I bought a house that I will immediately knock down and rebuild in Toorak. I come from a family of entrepreneurs and builders so I am quite excited about doing a collaborative project with them. I am also in the business of "unsexy" industries, so I am hoping that many of our clients will give me competitive pricing on products, fixtures and fittings.
It's exciting times ahead but mostly, I am realising the benefit of getting over my fear of commitment and having some grassroots somewhere. An investment in a property is not your home, it's just another thing in your financial portfolio. This is going to be a home and it's exciting to be able to design something that is going to bring me much joy and happiness.
Unlike many stories from others that have built, I am positive that this is going to be exciting, and lacking in drama. I believe wholeheartedly in my family helping me avoid the stresses normally involved in projects like this and I can see that we will not only be able to work together but build something that I am proud to have as my Australian base.
It took a lot to get over my fear of commitment in this area, and Melbourne may not have been the city that I hoped to settle down in, but I know that I am more than ready to have a place that I can leave my stuff while I continue this exciting journey of travelling all over the world building my business and living life to the fullest.
How I finally got over my commitment phobia of owning my own home to live in:
- My friends and family told me to grow up: They constantly remind me that it's time to settle down a bit and have some roots. Keep travelling and expanding my business and have as many holidays as I want, but come back to one home base that it just mine.
- Investments are good but a home is a home.
- Seeking the perfect dwelling is like finding the perfect man - it doesn't exist. Settle for what you can work with. In this case, a complete knock down and rebuild on land that is smaller than I would have liked, but fine for myself and my pooch.
- New Years' Resolutions: I made a new years' resolution to buy a house for me. I like to tick off everything on my list - so now this one is safely ticked off.
- Work out what is your blockage: My blocking point is that I really don't have any idea where I want to live. I don't know if I want to live in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles or Europe. But the reality is that I have to keep my stuff somewhere and it may as well be somewhere where I have to go back to regardless. Melbourne was an easy choice in that regard.
- Freedom to do what I want when I want: I still have this by having a home, but I feared that it would hold me back. That I would want to continue to be at "home" rather than exploring possibilities.
- Limits what is possible in terms of what other people think of my capabilities to just get up and make things happen anywhere in the world.
In the end, I did it. I made it happen and now it's time to keep moving forward and building the dream.
Everyone can over come their fears.