Author: Mr A
Location: Curl Curl, NSW
We sit surrounded by packing crates. Our cat looks as bemused as we do at the state of the house! Our prized possessions being taped up and sealed in crates, with Catherine and I having no clue as to when and where we will open them again!
Two weeks today we will pull out of our driveway unsure as to when we will be back. We have rented the house out again, but this time unfurnished, as we want to continue to travel for at least a year and more likely longer, and offering the place unfurnished means longer more stable rental income. Well thats the plan anyway. We’ve locked in our first tenant with the help of Ray White Real Estate, who will manage the rental while we are away.
So we have spent the last few weeks decluttering, selling furniture and stuff we don’t want to store. It’s been hard to let some things ago, but also liberating now as we look around at a more streamlined set of possessions. It all sounds pretty good, and it is, apart from the fact that we will be separated from our fur child Tasmania. She will be in superb foster care though with a couple of sets of friends, but of course will be sorely missed by us. With any direction you take in life there are always compromises to be made. Giving away our treasured book collection yesterday for instance – that was tough – but it made no sense to store them – we are trying to get our costs down of course as we will need to live off the rental income and my super.
So as well as finalising the packing we are organising the multitude of things that you need to change if you will no longer have a permanent address. Of course this has been so much easier now almost everyone can transact with you without sending mail, except the RTA of course, bless them. Oh and CIL, the specialist caravan insurer who would have a huge percentage of their customers of no fixed abode! Some companies are still struggling with the digital transition it seems.
So what happens next?
Lots of people have been asking us that question, so here’s the summary. When we leave the house we will spend a few days in southern NSW catching up with friends, and then make our way back to Sydney minus the van and the car, which will be stored with some of those friends who don’t live in Sydney and therefore have nice large driveways! Thank you if you’re reading this! Then it’s off to the North Island of New Zealand on the 12 December for 6 weeks, basing ourselves with some of Catherine’s family just outside of Tauranga.
Then the plot thickens. We will spent February and March around southern NSW and Victoria, then head off to Europe in early April.
Once there, we are going to be motorhome based nomads, starting in the UK then heading over to Europe in May, which will of course be a seperate economic area by then, so our plans are pretty flexible based on what agreements are reached on Brexit. For example, maximum stays of 3 months for UK passport holders is one option being debated. We will see have to see how it all unfolds.
Lots of excitement and unknowns in the Anderson household at the moment. Catherine has some ongoing health issues which will need to be treated and managed within these plans, so we will need to be flexible.
We so appreciate the support of friends who are helping us make this happen, offering foster care for Tassie, helping me fix things (I need a lot of help). Leaving our friends behind as we spend less time in Sydney is going to be tough. However, we have been offered the opportunity so we think we should grab it.
