Week Two: Moving into our Melbourne Apartment

Our second week in Melbourne was a whirlwind of errands, shopping, and paperwork, as we applied for a spacious 1-bedroom apartment in the suburb of Parkville, and got the good news on Wednesday that our application had been accepted! After two weeks of living in a cramped Airbnb space, I was over the moon to begin the process of moving into somewhere more permanent. The apartment was a lease-break, which meant the previous tenant was looking to vacate the space immediately (and all things considered that fit into my timeline quite well) and we were able to officially sign the lease less than 48 hours later.

Because he was caught up with work (and insisted he didn't care what the place looked like, anyway) Dave didn't even glimpse the apartment until it was time to move in. I have to admit I was more than a  little nervous when I finally did show him the space, but my manic dash to close the deal paid off because he loves it (and of course I do too!)

The apartment is located on the first floor, down a quiet side street with a sizable front patio with a built-in gate. I suspect we will get a lot of use out of the outdoor space when (if???) the weather finally turns to summer. After crossing the patio you enter the apartment through a large, glass sliding door that gives way to a generously sized living and dining room space, with a modern kitchenette running along the opposite wall.

The small hallway that follows leads to a bathroom on the left, and a closet with laundry on the right, before leading to the bedroom located at the back of the apartment, with a built-in full sized wardrobe with a mirrored front, and a small window on the right side to let in some natural light.

(Can you tell I've been reading a lot of real estate ads?)

Anyway, enough of me trying to describe it to you. Here are some pictures of the space:

The bedroom, featuring fun lights from IKEA and our souvenir stuffed bear from Switzerland

The kitchen, while small, has ample counter space plus a gas stove and a dishwasher. Note: the backsplash is a mirror, in case you're trying to work out the angles.

The main living and dining space. Not pictured: The TV Dave insists he's going to buy.

Okay so I admit these are not the best photos, but the space isn't fully set up, and I'm trying to stay motivated to organize and decorate to make the apartment feel more homey. For those who had the chance to see our old place in Toronto, I can assure you this apartment is much bigger. Plus the bedroom has a real door! Anyway, more pictures are coming (I promise) but let me do my nesting thing first, before I show it off any more.

As I mentioned, this week was full of shopping trips to get the apartment equipped with all the things we need to live. We did rent the space furnished which alleviated the need to make any major purchases, but bedding, towels, shelving, and some basic appliances were all required. We actually made two separate trips to IKEA, to get everything we needed (and had to cab back the second time because of the sheer volume of stuff that had to be transported).

Happy girl posing with our extremely full cart at IKEA!

Of course, what follows a trip to IKEA? Hours spent assembling furniture...

It turns out, Dave and I are compatible IKEA-furniture-builders and both read the directions as more of a "suggestion"!

As of Monday evening all of our new furniture is built, and most of our things are moved (just one more load to go, which we plan to tackle tomorrow!) It's a bit of a pain, because we won't have Internet hooked up at the new place until Wednesday, but that's to be expected. Dave has promised me that once the Internet is hooked up a TV will be purchased, which will either make the space better, or make me wish I never agreed to it in the first place.

Tonight I christened the kitchen by making some homemade butternut squash soup. Even if it's technically spring in Australia, my Canadian-roots are in flat out fall mode and won't be denied my usual fall favourites.

Cooking the first meal in the new apartment

After dinner, our new neighbour showed up to say hello...

I opened the door to give this fellow a few pats and Dave watched me very carefully, claiming: "I know how Cosentinos usually acquire pets..."

Alas, we remain pet-less in Australia. But at least we're no longer homeless, I'll call that a win.

As an aside, I'm sorry for the long delay between blog updates. It's been a bit manic on this end as we've tried to settle in and get organized. I expect the frequency of the blog posts to speed up in the coming weeks as we fall back into the routine of regular life.

Until then,
Heather