Signed the lease

We signed the lease for our new apartment and are moving in on August 30th. Woohoo! Just a few more weeks.

Now we need to pick out some nice furniture at IKEA. The IKEA store here in Sydney is really good, so we should have no problems getting most of our furniture there. For non-essentials, like TV and other items that we can live without for a few months, we will wait for the sales. I have noticed that everything is expensive here, but if you pay attention to the sales and wait, you can find some real deals. It also helps to shop in non-prime locations.

Renting an apartment in Australia is a bit different that in Canada, as you have to bring your own fridge and washing machine. I know, it is weird! What happens if your fridge won't fit in the new place?

We also had to put one month bond (rental deposit) which is held by the government. I prefer the government holding the cash, rather than the landlord. But it is a good scheme for the government as they get to hang on to all this rental deposit money for the whole city and use it for free without paying interest. Sneaky government!

Speaking of interest rates, I am currently getting 3.5% in a savings account, and there are a couple of other banks where you can get 4%. That is not bad, especially since I am getting only 0.75% on my savings account in Canada.

We will miss the place that we are staying in now, as the host is a really good cook. On the other hand, we are looking forward to having more privacy and customizing the place to our own taste.