deserve to be humiliated any further.

It used to be a nice home and could be again with the right person. I hope someone will buy it and give it some love.

15 comments:

  1. How sad. Never return to an old house. I too have made that mistake. Better to keep it whole and sound in your memories.

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  2. I grew up in a Housing Commission home. My parents are still there after more than 60 years, and I'm really pleased to say that it is immaculate. Small, but immaculate. Isn't it sad what people can do to a house?

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  3. Isn't that just horrible. Makes you angry because I bet you had it looking lovely. Some people just have no idea. I too hope someone nice buys it and restores it to its former glory!

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  4. Gosh. That is very sad. I've never even driven passed our first home which we sold about three years ago. I couldn't do it.

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  5. This is the exact reason I can not ever rent out a property....we have renovated 5 homes and each time we tossed and turned and had family in our ear saying don't sell rent it out.....and yes given the landlord may not have cared, I couldn't be so house proud and watch others have total disregard for their living areas and someones elses hard earned property.
    It makes me so mad that others think that just because you are renting the owner must be able to afford to fix their disgusting living habits...what if you scrimped and saved all your life to get an investment property and this is what you are left with.
    I am so sorry you were so let down to see your lovely previous property brought back from a home to a few rooms to rent......
    Luckily you have moved on to a most glorious new home that you are able to bring back to life.....
    It will become some one elses new project bringing it back to life and who knows they may even blog about it......

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  6. How awful! I hope it didn't taint your happy memories too much. I drive past our first home quite often as we have had several homes (I get bored easily), but never moved too far - I wouldn't want to go back in it tho'. I'm sure the next person will get a bargain, due to its sad state, and revive it to its former glory. Michelle

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  7. How sad, some people just don't care for the things around them and to see your old house so run down must have been so disappointing. xx

    P.S Congrats on your blogiversary! Here's to another year! xx

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  8. ah, thats exactly the reason i have been hesitating to rent out my house now. i cant bear the thought of someone not loving it, as i have.
    i hope someone nice gets it too
    ~laura

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  9. It's bad enough going back to see other people's changes, but dirt and neglect are deeply upsetting. It sounds like it's being sold as a 'fixer', so fingers crossed it's just what some starry-eyed young couple are looking for.

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  10. That's so sad, your poor old house. I too hope someone buys it and brings it back to life :)

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  11. You know the saying "Never look back"? Maybe that should have been how you viewed your old house. It's sad people don't have the same love and respect for things we once loved, but you've moved on to bigger and better things. Look ahead and keep your memories.

    Jennifer XX

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  12. It is sad. I have similar experiences visiting places (not houses) that had happy memories in the past and they had changed too much. Sometimes, it's just best to not go back but keep the memories pleasant.

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  13. It is very hard to go and look back at your old home. I usually find it hard to do. I hope it gets lovely new owners soon.

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  14. Already I worry how my home will be treated by future residents and I have no plans to move any time soon! I'll probably die here. If I win the lottery, I might move back to my former 'hood but I'll always want to keep an eye on this house and make sure it's being treated with respect.

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  15. this looks like the style of house we are purchasing :) I thought it to be about 50yr old. It's a nice little queenslander but also needs work.
    Very disheartening for you guys to have to see that

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