Australia is resisting progress - any idea why?

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This blog explains how buying, building or renting a house works in Australia. It makes an interesting reading for newbies and outsiders, expats and newcomers, basically anyone who is not familiar with Australian real estate market.

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Washer womanDon’t get me wrong - I love this country. But there are things about it that are just beyond me. Which is why I thought maybe some of you can help me make sense of it all.

Enigma # 1 - double glazed windows.

Dealing with debt: an interview with Christopher Zinn from Choice

Debt I don’t know about you, but that report from Choice got me thinking - how did we get up to our eyeballs in debt? What can we do to turn things around? What can we do if we’re already in trouble? So when I had a chance to get some answers, I jumped on it and here is the result - my interview with Christopher Zinn, the spokesperson for Choice.

QuestionIt is common to see credit cards as debt culprit, but are there other debts people should - and can - avoid?

Lost your job, can’t pay the mortgage? Act early and save the house!

Debt: mortgage on a houseWhen the times are good, hardly anyone asks the “what if” questions.

“What if I lose my job”, “What if our business fails”, “What if we can’t pay the mortgage or the credit cards”. I think that if there was a good time for these unpleasant questions, it would be now, in the officially recognized Global Financial Crisis.

Dealing with unwelcome guests in your house (part 2)

Arachnophobia - fear of spidersLet’s get it over with - here is the rest of my spiders list with pictures, descriptions, symptoms, and treatment. With this list you can stop living in fear, because it tells you exactly what you’re dealing with. Sorry, little spiders, you don’t have the advantage of surprise any more!

Still, some ugly pictures lay ahead so don’t say I didn’t warn you and proceed at your own risk :)

Dealing with unwelcome guests in your house (part 1)

Arachnophobia - fear of spidersWhat you’re about to read is not another article about Aussie real estate or the first home buyers - it is about spiders. You may rightfully ask “what spiders have to do with a real estate blog” and my answer is “they live in your piece of real estate and you need to learn to co-exist”.

I am afraid of spiders. Correction: I am not afraid, I am terrified of spiders. This was my only issue with this beautiful country ever since I arrived - the amount of spiders that a person keeps discovering in their house - supposedly the safest place on Earth.

Household Survival tips: How to cope with a horrible heat wave

Woman sweatingWe all have been sweating for a week now. Did you know that in Victoria we are now having the worst heat wave in the last century? No wonder that a lot of people don’t know anything about the dangers of this kind of weather.

Last summer we had a couple of days that were equally hot and I had a chance to learn from my aussie friends how to get through them safely. All the things they’ve suggested I tried, they really help and this summer I feel much more confident because I know what to do when it gets really hot.

Household survival tips: preparing for water emergency

Glass of water overflowing into a kitchen sink

With all the recession talks not many people think about another possible emergency - apparently there is a growing world-wide water problem.

No more New Year’s resolutions!

New Years Resolutions listI could never get those New Year’s resolutions ready for the New Year’s Eve. Preparing for the celebration, buying presents for everybody, planning the dinner, getting together with family and friends make a person busy enough. I was always struggling to plan this one day, December 31st, ahead – not to mention planning my whole year at the last moment.

Any long term decisions (and 365 days are long enough term for me) made in a rush are a bad idea. So I am starting a new tradition – replacing the New Year’s resolutions with New Year’s aspirations. And they must be made up in the New Year, after the countdown, the fireworks and the champagne, when I am sober, my vision isn’t blurring and I can think clearly.

Household survival tips - How to Prepare for Disasters and Emergencies

Survival first aid kitA year ago I wouldn’t even think to write about something as depressing and disturbing as disasters and emergencies, but with all the recent events it looks like the right thing to do. Recession (or depression, as many call it already) can bring a lot of things with it - including power outages, interrupted supply of water and gas, shortage in the supply of food and God knows what else.

If you ask ten people what it means to be prepared for an emergency, you will get ten different answers and for a good reason - the level of preparedness that people feel comfortable with changes from family to family, from person to person. By no means is this list a must for any of you, my readers, take it as a general guide and do what feels right for you and your family.

Household survival tips - how to take control of your family budget and spend less (part 2)

Banknotes coins moneyThis is the rest of money saving tips I promised you in the part one of “How to take control of you family budget”.

6. Cancel memberships that don’t do much for you.

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