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Tuesday 10 December 2013

Still Waiting...See Breaking News!!!

First up - let me say that I am extraordinarily grateful that my solicitors are taking EVERY step possible to ensure that we are protected in this purchase and that we have everything done properly.

But, (you knew that was coming didn't you?)

Enough already!!

I have finished work (a while ago actually), I am READY to move!!

We have not been sitting around waiting for the move to happen either!!  Every day is spent either packing, purchasing items that will be needed for the renovation, or taking said items up to Swan Hill!  We have done a few trips up and back in one day.

**BREAKING NEWS!!!

We signed our contracts this afternoon!!  FINALLY!!  Woo Hoo!!  (Tuesday)

SO excited to be finally getting really ready to do this!!

Now to work out the logistics on how this will happen!!  Roman and the girls can't leave Melbourne now until next week, and I need to be there for settlement (7days before and 7days after is the training requirement - that will all need to happen after now!!)

Today (Wednesday) Roman and I will be going back to Fowles (seems to be our favourite place right now!!)  We have been so blessed to have been in the right place (Fowles) at the right time for a great number of bargains!!  We have been bidding on items that we will need for the house and the more urgent items that need to be done at Hilltop Resort.  So far we have been very lucky in what we have managed to get!!  We managed to get a fridge for the camp kitchen - so those of you that will be staying with us and camping or caravanning can put some items in our new fridge!!

Tomorrow (Thursday) I will need to arrange a bit of a clean up here, leave lists for the girls and finalise my FSS Food Safety Manual - required by council.  Then I will probably drive up to Swan Hill on early Friday morning, meeting the bank onsite in the afternoon so that they can install my credit card eftpos machine.  Then I won't have to turn away anyone that doesn't have cash on them!!! 
(This is Very Important!!)

Installing days of the week into my ramblings is not usual - I stopped writing after breaking the news and got up early this morning and finished writing!!

I'll post this short missive now and do the next update when I am in Swan Hill (little squeal)

Friday 22 November 2013

Delayed Again :'(

Yesterday was officially settlement day, and yet here I am - still in Melbourne!!

I don't even yet have a date yet that will actually be settlement!!  We are working on it, working towards it and aiming for a settlement date as soon as possible....but no actual date yet!!  NOT in November I think.  I am hoping for the first half of December.

We first looked at this property in June 2012, so we are becoming accustomed to waiting - NOT that I am any more patient for the experience!  My biggest frustration is that I have started my leave from work.
For us that means that I am not earning during this time, and using my leave later, it is all being used up now! I have thought about going back and asking work if I can work now and use my leave later - but I won't be able to give ANY notice for when I do want to leave again (I suspect that when it happens it will be quick!!)
I am using this time to study, work with the girls, arrange a multitude of things that I didn't know needed to be done before we move - new bank accounts, transfer of licences, application of licences (for those that can't be transferred) negotiating final details and working with the solicitor and accountant on set up!

I will need to arrange a bunch of required courses for myself next week in order to legally run the park - all to do with Food and Alcohol.  I have started my Diploma Course in Management (Small Business), I have an A4 page To Do List Daily, girls are doing their exams at the moment, bank accounts are all set up and we are trying to make sure that we have the items that we will need to refurbish the house and the priority areas of the park.  LOTS of decisions and purchases happening at the moment.

Once I get to the park I will be busy for the first two weeks learning how to do what needs to be done!!  My first and foremost concern is to learn how to run the water treatment plant!  That MUST be done right!
Then I will schedule myself, so that Monday's work is done on Monday, AM work is done in the morning, and I do NOT forget to feed the animals!!  All work that I assume will come naturally to me in time!

The great news is that the park is FULL right now!!
Hopefully that continues after we get there!!

I am thrilled to be getting through about 80% of my lists daily - today is a catch up day (this blog has been part of the 20% for TOO long!!  It has been carried forward daily and needed to be done TODAY!!)
There seems to be a never ending amount of work to do and without a list I wouldn't get it all done.

What sort of list maker are you?  Do you make lists?
I need lists!!  I like to know what is going on - it can all change, no problems - but I like a game plan!!
I am SO bad at needing lists that I put the need to write another list onto a current list.....and I write down items that need doing onto a list when I know they are almost done or will be soon - so I can cross them off!

OK - this blog entry is done!!
Now to put the next one onto my current list so that it gets done SOON!!


Thursday 31 October 2013

Nearly there!


It looks like this move is actually going to happen!!  It has been a long time coming and all of the details are not yet completely organised, but we draw ever closer.  (we haven't even signed the contracts yet!!!)

Settlement is three weeks today!  I can't even begin to imagine the changes this will herald!  I am looking forward to EVERY single one of them.

I have been blessed to have been offered a helping hand by my nephew and his partner, they will be coming up for a week over Christmas to help with things that need doing.
Mum will be there with us too - I'll have to see if there are any other 'helpers' I can entice!!!

We are not even sure what those things will be!!  We know that we need to do a lot of work to the residence, the biggest job will probably be pulling up and replacing the carpets - although hopefully NOT the floorboards!!  We need to replace a lot of the wooden surrounds in all of the rooms - wood that surrounds the doors, the windows, the cupboards and some of the skirtings and architraves.  Possibly the kitchen too!

I am wanting to get the Spa set up too - gotta grab those opportunities to relax and chill out when you can!!

All of that without even touching the actual resort yet!!!  SO much to do there!!

It all depends on ideas and money!!!  I will run out of the second before I run out of the first!!
ALL I need to do then is prioritise!!  Set a list of things to do in order of importance and work towards achieving everything on my list!  Whew - almost sounds too easy, doesn't it?

Can I put pictures on a blog??  I hope so - I'll post lots of before and after shots for you all!  (Both of you!!)

I have spent this week working on my Australian Homeschool Network website.  A whole new look!  While waiting for that to go live I have begun fiddling with the new website for Hilltop Resort.  That is MUCH harder as I don't know enough about the resort or the industry yet to pull together details that will be enticing to holiday makers.  HUGE Learning Curve!

Learning is a nice segue into another project I have just embarked on!!

I have just enrolled to do a Diploma of Management (Small Business) to increase my skills and my ability to make a roaring success of this venture.  Failure is NOT an option!

So - over the next few months I will be working on the following things:


  • Learning how to run the resort
  • Working on Resort Renovations
  • Working in the Resort
  • Being a Wife
  • Being a Mum
  • Homeschooling our girls (fortunately not until February!!)
  • Studying for my Diploma (with Kaitie and Tash)
  • Following through on local marketing plans - chatting with other local businesses etc
  • Working to achieve compliance in Tourism and Camps (that looks like a huge process on it's own!!)
  • Working on the website
  • Working on a Brochure and pricing for Groups and School Camps
  • Planning and Designing Dormitories, Activities and Courses for camps at the Resort
I will then start going back to Melbourne weekly to work from home three nights a week for a break!!!

So, if you come across me at the Resort and I look a little frazzled to you.... take pity on me!!  Offer me a chardonnay or a vodka mixer, make me sit down for 10 mins and have a chat with you!!

SERIOUSLY!!!  Actually - even if I don't look frazzled, sit down and have a chat with me!!



In a completely unrelated aside...I use spell check to make sure I'm producing something of a somewhat reasonable nature here!!!  I find it ironic that ON a blog - the word blog is not recognised!!!    :)

Friday 25 October 2013

First Post!

It occurs to me that this huge change in lifestyle should be noted.  Pretty egotistical of me actually!

My craziness is indisputable - what was I thinking!

We are in our early 50's and we have just bought a Caravan Park/Motel/Holiday Resort in Swan Hill.  Country Victoria to those without whereis.com!  Not bad for a city girl!

I seem to be writing how I talk!!  HA HA!  That's interesting!  All of the bells and whistles offered by this blogging site will be investigated in time - for now, boring, basic blogging is coming your way!

There is an enormously daunting list of things that need to be repaired, replaced or reinvented before we can make this park our own.  A whole lot of it needs to be done before we can even move into the residence.  Good thing we have three strong girls to pitch in and help!

(I can't hear myself over their combined cries of "Not Me" right now!!)

We have been trying to buy this sad, sorry and rundown park for about 18 months now.  Many, many things have gotten in our way and all have been slowly and systematically waded through so that we are now on the home stretch and within a month (supposedly - fingers crossed!!) of our settlement date.

The list of things to do is HUGE.  The list of things to buy exceeds my capacity to pay for it all!!

Learning to prioritise will be one of my first skills I think!

Small business management courses seem to be on my horizon too!!

For now, homeschooling our girls, building a resort business website, rewriting and rebuilding my Australian Homeschool Network website, writing this blog (badly) and working nights until the move take up most of my time.