PREPARING FOR TAKE OFF
Our journey to full-time wanderers didn't happen overnight. We spent many months and moon-lit hours getting all our ducks in a row. The ignition spark for our travels came while we lived in a partially refurbished house, situated on a sprawling two-acre property on the Gold Coast. The sale of this house was the linchpin of our travel dreams, which meant the completion of a sizable renovation. So, we penciled in an auction date and embarked on a round-the-clock renovation marathon.
WORK WORK WORK: Troy bringing down one of the walls. See some before and after pics below.
It was no small task. Once complete, our humble abode had morphed into a seven-bedroom, five-bathroom mansion, with two kitchens, two laundries, a gym, a colossal swimming pool, and a tennis court. Thankfully, Troy's knack for DIY enabled us to shoulder most of the workload, but to capitalize on the property market and get it sold before Christmas, we had to hustle.
With the first open home deadline breathing down our necks, we found ourselves painting under the floodlights and torches at midnight, shoveling rocks, laying turf, landscaping, and tiling. It really was like an episode of The Block - but with two kids to take care of as well!
Despite one failed auction, numerous open houses (maintaining a pristine, seven-bedroom show house with two enthusiastic tots was no picnic), eight weeks later, the dream finally started to come to life when we clinched the deal we needed. However, the paintbrushes hadn't earned their retirement yet. We bought a smaller property, spruced it up, and rented it out to secure a steady inflow of rental income during our travels.
Next on the do-list was selling our cars, offloading most of our possessions, and stashing the remainder in storage. The toughest part, though, was finding a loving family to look after our beloved Rottweiler. We were so relieved when a wonderful family welcomed him into their home, ensuring he was in caring hands. Gradually, everything started falling into place.
RENO COMPLETE: She was a seven-bedroom beauty when we were finally finished with her. It was hard to say goodbye.
The final countdown to our departure was a whirlwind of chaos! We were still wrestling with packing at the stroke of midnight, mere hours before our flight! Yet, the pay-off was worth every ounce of effort! And we'd happily repeat the entire process if we had to. This adventure granted us the freedom to follow our hearts, craft unforgettable memories, and above all, enjoy quality time with our little loves. Though, we’ll be glad not to see another paintbrush again!
