Shoe-String Budget

One of the biggest challenges of this renovation for us will be trying to do it all on a shoe-string budget.

Unlike these places above (more of my collection of photos of derelict Queensland), most of the hard work needed in the main house is cosmetic and the structure is pretty solid.

The veranda roof needs urgent attention, and we plan to open the verandas up as soon as possible so we've got a safe, outdoor space for Lucinda to play.

The other major expenses initially will be fencing, insulation and a wood heater before winter.

That's pretty much all the major work we plan to do in stage one.

Beyond that, it'll be mostly band-aid solutions to make it livable for the next year or so while we assess what we really want to do with the spaces. If we can get things free or super cheap to get us through that phase, then that's what we'll do. There's no point spending money on fixes when there's a real chance we'll have a whole new idea of how to make the house work six months down the track.

On Saturday, we're heading back out to the post office to get down to some serious nitty gritty with the current owner.

Bores, fence lines, water access, this is where we're at now. The business end of things.

The only thing that could possibly bring this whole house of cards down now is the sale of our house in Brisbane. The buyer has asked for an extension on his finance. If the sale of our house falls through, so does our purchase of the Old Post Office. We'll know more next Monday and be keeping our fingers crossed in the meantime.