Breaking news

And so today, a brilliantly beautiful fall day, we decided to buy the house on the hill. We made the deal over cups of tea at Barbara’s house and sealed it with a hug. God save New Zealand! Breathe, Patsy—we’ve done our homework on this one. The house is not falling down the hill, as we feared. The engineer and builder we brought by say it’s totally sound—one of the most sound houses the builder has been inside in the whole village. And while it’ll take some work to make it lovely inside, the bones of the house—and the location of the house—make it too good to pass up. In fact, both the builder and the engineer wanted us to notify them if we didn’t buy the house—both of them wanted dibs on it before it went on the market. D, the chippy, reckons it’s one of the nicest houses in the village (“It’s sweet as!”). And we reckon we could be really happy there.

So, there are still lawyers to draw up papers (although just one, as we both happen to have the same lawyer) and dates to be agreed upon (we’re all most concerned for the well-being of the current tenant of the house), but it’s all decided. This was as unlike any housing deal we’ve ever been in before as I can imagine. It was amazingly humane. We wanted her to feel good about selling; she wanted us to feel good about buying. We both love the house and want it to be fantastic. After the quick agreeing on price (she had given us a number when we first saw the house, today we just said “Ok”—I drive a hard bargain), we sat in her living room and she told us stories about the house and the neighbors and her time there. And she paged through her file on the house and brought out relevant bits for us to read. We read the original deed, first dated 1926 and watched the house change hands a lot in the 40s (wartime changes, we figure) and then stay inside the same family from the late 40s until Barbara bought it in the 80s. And then she’s kept it until now. And who knows how long the Bergers will keep it.

So here’s what to know: It’s got four bedrooms (3 quite small) and a big living/dining room. It’s got no front yard to speak of because it’s built on a steep hill that slopes down to the sea, but the back yard dips low and lush behind, with an apple and peach tree, a nikau palm, and lovely tropical plants. The yard has several different levels, so there are hidden pathways with benches, a veggie garden, and a big open grassy space. While the front of the house is totally open to the sea views (and sea wind), the back of the house is tucked away and lovely and private. When I wandered through the back yard for the first time, I pictured myself as a writer there, wandering through the garden, a different look for each mood. There’s a lovely old outbuilding there, too, which I’d like to fix up into a guest cottage for those of you who might come and visit (or for Rob).

These pictures are of the front of the house, the master bedroom, the view over the village (and over 3 Ocean Road, way below) and the lush back yard. There will be more news as it becomes available, but we wanted you out there, our faithful and gentle readers, to be the first ones to know our exciting news!

And, last but not least: happy 19^th birthday, baby bro. I know it won’t be much fun with two finals, but I hope we get to talk when you’re done!