After accepting the job offer in Canberra, I’ve been thinking on how to prepare our house for rent/sale with minimal cost. Here is a list that I will update as when things are done.

I should have taken before and after pictures.

• Cleaned the backyard – General pruning, mowing and trying to grow grass on few spots (I have suspicion Henry and Lama have liking for these spots)
• Cleaned up half of the front yard – This was hard work, although it is small area, there where around 5 rose bushes growing wild, this small patch in the front might take two more days to clean up and then I will have to decide on getting some quick look good plants.
• Need to fix the carpet – The carpet where never fixed after we laid tiles in few of the rooms. This will need a professional to do the job.
• Swimming pool cleaning – I started this around 4 weeks ago. The pool was all green because I did not bother to clean it in winter. Not a good idea Probably a full days work with Megan around and it will look sparkling.
• Blinds for the windows – Need to get some decent blinds for the windows. Current blinds are an eye sores

9th March

Megan and I decided to paint the inside of the house. I spend the last two days preparing: filling up holes on the wall with plaster and sanding them back smooth. We have painted two rooms and there are 5 more rooms to go

14th March

All ceilings are done! 5 room walls to go and then the bathrooms. It has been a week since I started and might take two more days to finish. I will have to move things back into place after that

21st March

I am not done painting yet spend the last week not painting because I did not want to paint the lounge room with cathedral ceilings by myself. Easter weekend was a good time to try and finish, with Megan helping. We did the lounge today but ran out of paint after the first coat and shops were closed today. Hopefully by tomorrow we will be done.

24th March

Pulled all the old carpets out this morning. Tomorrow Steve, the carpet guy is coming in to lay th new carpets. It is going to cost us less than $1500 for three rooms!

The painting is almost done. Two bathrooms left. Megan and I have been so bad at judging how much paint we need, in spite of every paint container mentioning the approximate area it would cover. Anyway, I think we spend less than $1000 on paint, which is $4000 cheaper than the lowest quote we got.