Geoff Keey and Renee Habluetzel met over 15 years in the past, fell in love somewhat later in life and determined they’d purchase a house collectively.
Both residing in Wellington on the time, a mortgage within the capital was unaffordable with their mixed revenue, so Geoff noticed Arthur’s Pass and mentioned “what do you think”?
“We looked at Wellington house prices, and we realised that if one of us lost our jobs it would be very hard to pay a mortgage, so we started to think outside the box,” says Keey.
They tossed round concepts what was essential to them.
“We had to be close enough to a major city. She likes the bush and rivers and I like the mountains. It had to have good communication, public transport, and a good community. And had to be in our price range.”
They discovered the house they had been on the lookout for, the Old Railway Cottage in Arthur’s Pass at a worth of $235,000 in 2010, they usually have made it their very own.
Locals and guests to the village affectionately name it, “the gingerbread house”.
Having restored the home after it was struck by lightning and almost written off inside 4 years of proudly owning it, the gingerbread home is now valued at over $461,000 AUD.
“I was ready for adventure, my kids have grown up. I thought if I don’t go and have a big adventure now, I will be too old,” Habluetzel recollects of the preliminary transfer.
The couple agree shifting to the sticks has modified their outlook on the world, they usually have learnt to not sweat the small stuff. In a manner, nation life has allowed them each to return up for contemporary air.
“It is pretty awesome place to live. You do feel quite small living here. The weather and the mountains are just very big, and very influential. It is lovely, right outside our front door is forest,” says Keey.
“You look across the valley you see mountains, and you hear kea in the mornings, and it’s always good to see them. They are a beautiful bird, but you don’t want them messing with your house.”
“We’ve got Great Spotted Kiwi, and you hear them in the night”.
It has additionally helped improve Keey’s skill-set, he is now a little bit of a “handyman”, if he does not thoughts saying so.
“I can do and build stuff that I thought I never could.”
They have not regretted ther transfer, however admit residing in the course of nowhere – smack between Christchurch and Greymouth, can have its pitfalls.
“It’s not the easiest place on earth to live, he says.
The closest supermarket is 1.5 hours drive to Greymouth, so the bags of flour and sugar in the household could bake a life-sized gingerbread home.
“You must be actually ready, we’ve 20kg of flour in the home. You are inclined to get in bulk.”
The move was a brave one for them. They gave up corporate roles and city living, which they never disliked. Initially, they ran a B&B from the house.
“In retrospect it was actually fairly a daring resolution, as a result of we took out a mortgage, when Renee was made redundant. We mainly turned up with a mortgage and no job in the course of nowhere.”
Habluetzel took up jobs at the motel, cafe and Department of Conservation to pay bills and Keey landed his job at Forest & Bird.
Life at Arthur’s Pass is taking a step back in time in a way, where the basics and necessities are enough.
“I feel it’s good in your psychological well being truly, you simply realise how insignificant you might be and to not trouble an excessive amount of,” says Habluetzel.
The village has a population of about 30 and some of the coldest temperatures in the country in winter, snowfall often reaching the road. The house currently has just a wood burner for heating, but they are close to installing a heat pump.
Not juveniles any longer, Keey 52 and Habluetzel 61, both know this adventure will eventually have to end up somewhere closer to healthcare.
“We will keep right here for a bit. We will keep right here till it does not work for us any longer,” he says.
“In different phrases, after we get too previous,” says she.
This article initially appeared on Stuff and is republished right here with permission.
Source: www.9news.com.au
