We have a house!

We've been accepted for the house in Bronte, subject to some minor negotiations with the landlady (who looks a bit like Lizzie Birdsworth from Prisoner Cell Block H - yes, I really used to watch it when I was in the sixth form). She wanted us to plumb a toploading washer into the bathroom, which is already small and grotty to begin with without a rusting hulk of Australian engineering in the corner.

But that's enough about Shane Warne (doh, couldn't resist).

So we need to plumb it in elsewhere, but that's not too much hassle. Also, she wants her name on all of the utility bills. We're not sure why. The agent says it's an unusual request, but she's willing to pay 10% of the bills so we're not asking any questions about tax fiddles.

How to describe the house? Well it's all one one level with the windows down the side, as many tend to have. It has polished floorboards right the way through to the kitchen, which is a huge room at the back of the house, a sort of living/kitchen area not dissimilar to our own house, though much bigger and not as new. The back of the house is on a hill so there are patio doors opening onto a balcony and you can see the sea from there. The back garden is a little patio area (which is the bit the owner wants to maintain - it's lovely).

We will have three large bedrooms, one is at the front and has a funny sort of sunroom off it, which runs across the front of the house. The landlady is putting brand new wood venetian blinds in both of those rooms. The bathroom, as I said, is hideous. I won't go into detail because to tell the truth I've blocked the worst of it out of my mind.

We are just down from the beach and Bronte park. The beach has a large kiosk (cafe) and the park behind it has those funny free barbeques open for public use (you just roll up and get cooking, then clean up after yourself - a funny system but it seems to work). There's a playground for Ella at the end of the road and a corner shop which introduces itself as an "Italian Eaterie", but I think it's talking itself up because as far as I can see it sells cans of Milo and it's next to a launderette.

Across the park there's a bus-stop into the city and a handful of restaurants and cafes. There's a lovely clifftop walk around the headland to Tamarama beach (AKA glamourama, so would be excellent for my mate "Glamour" Hutchinson) - we had an hour there today and felt very inferior (especially when Ella smeared a Cornetto on my white tee shirt - not quite the look the locals go for).

We pay the deposit to orrow and should hopefully move in next weekend - so now we need to get the rest of the furniture!