Oh house hunting! Oh Dear! I believe there must be a special place in heaven for house hunters because the pain of looking into certain houses is unbearable. Last week I left NY to go and find an apartment in L.A with a bag full of optimism and a list of wants and needs. And I honestly thought it would be easy to find the perfect place. Oh! How naïve…. Start with the difference of how you look for apartments. In NY you go to an office and they show you what they have and then you hop to a taxi and go with somebody here and there until you find something. L.A there is nobody going with you, at some places the house is open and you just simply get in and have a look. Some the keys are left under a vase, and that was a bit strange. Some places had a sign with a number to call but with a message almost saying don’t bother me. So from Tuesday to Saturday we saw at list 40 places and its amazing the guts some people have to think they can get away with horrible places literally falling apart. I have seen it all. It was either too small, too old, too dirty or too smelly, and then finally… when I was almost about to give up we saw this place that was in a nice street, pretty building, and the owner actually cared about his properties. The apartment was just gut renovated so the kitchen has brand new appliances never used, new floor and the same in the bathrooms, new tiles and tubs. I couldn’t believe my eyes. So now, just a few more days and I will replace gray cold days with sunny and warm ones. Can’t wait! The only thing now I have the most annoying task in hand, packing my whole house.
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Robitcho, so happy you came to visit, I’m sorry the updates are not working for you. I have no idea what could be wrong. I’ll ask around. Kisses to you and Saritcha.
You’re talented. You’ll find your new place very easily.
But… what I do not understand is why I don’t get your updates automatically.
Kisses
Oh Boy! Good luck, I just finish to open my last box, put everything back in place wasn’t easy. Glad you liked my site, I really neglect it this month ( I’m kind of a one trick pony). Was too busy whit my boxes. But soon will be back cooking. I really miss it.
Hi Anna,
Saw your link from Joy the Baker and was totally taken right away! Great site and great recipes. Will definitly at you to my blog roll. Good luck with the move..as I will be moving a matter of weeks as well and I know what you mean about the boxes. I’m not moving across the country though, just from LI to SI.
Will continue to visit you…good luck with you new home..
Aysegul
Thanks Erica.
Good luck, Anna!
Thanks Rosy, wow….Lucky you, I absolutely love London, I think all the antique look in the buildings are stunning. Good Luck. Hope you find a lovely “home sweet home.”
I just bumped into your website from Joy the Baker’s and it’s LOVELY!! So pleased that you’ve found a home – we’re about to embark on house hunting (to buy) in London and the very thought sends me into a panic! Good luck with the move and looking forward to posts from the new kitchen!
Good luck with moving house!! Happy house hunting!!
Hi Cynthia, thank you, the packing is over, my stuff is on the road,now yuhuuuul!!! Now I have to face the unpacking….Isn’t moving fun?
Oh Mary! 9 times? I have to take my hat for you. I told my husband that next time we have to move I want to be put under anesthesia for the process. Just wake me up when its done please.
Hi Adn, thank you so much for the tips, I’m pretty sure I will have some CLUELESS moments and will be called biyaaaaatch a lot. But it still will be nothing compared with 6 years being abused by lunatics taxi drivers. At least my car will smell great.
So glad you found the perfect place. The street looks wonderful. Good luck with your packing.
wow…moving house! I can imagine all the mixed feelings. I have moved 9 times!! Doesn’t that sound crazy? My only consolation is that I get to clear off a lot of unwanted junks. Hope you settle down soon. I’m sure you will enjoy your new kitchen.
Welcome to LA! It’s a crazy town, here are my top 10 survival tips:
they’re are great little escapes when need to get away in LA or just out of town
(you seem to be discovering that already with the apartment hunt! One apartment building we lived in, one day the receptionist in the leasing office answered the phone saying “Welcome to ____ hotel!” Hotel? Um, no, this is an apartment… so LA!)
1) everyone’s a crazy driver
2) feel free to turn left on Red or you will never turn (and hereby become one of said crazy drivers)
3) When driving down Wilshire for the first time, the lines on the road are not stopping optional crosswalks — they’re mandatory crosswalks with pedestrians in them (you don’t want to learn this the hard way! When I first arrived years ago, I blithely zoomed through all of them and got an aghast look and the finger from a woman who screamed “thanks a lot biyaaaatch!” to my mortified “sorry!” It was my CLUELESS moment)
4) everyone’s aspiring to be someone else and that’s good and bad
5) Go to the beach in Santa Monica often
6) everyone’s in “the biz”
7)LA is neighborhoody but not New York neighborhoody (people don’t attach their identities to them)
9) somethings are just different out here, don’t expect like normalcy or order
10) enjoy it, it gets into your blood, and try to come up for air because everyone is very career focused, which is good and bad!
hope this helps!
Oh! My kitchen…it’s all on the road now. Can’t wait to be done with all this mess. And have my stuff organized again. But it will take time, move cross country is more difficult then I thought.
Thanks Kristy, for the lovely award, will be back to it soon.
Thanks Sarah I totally understand you, believe me next time I move I won’t try to be a hero and pack myself. It was brutal. 104 boxes 45 of them books boxes. What was I thinking?
Wow, you’re moving to L.A.! Glad that you finally found a house over there. The best thing was a very cool & clean house =) Btw, I have left something for you in my blog. Please feel free to drop by to collect it. Thank you! Cheers.
This is good news! I can’t wait for the lemons to sit on your windowsill and the sun to come streaming into your kitchen.
40 places is a huge feat! You must be so organized. And that is so bizarre about the people leaving their keys. Only in L.A. I suppose.
How exciting! I cannot wait to see your sunny kitchen creations! I hate finding apartments. I’m never moving again!
Thanks Ronelle, packing my recipe books was the most difficult think I had to do. My poor husband had to deal with my tantrums and panic attacks.
Thanks Julieana, Oh boy! The unpacking will be gruesome.
good luck and we look forward to what will be coming from the sunny new kitchen!
Ronelle
Welcome to LA…you will love it here
Good luck on the unpacking part…
That must be really exhausting. Finding the right house is so important. I guess you can feel if it’s the right house for you. I understand why you want to move to sunny LA. Good luck in packing your whole house but I’m sure you’ll have too.