Goldlake, Victoria - Bushfires - BTL Landlord on the Radio

PasturesNew

Just listening to Aus radio, and a cheeky BTL LL just phoned up whining that he'd lost his house. It was tenanted (they got out OK). He said renters get sorted out with some assistance, as do owner-occupiers.... but those poor BTL LLs don't qualify for any assistance.

First question the DJ asked was "are you insured?" and he said he was, but then so were renters/OOs maybe. It just struck me how crass it seemed for him to whine.

It seems a LOT of properties up that way are BTL/holiday lets.

StevieJ

Pastures, do you know why NDG no longer posts? I thought she may be back today after holiday.

Generali

PasturesNew wrote: »

Just listening to Aus radio, and a cheeky BTL LL just phoned up whining that he'd lost his house. It was tenanted (they got out OK). He said renters get sorted out with some assistance, as do owner-occupiers.... but those poor BTL LLs don't qualify for any assistance.

First question the DJ asked was "are you insured?" and he said he was, but then so were renters/OOs maybe. It just struck me how crass it seemed for him to whine.

It seems a LOT of properties up that way are BTL/holiday lets.

Lots of urban people get a BTL in rural areas with the idea that they'll take an early retirement from their existing career and become small holders.

A couple of friends bought a hundred odd acres of land and then bought a house that was being demolished and had it brought on a couple of lorries to their property - it was a 'Queenslander' so they sawed through the props it was standing on and basically cut the house in two, loaded it onto a couple of trucks who drove it to NSW and then reassembled it for them. The whole process took about 6 weeks.

They let the house and garden to a local farm hand and some of the land to his boss for grazing.

BTL isn't such a problem in Aus AIUI as there is a genuine shortage of rental properties, at least in the areas I know. It gets pretty favourable tax treatment here too - I think you can offset any costs or losses against other parts of your income for example, not just against the rent.

This is what a Queenslander looks like:

Link

dopester

Generali wrote: »

Lots of urban people get a BTL in rural areas with the idea that they'll take an early retirement from their existing career and become small holders.

This is what a Queenslander looks like:

Transportable homes. It could use a lick of paint. In retirement I wouldn't like to have to negotiate those steps every day. Even less so if I become a bit frail. Perhaps they could build a mini-lift. Or is that the back of the house and the front on the other side?

I guess it is pretty macho to hang a punching-bag underneath as in that example. Could serve as a car-port or for storage or equipment too as well I suppose.

wisbech_lad

Got sent this today and thought of you Generali...

Subject: Diary of an Englishman in Australia


August 31

Just got transferred with work from grey old London to our new home in
Newman, Western Australia. Now this is a town that knows how to live!
Beautiful, sunny days and warm, balmy evenings. I watched the sunset from a
deckchair by the pool yesterday. It was beautiful. I've finally found my new
home. I love it here.



September 13

Really heating up now. It got to 31 today. No problem though. Living in
air-conditioned home, driving air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see
the sun every day like this. I'm turning into a sun-worshipper.



September 30th

Had the back yard landscaped with tropical plants today. Lots of palms and
rocks. No more mowing lawns for me. Another scorcher today, but I love it
here.



October 10th

The temperature hasn't been below 35 all week. How do people get used to
this kind of heat? At least today it's windy though. Keeps the flies off a
bit. Acclimatising is taking longer than I expected.



October 15th

Fell asleep by the pool yesterday. Got third degree burns over 60% of my
body. Missed three days of work. What a dumb thing to do! Got to respect
the ol' sun in a climate like this.



October 20th

Didn't notice Kitty (our cat) sneaking into the car before I left for work
this morning. By the time I got back to the car after work, Kitty had died
and swollen up to the size of a shopping bag and stuck to the upholstery.
The car now smells like Whiskettes and cat !!!!. I've learned my lesson
though: no more pets in this heat.



October 25

This wind is a !!!!!!!. It feels like a giant f*ckin' blow dryer. And it's
hot as hell! The home air conditioner is on the blink and the repair man
charged $200 just to drive over and tell me he needs to order parts from
f*ckin' Perth.



October 30th

The temperature's up around 40 and the parts still haven't arrived for the
f*ckin' aircon. Been sleeping outside by the pool for three nights now.
Bloody $800,000 house and we can't even go inside. Why the hell did I ever
come here?



November 4

Finally got the ol' aircon fixed. It cost $1,500 and gets the temperature
down to around 25 degrees, but the humidity makes it feel about 30.
Stupid repairman.



November 8

If one more smart !!!! says 'Hot enough for you today?', I'm going to
f*ckin' throttle him. f*ckin' heat! By the time I get to work, the car's
radiator is boiling over, my clothes are soaking f*ckin' wet and I smell
like baked cat!



November 9

Tried to run some errands after work, wore shorts, and sat on the black
leather upholstery in the ol' car. I thought my f*ckin' !!!! was on fire. I
lost two layers of flesh, all the hair on the backs of my legs and my
f*ckin' !!!!. Now the car smells like burnt hair, fried !!!! and baked cat!




November 10

Weather report! It might as well be a f*ckin' recording. Hot and sunny. Hot
and sunny, Hot and f*ckin' sunny! It's been too hot to do anything for two
f*ckin' months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week.
Doesn't it ever rain in this damn f*ckin' place. Water restrictions will be
next, so my $5,000 worth of palms might just dry up and blow into the
f*ckin' pool. The only things that thrive in this hell-hole are the f*ckin'
flies. You don't dare open your mouth for fear of swallowing half a dozen of
the f*ckers!



November 20th

Welcome to HELL! It got to 45 f*ckin' degrees today. Now the air
conditioner's gone in my car. The repair man came to fix it and said, 'Hot
enough for you today?' My wife had to spend the $2,500 mortgage payment to
bail me out of jail for assaulting the stupid f*cker. f*ckin' Newman! What
kind of sick, demented f*ckin' idiot would want to live here!



December 1

WHAT!!!! The first day of Summer!!!! You are f*ckin' kidding!

PasturesNew

StevieJ wrote: »

Pastures, do you know why NDG no longer posts? I thought she may be back today after holiday.

No idea.. maybe she's unpacking
And washing the sand out of her shorts.

Generali

wisbech_lad wrote: »

Got sent this today and thought of you Generali..

Directions from my house (near enough) to Newman, WA:

Link

When they say 2 days, 7 hours driving they mean 55 hours behind the wheel. If you're not a speed freak (that's amphetamines not driving quickly) then you're looking at about a week. I like the direction, turn right and continue for 1,199km!

Driving directions to Newman WA
4,533 km – about 2 days 7 hours

Botany NSW



1.Head northwest on Botany Rd toward Bay St0.7 km
2.Slight left at Mill Pond Dr0.2 km
3.Turn left at General Holmes Dr0.3 km
4.Slight right to stay on General Holmes Dr2.1 km
5.Slight left at South Western Mwy27.4 km
6.Continue on South Western Fwy41.8 km
7.Continue on Hume Hwy126 km
8.Slight right to stay on Hume Hwy204 km
9.Take the ramp onto Sturt Hwy Go through 3 roundabouts
140 km
10.Turn left at Newell Hwy0.8 km
11.Continue on Sturt Hwy Go through 1 roundabout
300 km
12.Slight left to stay on Sturt Hwy80.3 km
13.At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit and stay on Sturt Hwy Entering Victoria
78.1 km
14.Turn right to stay on Sturt Hwy0.6 km
15.Turn left to stay on Sturt Hwy Entering South Australia
142 km
16.Turn left to stay on Sturt Hwy23.2 km
17.Turn right at Morgan Renmark Rd88.7 km
18.Turn right at Morgan Tce4.0 km
19.Continue on Spalding Burramble Morgan Rd79.8 km
20.Continue on Ludgvan St0.7 km
21.Slight left at Barrier Hwy6.7 km
22.Turn left at Ford Rd7.4 km
23.Continue on New Rd26.0 km
24.Slight left at Spalding Burra Rd0.6 km
25.Continue on Davies Tce0.3 km
26.Turn right at Clare Peterborough Rd0.3 km
27.Turn left to stay on Clare Peterborough Rd4.1 km
28.Turn left at Gulnare Spalding Rd16.2 km
29.Turn right at Main North Rd2.1 km
30.Turn left at Clare Hwy24.2 km
31.Continue on Darbon Tce1.2 km
32.Slight left at Frith Rd2.4 km
33.Turn right at Princes Hwy21.0 km
34.Slight left at Warnertown Rd0.4 km
35.Continue straight onto Princes Hwy90.2 km
36.Slight left at Eyre Hwy24.2 km
37.Turn right to stay on Eyre Hwy130 km
38.Turn left to stay on Eyre Hwy88.5 km
39.Turn right to stay on Eyre Hwy222 km
40.Continue on Kuhlmann St Go through 1 roundabout
1.0 km
41.Turn right at Eyre Hwy Entering Western Australia
1,199 km
42.Turn right at Coolgardie Esperance Hwy110 km
43.Turn right at Goldfields Hwy19.4 km
44.Turn left to stay on Goldfields Hwy49.0 km
45.At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Lane St0.3 km
46.Slight left at Goldfields Hwy543 km
47.Turn left to stay on Goldfields Hwy0.2 km
48.Turn left to stay on Goldfields Hwy181 km
49.Turn right at Great Northern Hwy419 km
50.Turn left at Kalgan Dr2.1 km

Newman WA

PasturesNew

wisbech_lad wrote: »

Got sent this today and thought of you Generali...

LOL.
Brilliant.

It's here too: http://www.aussiemove.com/aus/chat.asp?t=20335

Generali

dopester wrote: »

Transportable homes. It could use a lick of paint. In retirement I wouldn't like to have to negotiate those steps every day. Even less so if I become a bit frail. Perhaps they could build a mini-lift. Or is that the back of the house and the front on the other side?

I guess it is pretty macho to hang a punching-bag underneath as in that example. Could serve as a car-port or for storage or equipment too as well I suppose.

They're not designed as portable homes, they can be transported with a little ingenuity.

Queensland people don't get frail IME. Mrs Generali's grandmother (northern QLD) is 90(?) and delivers meals on wheels. She lives in a proper Queenslander with no aircon nor fly screens that her OH built despite having no skills or indeed obvious latent talent as a builder.

Most people store their car(s), tools and spare venomous snakes under the house.

chewmylegoff

Generali wrote: »

Most people store their car(s), tools and spare venomous snakes under the house.

or raise the house a couple of feet and build another storey. quite a few of my girlfriend's family and friends have done that. some of them still have the punchbag hanging in the middle of the new downstairs room.

Dithering_Dad

PasturesNew wrote: »

LOL.
Brilliant.

It's here too: http://www.aussiemove.com/aus/chat.asp?t=20335

Agree - excellent post! :rotfl: