Sommer 2021 in Powell River, British Columbia. Wir wandern mit einer sehr guten Freundin und ihrem Hund die Hauptstrasse entlang, und weil man ja sonst nix zu tun hat, wenn der Hund gerade pinkelt, schauen wir uns beim lokalen Immobilienmakler das aktuelle Immobilienangebot an. Was dann geschieht, entkorkt unser neuestes Abenteuer, dem wir uns im Jahr 2022 stellen werden.
What happened in Powell River?
On B.C. Day weekend in early August 2021, we visit my work colleague Sabine in Powell River. After lockdown and contact restrictions, a thoroughly pleasant and long-awaited affair. On the one hand because of the dreamlike area and on the other hand because of the company. The cuddly animal Sabine is allowed to live with, a pit-bull lady named Peanut, wants to be walked every now and then. And since Sabine has made it her business to train her mistress as a Canine Good Citizen, we find ourselves one afternoon on the main street of Powell River. Leading on the leash sometimes works out quite well. So Peanut is being led on a leash. At least most of the time. Sometimes it's the other way around, but who doesn't know that.
On the main street of Powell River there is also the office of a real estate agent. We look at the advertisements of the various house offers, since in the back of our heads there is this thought of buying a piece of land, building a cabin and using it as main or second home. Among all the not very interesting ads we find a listing where we can hear ourselves saying almost at the same time: "That sounds interesting". We take a picture of the listing, look at it again later online, and then forget about it. After all, we are not desperately searching at the moment.
What happened next in Powell River?
Autumn 2021. Again and again we find ourselves browsing the internet for available properties on the Upper Sunshine Coast. In the meantime it is November. The previously mentioned property is still on the market and available. Without further ado, we request another audience at Peanut, contact the responsible broker and arrange a viewing on Remembrance Day weekend in mid-November 2021.
Peanut und Mitbewohnerin sind über unseren Plan hoch erfreut und begleiten uns zu besagtem Termin. Das Grundstück liegt in Lund, B.C. Von Powell River braucht man eine knappe halbe Stunde mit dem Auto, um an diesen idyllischen Ort zu kommen.
The Viewing in Lund
The realtor awaits us at an intersection as agreed and we follow him and his car to the property. We stop in a driveway surrounded by forest, which winds its way up a rocky formation and marks the property boundary on two sides. The driveway climbs just under 40 meters and offers nothing but nature to the right and left.
Etwas atemlos kommen wir auf dem Felsformativ an, wo sich ein weites Feld aufmacht, auf dem sich bereits zwei Konstruktionen befinden. Eine Holzhütte, die mehr oder weniger als Werkstatt dienen kann, und ein sehr sehr alter und sehr grosser Wohnanhänger, dem mit viel Einfallsreichtum eine hausgleiche Form übergestülpt wurde. Das Potential von alle dem ist atemberaubend. Auf dem Rockbett stehend sieht man das Meer und die Berge von Vancouver Island. Wir alle sind aufgeregt und begeistert – Peanut auch. Der Makler beantwortet alle unsere Fragen und informiert uns, dass wohl gestern ein Angebot eingegangen sei. Wenn wir also Interesse hätten, sollten wir zeitnah auch ein Angebit einreichen. Eine Taktik? Wir werden es nie erfahren.
The Offer
Still on Friday evening we decide. If we don't try, we won't know. So we submit an offer that is below the sellers' asking price. The broker recommends us to go directly to the full. But we categorically refuse. If the property has been on the market for 3 months and no one wanted it until then, you don't offer the full price, you stay under it. Ideally, even below your own pain level. No sooner said than done.
When you make an offer, it is valid for exactly 24 hours. If the seller does not respond by then, the offer expires. So we sit accordingly (an)tensed on Saturday evening in front of our wine glasses. 9 p.m. is the deadline. Up to 20.30 still no answer. Shortly before nine then the message from the broker: "There will be a counteroffer from the seller." There are currently technical problems, which is why it will take a while.
On Sunday, the certainty. For their part, the sellers offer an amount below their desired price. Now it's up to us to decide whether to accept or to squeeze the price again. Nothing comes from nothing. Under time pressure - 14 o'clock the ferry goes back - we drive again to Lund, climb again the mountain and look around once more. I ask myself the same question as I did when I bought the apartment: "Can you see yourself living here?
Sunday 12:15. Before we go on the ferry, we have to eat something. So quickly into a burger joint. Think again and then play poker. Munching on cardboard fries, we make a final offer that is just under 25,000 dollars below the asking price of the vendors and also approaches our pain threshold from the right side. Then the waiting begins.
The ferry from Powell River to Earls Cove takes just under an hour. Shortly before we dock in Earls Cove, the SMS from the broker reaches us: Offer accepted!
Cabin Playlist
Music is Emotion. Music holds Memory. This is the soundtrack for the build of our Cabin at the Upper Sunshine Coast.
So finden wir jederzeit zurück zu den Momenten voller Herausforderung, Freude und Zufriedenheit.
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Cabin-Blog-Zeitleiste
All our posts about RITICOLO Cabin have been organized in this fancy looking timeline. Pretty cool, eh! Have fun looking around and leave a comment if you enjoy what you are reading.
Trees, a Wood Stove, Lumber and Paws
Vapor barrier - cabin interior
Thermal Insulation and What it Takes to Get There
Roof – The big Finale
Roofing for Dummies
Roofing - shingles or metal roof?
Cabin - New Year Progress
Cabin Timeline
Roofing – Part Two
Roofing - Part One
Gable Walls and LVL
Lofts
Header Beam – Ein dicker Balken, der alles zusammenhält Zum Bau der Außenwände hatten wir…
Things we learned so far
Framing the Cabin
Basecamp
From concrete piers to the finished subfloor
It's amazing what you can accomplish in a few weekends. During the construction of our
Demolition, Homework and some Problems
Progress - Getting Rid of Stuff
First Steps in Lund
On the February long weekend (Family Day), we pack up our MINI and head to our
