Bear with me... this could take a while...

I know this is a wedding blog, but there's nothing wrong with injecting a little personal stuff right? And I'm so uber excited about it this I have to share (and I'm going to throw some photos in so you at least have some eye candy - albeit landscapes!)....

So a few days before Christmas last year, we put our house on the market. The next day it sold. We had three weeks to find somewhere to rent, pack up EVERYTHING and move (in a very busy wedding season!). All very quick. Then the hunt for the 'almost dream' house (we're not yet at the dream house stage) began. Now let me just say that for the real estate agent helping us find something, I am something of a nightmare. Fussy is putting it mildly... just ask my husband. I want the renovated villa/character bungalow by the beachside, in an area which is mostly a sea of hotch-potch designs, and new cookie cutter throw ups. Now no offence and each to their own, however the new dime a dozen builds just don't float my boat. The boxy rooms, low ceilings, upstairs/downstairs.....no thanks. I want wooden floors, single level living, large doors to throw open to the outside... and most importantly all within budget!
{View 150m up from the house - there's a llama on the other side!}

Asking a bit much?... I thought so! Told ya I was fussy! Anyhoooo...moving on, the day after we sold, the agent told us they had a renovated villa on half an acre in our 'dream road', literally on the outskirts of the city (5 mins to the beach, slight sea view, lovely country lookout, 20 mins non-peak to the city - perfecto). I walked in and knew instantly that it was 'me'. Well, 'us'. He'll have what I have kind of thing. (I may not necessarily have what he wants!) However the real estate agent jumped the gun. The house wasn't officially on the market - in fact the wife didn't even want to sell (totally understandable in my books), so for weeks we waited and waited until they were back from holiday and we could start the process.
{Perfect winter morning over the valley}

There were a tonne of things that had to fall into place, and just as we thought it was a lost cause, it happened, well... we got the chance to put the offer in, waiting with baited breath as we were sure it would be turned down, and yes it was, and then there were delays due to the property they wanted falling through again and again. This went on for a few months, back and forth, one minute they're selling, the next they're not. Then the day after we got back from holiday last month the agent called to say NO they definitely weren't selling. Boo-hoo! So we closed the chapter on that story and started looking in another part of town.
{Ok this is NOT our jetty!!}

Now let me just say that all along I knew this would be our house, I didn't panic when they said it wasn't happening, all the signs pointed towards it being ours. Starting with the fact that this time last year we were trying to buy the section next to this house, so when it came up it was simply fate. Are you still with me.... we're nearly there! Just six days ago the agent called (from the US on holiday) to say the vendor was being forced to sell and we had first offer. So to wrap the story up... after 7 patient months of trying not to get my hopes up, we're now all signed on the dotted line and the VERY proud owners of a lovely little house down a country lane but still close to the beach and coffee!!!
{A few shots from the local area... my new hood!}

And to be honest it actually is the dream house afterall. It is SO peaceful, has such a lovely feel to it, and I could literally roll around in the lovely grassy lawn kicking my feet in the air right now! Am I happy? You bet your socks I am!