Exciting! I watched an episode of Grand Designs a couple of weeks ago of a build in Tassie where they put in a carved stone bath. I couldn’t help but wonder it would require an enormous amount of hot water to keep the stone warm while a person lounges in the bath.

Stone actually retains heat better than acrylic or steel , but I may have do do quite a bit of research , involving numerous hours , several bottles and maybe even some company . . . . . . . .

Congratulations!

I love New Zealand scenery.

Enjoy the bathtub research. :-)

here's a rustic country bathtub

Vinyard House · More Info

these tubs are made in NZ and would be perfect unless of course you have natural springs

https://stokedstainless.com/stoked-hot-tub/

https://www.newzealand.com/ca/feature/top-10-hot-pools/

Wow pottsy, that’s unbelievably beautiful ❤️

Sending you a bottle of champagne 🍾 for your soak in the fabulous bath, wow! Again.

Oklou -- I'm not sure if there needs to be a c on the end of rustic haha !

Its given me an idea though -- a rusti bath , a rusti 44 gallon drum and my self-made pole tennis -- I could call it an art installation , and sell it for $75 .

Or $1.6 mil if its a council wanting it haha .

The entry is going to need lots of work , as you can see .

I thought about doing the full height entrance doors in a nice mid-purple , but of course to comply with the SHAFTU regulations ( Safety Health And Farmers Things Untangled ) , it would need 2 broken lines in reflective bright green across each door , somewhere around 128 warning signs , including at least 12 that tell you which other ones to ignore , a visitors book with 3 witnesses to each signature , and of course a rat doing some tests on everyone .

The other option is to go with Dayglo Neon Fuschia Pink paint , but I'm a bit worried I may get lots of visitors , mainly male hairdressers and interior decorators in little 2 seater sports cars , wearing scarves and carrying a man purse . Now each to their own , but not really my cup of tea .

And I'll have to get the builders in -- it will need a heap of coat hooks and shoe racks there , because I don't want to drag my work boots or gumboots throughout the house , nor my overalls or wet oilskins . We'll get there though .

All I can think of saying pottsy is OMG

@siriuskey -- the cedar and stainless hot tub won't be on the purchase list , at least in the short term . Looks great and I'd love one , but then the logical side kicks in .

The main reasons why --

-- until my current place sells , the bank has said only essential spending on either . Its even more complicated than that , because as some of you know , last year I bought a largish commercial site , and over the next 3-4 years it is getting $10's of millions spend , so basically when they say jump , I ask how high haha .

-- the 2 1/2 hours would be a problem -- if its just me , and a quiet night , I wouldn't bother . And as I am single , if it isn't just me wanting the hot tub , its either going to be 'there's no way we'll wait that long' , or a bit too presumptuous of me haha .

Plus where to place it ?

The 'pond' is just to the right , but that is the main lounge through the doors , and although it looks a bit bare in this pic , the furniture is stacked up in this pic , and the current owners have a large ( very large ? ) stainless mobile kitchen -- I'm thinking of something permanent , and a fireplace . Maybe just me , but I wouldn't want a spa / hot-tub or similar just there -- its sort of a quiet outdoor space for cooking , drinking , etc , if that makes sense ?

And further along , most of the bedrooms are ground floor , so possibly looking out at a hot-tub isn't the best idea ?

That’s a very striking house pottsy, really beautiful ❤️

why such a big house so far out of town for just one person?

Always good to have a plan though Pottsy

oklou -- lets just say there's a few reasons why , and a few why not .

My current place is similar in size , but almost in the middle of town , and I've been here 23 years . This place is newer , the air is fresher , there is some land , I like it . Maybe I'm ready for a change . Maybe I'll get pee'd off with the extra half hour each way .

As far as land , I can build a big shed or 2 , whereas to do that in town would be a couple of million for land . The last place I looked at had stables -- I personally consider that a negative , but it seems a lot of people are happy to pay more . This doesn't have stables ,

So I could move to the country on a few hectares , but with a smaller house , and build a couple of sheds . If I had to , I could move into my mobile home , and probably be contented . I could buy a 50 sq mtr 1 bedroom apartment , and invest the rest or pay down debt or give up work -- but I work longer hours , take financial risks , and this is part of what I want .

I own a few properties ( commercial and residential ) and get rent , but also capital gains , although thats basically on paper , as I don't sell much . 80% by number , and 50% by value , I've owned 15 plus years . I'm an investor . Why I mention that is because I might make money here , I might not . But over the years , I have ( at least on paper ) made more money on properties than what I will pay for this , so you could say it's free .

Basically , thats a roundabout way of saying it ticks a few boxes , I can afford it unless things go pear shaped in future , so why not ? Socialists would say we should all get the same rewards and live in the same houses -- but then people like me wouldn't take the risks , employ people , would we ?

And actually something else I just thought of -- you asked why such a place for 1 person ? What about if you turn that around -- if I had 5 children and a partner ( or 20 children and 7 ex-partners ) , would I have done the hours I have over the years , would I have taken the risks , would I have taken a $30 an hour job and been home by 5.15 living in a rented house and using the credit card to pay for the groceries ?

Cause I'm in a stirring mood , how come you Aussies have such a large country , whereas there are 1.2 billion in India ? Why not let three or four hundred million of them come and live at your place ? And Somalia , Nigeria , Ethopia too -- invite them all . . . . . . . .

We have to make sure that we have enough space for all the Kiwi's that more over the ditch, perhaps you could fill those vacancies with your suggestion.

We only have a few cute little cottages sorry , so we don't have enough room . We could possibly take a few Swedish girls aged 20-35 , but that would be about it . . . . . . . .

And if a few Kiwis didn't move to Aus , who would do all the work haha ?

I work in Ethiopia. BIG diaspora community in Australia already. Everyone you meet here has a close relative or 7 in Oz. It’s very reminiscent of how many NZers we have actually 😃

Pottsy needs a big house to invite us all over to stay. ^

My worry is that all you Houzzers may turn up the same week as the Swedish Womens Beach Volleyball team , and they'd all have to stay in my room . . . . . . . . . .

Lol, love you pottsy ❤️ hilarious

This is the kitchen in the cottage . Its got everything I need -- a microwave , an electric frypan and a jug .

It looks like someones tried to remodel it at some stage , but they've been a bit lazy or done it on a budget , and left the old wall in , which is right in the way now , you have to walk around it and you can't keep your eye on everything . . . . . . . . . .

On a slightly more serious note , I obviously take exactly zero credit for any of this cottage , and there's not much I will change in the short term , but that 'splashback' on the outer part will probably be one of the first things I'll change . Most of you know I don't like all-white , or grey , and to me the existing look is just too basic for the rest of the cottage -- I imagine that splashback behind the stove and sink in 1 piece of marble , probably black or charcoal or maybe even a blacky brown , with veins of white and grey and maybe even copper tones ?

Arguably , if I'm doing that , I should also do that 'inner' grey one too , but personally I don't think its too bad -- out of sight , out of mind maybe .

At least the view outside distracts from the vanilla kitchen

I like that description -- 'a vanilla kitchen' . Over summer , I generally have a tub of Vanilla icecream in the freezer ( it's great when I cook a pie and add custard and icecream ) , BUT when I stop at an ice cream shop , I prefer Hokey Pokey or Black Forest or a Gelato .

And what were you saying about the view ?

See , a cute little country cottage .

So have you worked out why I'm keen to move here @oklouise ? Sure , I could have looked for a smaller , older , cheaper place , but why ? Its likely I'll be here until they cart me off to the dimentia ward .

Mount Kakepuku 2kms in one direction , Mount Pirongia 8kms the opposite direction , 20 minutes to Raglan , a laidback West Coast beach town that is well known for having one of the best left hand surf breaks in the world . . . . .

5 weeks to go !

the house is much too big and formal for my taste but gorgeous location

If I was you Pottsy I'd hire an interior designer whose work I liked the look of. 

It's too big a house for a piecemeal approach and not all designers will be white/grey (although they might not like the red leather).

I'm sure there are plenty who can do colourful.

Congrats!!
Such views, hills, greenery! What is the kiwi word for bliss?

Bliss IS the kiwi word for cracka ripper bonza maaaaate . . . . . . . . . .

As a bit of an aside , I assume some of you know the song written and sung by Dave Dobbyn ( now Sir Dave Dobbyn , national treasure ) and his band D D Smash , called Bliss -- required singing at every party !

Thanks for sharing your news. You should keep us updated! Tbh, I’ve always dreamed of moving to the countryside. My grandparents live in a small village near the city. Guys, it’s so calm and silent there. When I was a kid, I wanted to spend more and more time in the city, but now I want to spend my time sitting under the tree near my small cottage here, reading a book and thinking of how perfect my life is. So, I hope we’ll move to the countryside soon because my husband also appreciates this idea. Anyway, guys, keep the thread updated.

I own the place , there's a bit of a story about that , but in comparison with other parts , that was a walk in the park !

The previous owners hadn't bought a new place , and as of last weekend , still haven't . So their lawyer offered to delay settlement , or for me to settle but they would rent the place , or for me to settle and they would move everything out and rent short-term and pay storage .

I was tempted to delay settlement , as I still own my other place too , but there was a slight nagging thing that if I delayed , the bank may get nervous and not advance the money later , especially if my existing house didn't sell , so the deal would possibly fall over almost through me being nice and/or 'clever' .

Combine that with the fact that I am still living in my 'old' place , and they are paying real good $$$ to stay , I decided it was better to settle , so I did . I have some other expensive properties too ( especially commercial properties ) so all up I'm paying $1000's a week in interest , but its all 'wrapped up' . And as a bit of a sweetener , the sellers have paid money to live there , plus things like the fridge in the Pantry , a ride-on lawnmower , some outdoor furniture , a wheat coloured lounge suite , basically stuff they didn't want to move haha , plus above the garage is a 2 bedroom self-contained unit , so everything there , including beds , linen , even knives and forks and plates , as well as a lounge suite , a 60 inch or so TV , 2 double beds , microwave , etc are now all mine too haha .

So I'm a country folk almost haha , I'm slowly getting things happening like plans for a big shed out in the paddock , upgrade of security , plans for trees and fencing , etc , but at this stage it will be Jan 2023 before I move .

And if you think that is complicated , my existing place is possibly or even probably sold ( a sale I have negotiated myself ) but boy is that turning into a drama -- the purchaser is a property developer , who really really wants the site , a nice guy who is always smiling , but he's trying to be a bit too smart all the time . Every time I think we have a deal sorted , he has another try at changing 1 little aspect or one little word and this has been going on for 3 weeks . I'm a lot more cut and dried -- if I offer $10 , thats what you get -- a $10 note . I don't offer $10 , then eat the sandwich , then analyse the ingredients , then say the ham wasn't quite as thick as I thought so want to only pay $7.85 , and because I like the sandwiches crusts cut off , I should get $6 reduction for the cost of a new knife , but that is a one-off cost and I'll probably pay $7.85 next time . Either I'd pass on the sandwich , or pay the $10 .

love your story about the new buyer and the sandwich

Congratulations on the purchase the property and surrounds look amazing. The Swedish volleyballers are sure to be impressed!

I guess some deals are easier than others , and obviously I am a bit weird haha , but I just go by gut instinct combined with the facts .

18 months ago , I bought a commercial property that was a bit of an unknown -- it had been in the one owner / operator for 48 years , they were moving . It was 400 metres down the road from a business I half own , and that property I fully own ( my business partner didn't want a multi-million dollar mortgage at 50-odd years of age at the time ) . In 5 years ( 7 years since I bought the site , 5 years since we moved in ) , we have almost outgrown it .

This new property is on a corner site , with 1 side being State Highway 1 ( the main road through the length of NZ ) , so higher profile . I felt that would be worth at lest $2000 a week ( $100k a year ) to us , so basically , if all else failed , we could move to the site . Basically , over 10 years , I felt I could pay $1 million more the site than the figures say it should be worth .

It was near the middle of an established retail and industrial area , on the main road , whereas most new builds are on greenfield areas on the edge of town . Its a larger site , but not big enough to do a mall or supermarket or get the big players involved .

So I literally saw the for sale sign going up , made some calls , and it was for sale for offers around $5million . I did some council research , and within 10 days of it being listed , I offered $5.2 million unconditional , with that offer only being being valid for 24 hours . I think that surprised the seller and the real estate agent , they hummed and harred and then started asking if I would go to $5.5 , and they would see what other offers they got over the next couple of months , etc .

The 24 hours went past , the following day ( so over 36 hours after putting in the offer ) we e-mailed , advising that the offer was formally withdrawn , but that I would offer $5.15m , with the same 24 hour limit . By 3pm that day ( so just over 48 hours after the initial offer ) I signed at $5.2 million -- yes , I probably should have held out for the $50k off , but I got it at a price that I was comfortable with .

Since then , a petrol company has done a 20 year ground lease on about 10% of the site ( they got all the necessary approvals and built a full petrol station in 4 months -- all at their cost ) , and we are almost certain to sign for a design and build for a large car sales company , taking about 40% of the site . Quite a bit of the regulatory and design work has been done , the basis of the agreements are all sorted , and a couple of months of physical work has been done , clearing the site , pre-loading , scans , all sorts .

The point though , is that it happened pretty quickly , and pretty easily . As a side note , once the car sales dealership is finished , it is likely the new valuation will be several million more than what it owe me -- my gut instinct seems correct . And of course , the other 50% we can still do a huge new premises , or 18 small live-and work units , or something for a mid to larger business -- there are still options and possibilities .

Likewise , buying this new country place happened within about 48 hours after negotiations first begun . It ticked a lot of boxes , the price was realistic to me , but also it is a long-term own , so to my thinking , the actual price wasn't overly important -- it was more expensive than ones I didn't like as much , and not as expensive as ones I also didn't like but were bigger or flasher or whatever haha .

Compare that to selling my existing place -- it has been 3 weeks , with several calls a day , and I would have to say every single call or email or lawyers contact has wanted some slight variation of something already 'agreed' . Maybe I don't handle stress well haha , but I can't understand the logic .

Probably the most obvious example -- the potential buyer wanted to put in a Resource Consent application , so wanted a signed agreement . Finally , I thought , we are getting there . So when do you want settlement , I asked ? Oh , just put To Be Negotiated . What ? You want a signed agreement , at a set stipulated price , but no settlement date ? So you could make it in 6 months , or 2 years ? That isn't an agreement !

'Oh' he said . 'This is only an agreement to show the Council . We'll sign another agreement that we'll sign first , that says this won't be the agreement between us , this one is just to get Resource Consent' . Apparently , it is legal , but not something I would consider signing .

And , yes , even though we put a $ value on the 'agreement' , that will also be negotiated once he gets resource consent -- I kid you not ! It was basically a 'show'piece of paper -- yes , I realise that I could also legally back out , given the 'out' clauses , but IMO it gave him almost all the power !

He's a nice guy , he does pay his bills , he has done some high profile developments , he is always smiling and positive , but that just about took the cake , and this is the kind of stuff I have been up against . I'm just about ready to walk away , and put up with 200 people a day walking through my house , going 'oh I don't like that colour' , or 'I'd buy this if I had some money' haha -- anyway , rant over !

Congratulations on your upcoming move, and good luck! Moving is always the beginning of something new. I associate it with a new stage in life, global changes, and a bright future. I had a few moves in my life. The first time I separated from my parents was at 21 when I was in my third year of university. I moved into a rented apartment and started my own life. It was quite difficult to tell you the truth, but I managed to cope with all the problems. The second time I moved to my future husband's apartment. And the third and final time, we moved into our new home together. I don't know what I would have done without the help of a moving company. I always book their services at acelinemoving.com. You might need them, too.

SOLD ! SOLD ! SOLD !

Well , had a bit of a celebration last night .

I have sold my Lake Crescent place . After something like 8 weeks of the purchaser ( I'll call him Derek the Developer ) trying to beat me down and wear me down , we have a signed agreement ., and a $20,000 non-refundable deposit .

Settlement is 1 Feb 2023 , possibly the only real risk is he is buying it through his business , so the agreement is between me , and a limited liability company . So it is possible he won't settle , and either him or I will put that company into receivership . But of course , had he put it in his name and walked away , it would still be a hassle .

So a signed agreement , with a settlement date , a small deposit paid , and no 'out' clauses -- its not subject to any more research , not subject to finance , not subject to any kind of reviews or negotiations !

And the baset of the lot -- it's signed at $200,000 more than I originally asked !

So the sellers of my new place are moving out by Christmas , I have to be out of my old place by 1 Feb , so I have 5 weeks to move and sort etc .

The irony was I wasn't overly worried if Lake Cres sold or not , but it did , I got what I wanted , and as I did the deal ( although I relied on the lawyer for the agreement and the legal bits ) so I saved around $100k in agents fees too !

Awesome news!

Great news. Hope it sticks

Almost there !

The previous owners at my new place have moved out ( well 98% ) as of last weekend , and I have the keys . At some stage I'll get the locks changed -- you just never know !

I've taken one large covered trailer load there , enough stuff for basic camping there haha . Right now , most of that stuff is in the garage . There's a self contained furnished flat above the garage too , so I could live there .

As I have 6 weeks to move , I very cleverly thought I would clean everything ( I have a Bissell carpet cleaner and 2 5 litre containers of the fluid , as well as a steam mop , and all the usual brushes , brooms , mops , buckets , rolls of cloth , etc , etc . ) . Great idea !

I've started in the living area and master bedroom -- I was initially going to touch up the skirting boards and door frames etc , but even with a small artists brush and a 25mm paint brush , and white paint and masking tape and lots of paper , the white colours look a bit different . Enough to annoy me haha . So I've been down on my knees most of Sunday , filling any knicks in the wood with a wood filler . Next will be sanding , then painting . Dining , kitchen , family , lounge , foyer and master bedroom first . And that won't even be 1/3rd of the place done !

I think I'll need the 6 weeks haha -- its a busy time in several of my entertainment and sound businesses , plus lots of motorsport , including one trip to Christchurch which is 24 hours each way plus 3 or 4 days there , try and get a few days at the beach at some stage too , paint a commercial building , and the small added issue of a relatively new girlfriend too haha .

A few late nights and/or 3am starts me thinks !

I'm no good at either haha , although apparently you can't improve one of them by painting them red , at least not without asking first !

Anyway , she ( Rosie ) owns her own business , and more than half her staff will be away , so she is essentially working through 6 or 7 days a week . Having said that , we went to the US a few weeks back , and even though we both had work things to do there , we also had a few days for us , so we've sort of had an early holiday together .

And its a long story , but my parents , my sister and myself own 1/4 of a beach house each haha ( Mum and Dad bought it in the mid 80's , we bought our 'shares' early 90's ) , so its likely we'll get there for 3 or 4 days but probably the 2nd half of January and probably mid week . At some stage we'll probably head away for 2 or 3 days in Frankie too -- she's a genuinely positive person , and treats most things as an adventure !

And as a bonus , she absolutely loves fast cars , and at 1 stage even tried to see if she could get down to Christchurch for the Classic weekend , but we have racing pretty much every weekend until the end of April , so no doubt she'll be at 2 or 3 meetings , and likewise , I'll get my nails painted or take up needlepoint to show I care too . . . . . . . . .

Well ifs all happening for you. Just remember life is not always in the fast lane. Stop and smell the bucolic air occasionally, … and other things besides motor oil, paint and cleaning products.

We're here for you Pottsy99 if you need any help on what a woman wants, not sure about cars though, I wonder what her taste in house colours etc are do they match the man.

If they matched the man they'd be mad and crazy and all over the place haha . I think generally my house is a bit more restrained than I am , and the brightest colours I use are on Commercial buildings , although several rental houses do have bright red or green or yellow doors and/or letterboxes etc .

I too have had the idea of relocating, since I've been working remotely for more than a few years now, it`d be nice to leave the bustling metropolis and settle somewhere in the countryside. I guess those who live and work in New York might understand me better. I`m already looking at some houses around the northern part of the state, there`re very picturesque places and not too far to New Jersey, where I live now. I don't know which company to choose yet. Specifically looking at this service right now, but if anyone here has used any other relocation companies from my town, I`d appreciate reading your comments.

I hope your transition to the countryside has been going well over the past year. It's fascinating to think about the journey you embarked on, moving to a cute villa with a touch of land and that refreshing country air. The idea of keeping your existing place for a year while settling into your new home sounds like a clever way to ensure a smooth transition.

As your original post was made a year ago, I'm curious to know how your plans have progressed and how your experiences have shaped your perspective on the countryside lifestyle. If you're still seeking advice or looking for inspiration, https://threemovers.com/texas/ might offer valuable insights.

Wishing you continued happiness and success as you create beautiful spaces and lasting memories in both your new villa and your existing home.

I'm guessing that was an ad disguised as a post , but thanks .

Things changed in my life ( this weird thing called a girlfriend haha ) so I doubt I've even spent 30 nights there . The 42kms or thereabouts each way is no problem for me , and even for my girlfriend , but she owns a business and has a 7 year old son , so it was almost too hard logistically to get to work , drop off and pick her son , and so on .

Due to a whole combination of things , including the current property market , the fact that the farm part makes a reasonable return on investment , and also that financially I don't have to sell , it does seem a bit ( or a lot ) of a waste , and I have considered selling , but at this stage , I will keep it at least the next 2 or 3 years .