Travel Planning: Regroup and Focus
Thursday, June 25th, 2009
We both get nervous, don’t doubt this. It is a big move mentally. And emotionally. Which is why sometimes you have to step back and look at the other person (or people, or mirror….) and remember why you are doing this. And ensure you do it smartly. That is what gives you the confidence back. The goal, the dream and the smart path. As I have said before, the first time is the hardest and each year it gets easier because you know the path, have done it before and it is half trodden for you.
We do have mini meltdowns from time to time, wondering if we are doing the right thing but happily it is at different times, it is not often and we regroup, discuss it and refocus. We are a great support system for each other and have to remember this. This really is the chance of a lifetime to build the dream lifestyle, working from anywhere in the world we chose, working when we like during the day and being together. And we both work hard and are happy to continue to do so to have all this.
Today our goal was to finalise as much as we could on the apartment rental to ensure we would not have to worry about mortage payments and bills while we are away. Every day that I go to the mailbox outside, I hope there is less mail. Each time we receive a piece of mail (I seem to get more than my husband X 5…) we try to call/email/contact the sender to have it forwarded next time by electronic means. This saves money on redirecting mail while you are away. Plus you have the luxury of vetting the mail and deleting it without being reliant on someone else or doing it when you come back!
We also had a handyman come in to clear a list of items we had compiled on our apartment, including installing a lock on a cupboard so that we could leave some items in a large cupboard locked up. The rest will go in our garage lockup. It is good to look around your home with an independent eye and clear up any outstanding or broken items as well as doing the items you have ‘been meaning to get to’.
I also started a list of items to buy for the rental of our home as I don’t want people using our ‘precious’ items or breaking things that have sentimental value. Also, things such as linen and crystal may not be something you wish to leave to chance with rental clients.
Finally, I listed our apartment with our website on the best holiday rental property site I could find that looked reputable and did not cost much. This is research for us for next year. We also paid for Google ad words to see what kind of interest we could drum up for a holiday rental in the event we decide that financially it is better to rent our home for a shorter period but more $. There is the hassle of a bond check, cleaning, queries etc but if we plan in advance (this was more last minute this year!), we can organise for someone to assist.
I have done a spreadsheet on the best international and local holiday rental sites and cost and we sat down and discussed where our money would be best spent.It is tricky to decide where your eggs are best laid but when it comes down to it, it is a bit of luck but mostly time well spent in marketing well. More on this later……:)
