Wonderful Woollahra

I have a dilemma.

Every Thursday I run through Sydney, visiting "open for inspection" houses, flats, pied –a-terres and other lovely lifestyles which verge from truly inspiring to "needs a bit of work". My trusty trainers know the hilly streets of Paddington, the glamour of Tamarama, the views from Bellevue Hills.

At each property for sale, I leave my Asics by the door and enter excitedly, usually met by a welcoming real estate agent, fresh bakery smells and the sounds of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. In my Longchamp carryall are my essentials: my run map, a bottle of water, my mobile and $50 for emergencies.

It has been a tough week. I've been working on my company, 'Sorted!' Event Management's bid to host the 2012 Fashion Expo, and Alex was sick for a few days. So between giving him vitamins, Vegemite toast and a mother's love I'm been barely holding it together, working from home and teleconferencing globally with a thermometer in one hand and a phone in the other. Josh is in hyper-drive training most mornings. He's a kayaker. The first time he told me of his paddling prowess, on our second date, I was impressed with visions of him magnificently handling rapids which cut a swathe through desolate, ice-capped mountains. The reality is 5:00 a.m. alarms and Josh finding me somewhere under the duvet to give me a kiss good morning before shrugging into his wetsuit and leaving to meet other power-paddlers on the harbour.

I took a personal stock take yesterday. I need:

·    To lose the three kilos I found under the Christmas tree and which have settled comfortably on my hips. Walking around the open inspections has got to be helping!

·    A new haircut. I used a voucher I got in the letter box for my last one. Bad mistake. A feather cut fringe just doesn't do the trick.

·    A bolt of inspiration for Joshua's birthday present. I got him the Top Gear DVD boxed set for Christmas (which he loved), and I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to give him this time around!

Thank goodness it's Thursday and time for my Open for Inspections!

I'm going to dress for success today.... some heels, a frock and a bit of lippy.  Open for Inspection Girl is sashaying through Woollahra and it's all rather lovely. I know it's called a village, but I think Woollahra is more like a wonderful carnival with so many exquisite sights to behold. I sat under a magnificent tree enjoying a latte at Cafe Crème Anglais and watched the crowds stroll on by. I kept getting wonderful wafts from the flowers at Summers Floral mixed with a miasma of jasmine and mint (someone must have sprayed liberally at Jo Malone while considering their purchase options). There were some models up the road being photographed in fabulous outfits outside some of the gorgeous homes along Queen Street.....no Christmas kilos on their hips! I'll look out for those pics in the upcoming fashion magazine editions.  

I finish my coffee and check my watch. 10:00 a.m. Time for today's real estate inspections.

First off, straight to a home I fell in love with the minute I saw it in advertised by Di Jones Real Estate in The Wentworth Courier. Ocean Street Dream is a three bedroom dreamy family home with the most divine front entrance; it's a sanctuary from reality. Very modern, extremely comfortable and with a courtyard I would love to entertain in. Alex could have friends over, Josh could read the paper in peace on a Saturday morning before an afternoon BBQ with divine meats from Victor Churchill's – and isn't that an amazing place! Josh and I could take Alex for scooter, bike or horse rides around Centennial Park, just minutes away. Actually, that is where Di Jones holds their auctions. If we were to buy this home, we could walk back through the park and past the home after the auction, treading the path for the first time that would become our regular trek. It is too early for us though. We haven't worked out our budget, haven't arranged pre-approval with the bank....mental note: we must get onto that.

So my dilemma is what is an Open for Inspection Girl to do? Josh and I love living in Paddington. We love our two bed room flat we lease through Di Jones Real Estate but we have been renting for a while now. Should we bite the bullet and buy? If we do, our reality will be definitely different from today's real estate dreamings. Interest rates went up this week, and clearance rates at auction have been high. This all makes it a little tougher for us, but we have been talking about buying for a while now. Mum called me about a lovely home in Kensington that she thinks I should look at. She is even going to come with me next week to see it, and has suggested we nip into Peters of Kensington for a girls' afternoon of shopping. Can't wait......

Next week: Josh is keen to buy, and it looks like he is going to get a bonus...not sure how much, but it will help no doubt, so I'm back pounding the pavements with vigour, and this time, I know I am actually looking for our new home.....