Koh's blog - "Not the Nine O'Clock News"

[FlaMie]

Hey koh puppy, make sure you send out invitation to us Singaporeans too when your nice hideout is ready for guests . It really does give a very warm and nice woody feel - very down to earth feeling. I like woody environment, it gives me a sense of security. Don't know why but I think you are really lucky to have such a talented son...can he help do up my house too? :P

[Rach77]

Hi Koh,

I'm coming for a holiday too!!!! Such a beautiful house and a beautiful part of the world. I think a Koh's "Not the Nine O'clock News" tv channel would be terrific. Just what Australia needs. There is alot of people out there who just need to be told exactly how it is. You may be the perfect puppy for the job.

Rach

[Shanara]

HI Koh,

So great to catch up with you today. Wonderful to actually meet.

Now we all know that Koh is a gem so you might want to check out this:

http://www.diamondtutorials.com/arti...r_Diamond.html

Love the house. There has been lots of talk about a Cohens retreat or resort - perhaps you are going to provide us with one however you will have to put on a cute little uniform as that seems to be a popular request from the girls ....lol.

Enjoy
Shanara

[Kohinoor]

Hi all,

Well, time marches on, and once more, I'm off to Brisbane for around a week. I fly out Thursday evening (4 June), and will be "back in earnest" sometime around 11 June. Meantime, look after yourselves.

Anyone going to "Wintersun"? WE won't be unfortunately - but there's always next year eh?

And what'll I be doing? Making that "B'n'B" place suitable for human habitation - I'll be joining my son and wife in getting a lot of "those necessary jobs" done.... To bring the property back to it's former glory.

The good news is, we MAY already have new tenants (and at a better rent than before) But hey, I'm not into counting my chickens before they hatch - so, for now, it's all about the practical stuff - making it ready !! It's not all that bad, as I enjoy "fix-it" stuff anyway - hopefully, by early next week, I'll have a few more pics to share. But then, we may be too busy to even take any

Be good, all - and keep working on YOUR "renovations".


To my visitors - aww, you are all a bunch of sweeties ...

Mette - it's good that we are helping each other - nothing sweeter than that IMHO. Hehe - the News channel sounds like a great idea - but will probably remain that way for now. Once I've retired, maybe I'll check out these "blog" things ("the gospel according to Koh" sounds catchy - waddaya reckon?)

Flamie - Hi there, darl.... I'm sure my son would LOVE to help you with your place - just send airline tickets for him to "Koh's postbag, Brisbane" and a blank cheque for my son to fill in We'll make it happen....

Rach77 - Wow, thank you !! I can't recall when I've been called a "perfect puppy" before (I'm lapping it up right now...) Anyway, we've got you booked for a week at the B'n'B. Let me know if you meant two weeks eh?

Shanara - Yeah, and right back at you re "so good to catch up". It made my day, and you, girl, are looking so good - your "shining" comment in your diary is SO apt !!

Originally Posted by Shanara

you will have to put on a cute little uniform as that seems to be a popular request from the girls

Ulp !! I love to keep my friends happy .... hmmm - it depends on just what "uniform" you all have in mind Some I could live with.... while some just "ain't gunna happen" LOL

Have a great week people - me, I'll be working at it...

Koh

[shell]

Have a great time away Koh, and don't work too hard!

Shell

[Andy46]

See you old mate - enjoy the wet side of Brisbane - they say the Sunshine coast might steal the golden gumboot from Tully its rained so much - hope you have a safe and enjoyable break mate - take it easy and stay safe.


Andy

[Imfef]

Enjoy the holiday and the final touches to your B&B. Sounds like a fun week.
Cheers,
Marc

[Snugglebear]

What????????? Your house is on the Sunshine Coast???????????? OMG I didn't know that, well.............I definitely want a couple of weeks then, can I bring my own hushpuppy??

Hopefully it will stop raining long enough for you to get some work done, tee hee hee.

Cheers

Jo

[Kohinoor]

Hi all,

Gee, doesn't time fly past - more than 2 weeks since I posted, and, yep, that hard working time went by - and the old place is looking better than ever. And me, I'm booked to fly up to Bne again on Wed 24th, and due to return to Syd on 29th. Life goes on - and flights go on too !!

The world continues to try to ascertain "where it's at" - and I struggle with the same question. Interesting to see that the Australian Govt has reduced it's "take" on H1N1 flu (top marks, Aussie Govt.) and has accepted that, though a pandemic, it is FAR from an epidemic. What does that mean? Well, it is true that h1n1 has moved quickly - but, the flip side is that it doesn't pack much of a punch. As such, it is one of those flu's that is probably GOOD to get (as it will help to build up immunity if it comes back "bigger and better" next year). That is always a possibility, so, rather than closing schools, it may well be better to ENCOURAGE people to mix with those afflicted.... At least, for now, the heat is off re H1N1 (swine flu).

On the financial side, it is still hard to see through the fog. Some lenders are staying "easy to work with" while the Big Four tend to look after their own interests. It's worth looking around as the remaining competition to the Big Four seem to be remaining easy to work with.

Is it YOUR time to switch? The official words are that the current Fed Govt has "eased the path" to switch between lenders. Me, I'm not so sure - I've become SO used to "spin" from the current incumbents that I tend to turn off (perhaps to my own detriment - they might get SOMETHING right one day ).


Re our "B'n'b" place, we did a lot of work, and it looks better daily. Certainly, the last trip was no picnic - but satisfying none-the-less. I was able to utilise said "Gerni" to paint my own way to a good feeling about the place. The gerni is a wee bit like painting a house with a 1" (25mm)paintbrush - but it usually only needs one coat - so it is not as hard as it sounds. In the end, I was pretty happy with my efforts (first day on the gerni - front door area), second day gerni'ing and painting the deck).


And now, I realise that I need to invoke this new way of attaching a photo. It's pretty groovy, as I can add a link, or can choose to show a photo in this post. I'm gunna do both, just so you can all get an appreciation of "what can be". It's a good move by our resident guru (Baloo).

Here we go (here's a look at the front door area of our B'n'b after the gerni weaved its magic - with me on the end of it) First, here's what happens when I "ask" the photo to appear within the post:-


Second, here's the link (instead of including the photo in the post) :-
http://newyouforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=151&pictureid=729

Pretty cool huh? I like it....

And a big thankyou to my visitors:-

Shell - hmm, well, I tried not to work too hard - but sometimes..... you know.....

Andy - umm, the Sunshine Coast will be working to take away the rainfall silver record from Springbrook, let me tell you.... Second highest rainfall in Aussie. We keep the Hinze Dam full more often than not...

Imfef (Marc) - ah mate, it was a worthwhile week - fun? Hmm, well, now and then - but mostly working (why do we do this to ourselves )

Snugglebear (Jo) - No, darl, it is Gold Coast hinterland (up in the mountains, and about 7 degrees cooler than any temp on the Gold Coast). And, sorry darl - no pets - they would have TOO GOOD a time chewing on bandicoots and pademelons that are part of the landscape here. Can't have that, can we?


I'm around until around 24th June - after that, I'm MIA for a few days. Have a ball, and do yourselves good while I'm away....

Koh

[shell]

Hey Koh,
When I win lotto 2nite, I will come for a visit!
Looks GREAT!
Shell

[Shellbelle]

Hi Koh. The BnB looks fantastic. It must feel great to see all of your hard work coming together. Fingers crossed about the tenant.

Thanks so much for stopping by my diary, your posts have been very inspirational to me. I really do appreciate it.

[shell]

Sorry Koh,
no visit this week
Shell

[Snugglebear]

Hey Koh

Gold Coast hinterland is very very nice too. You did some great work while you were away (scritches behind the ears) the place looks great.

Swine Flu ..............OMG I am so over it. Queensland is running behind all the other states in the common sense department. My son's school was closed as of last Friday for a week. Perfect timing to go back to school for 1 day then go back on holidays for 2 weeks. In a school of 1200 or so 2 kids tested positive.........so everybody gets a week off. I pity the poor parents who work full time and have to either take leave or find someone willing to take potentially infected kids. We are still expecting the letter from Queensland Health explaining what we are supposed to do, are the kids supposed to be quarantined? What would be the point when their parents are coming and going to work, shopping etc. The whole thing is just stupid.

OK so I am not the world's expert on all things financial but as a lay person I am having trouble understanding why things are happening the way they are happening. Queensland Government taking off our 8 cents a litre fuel subsidy (apparently we aren't getting value for money), which will result in people having to spend more on petrol, it will also increase the prices of everything else due to the increase in freight costs. Health Insurance goes up, Council rates goes up, interest rates (strangely) go up. Where do they think people are going to get the extra money???? Employers are either reducing hours for staff or reducing staff, others just aren't hiring. Redundancies are coming thick and fast, unemployment is rising rapidly so OBVIOUSLY this means PUT THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING UP. I really need someone to explain the logic of this to me.

Sorry for the rant Koh but you do have a way of getting me started

Jo

[Kohinoor]

Hi all,

Well, after that "end of June" trip back up, and spending another two days on the place, and meeting up with various people, we've "bit the bullet" - and this lovely place IS going to be available for "Holiday Accommodation" (and NOT B'n'b - so, you cook your own food yourself).

The word we hear is that EVERYONE wants to go there, and people are ALWAYS looking for "extra beds" (yep, even in the depths of Winter). So, we are planning to hang onto the coat-tails of those already doing this. Of course, that means we need to FURNISH the place first - so another week or three delay while we arrange this.

But, on the GOOD side - it means we don't "lock the place down" on a 6 month lease - instead, we make as much on two nights of a weekend as we would be simply renting for a week. And, it leaves the place accessible through the week (for extra letting, or repairs, or even R'n'R for Mr and Mrs Koh...) So, it is more flexible that way. It also allows many others to "share" in the beauty of the place. Hopefully, they'll come on back again, or, at least, promote it to their mates !!

(This bit is VERY exciting), Mrs Koh met up with a lady in a wheelchair, who was talking about how HARD it was to get suitable accommodation for people with disabilities. Well, after a chat, Mrs Koh has invited her new friend to "come on up and take a look - and guide us with what would be needed to provide disabled accommodation" - THAT has to be a niche market, and, if we deliver, maybe we could fill it SEVEN days a week.. Nah, kidding - but hey, I really LIKE the idea of making this special place available to those who are "having a rough trot" in finding suitable accommodation. It's going to be interesting to see what unfolds there. Surely the Universe should smile on us over that one

When we bought the place, there was a ramp at the front door (someone was using a wheelchair even then). We since removed it, but can easily put it back again.

So, all in all, it is getting a wee bit exciting - the only bit NOT so exciting is the cost to furnish - but we are looking at ways to do this without spending "upfront dollars" so that the extra rental can pay for the furnishings over time. And, though we can easily figure how much a few beds, TV, etc. can cost, then there are ALL of those "other things" - like knives and forks, plates, pots and pans, detergents (suitable for septic tank), providing firewood, linen (heaps of linen, to ensure 3 of each per bedroom - 1 in use, 1 in the wash, and 1 ready for the next visitors), curtains, games, DVD's, etc. etc. BBQ, emergency power generator (maybe?), leccy blankets, etc.

Gasp !! So, there's still a LOT to do over the next few weeks - but we're hoping to be "ready to rock'n'roll" for the first week of August !! Meantime, checking on Insurance (is it different for Holiday Letting?), Council requirements, Tax issues (do we need to get into GST now )

etc, etc, etc..... I'm feeling quite tired - think I'll go lay down for a bit....



Nah, it's all good - or it will be !!

To my visitors :-

Shell - we're banking on you winning Lotto - we NEED you up here to be one of our first guests Hehe, no, not really - but I do wish you luck anyway - and we'll be sure to "hold a few days" for you once you win - hell, you might want to take it for a YEAR !! Woohoo !!!

Shellbelle - lovely to see you here - and thanks for the kind words. Who knows, maybe later photos will have you beating a path to our door too !!

Snugglebear - Aw, Jo, I'm sorry - I gave you a break this time (no comment on "the news" to rev you up). I'm like you - I have NO idea how all this "stuff" is going to play out on the world's financial stage - so, we just gotta go with what we have, and do the best we can in the "here an now" - that's all I know how to do

Wish us luck all - hoping to make that end of July deadline to be "ready to go" with our new venture,

Hugs,

Koh

[shell]

OOOHHHHHH!
How exciting

Sorry No lotto win this week, but there is always next week....

Have you thought of the interest free a lot of the stores offer?

Good luck, sounds like a great adventure!
Shell

[Kohinoor]

Hi Shell,

Originally Posted by Koh

but we are looking at ways to do this without spending "upfront dollars" so that the extra rental can pay for the furnishings over time.

Originally Posted by Shell

Have you thought of the interest free a lot of the stores offer?

Yep, it's on top of our list, Shell - and there are a LOT of good deals around right now.... Second on our list is Lotto j/k

I figure a short-term hit on the credit cards can take some of the strain (18% Interest, but that's only 1.5% per month - so it's do-able in the short term). Gunna check up with whether Council Grants might be forthcoming to assist us to make it "disabled friendly" too - Councils give grants for all kinds of things... why not this? A phone call will soon tell !!

Have a top day, darl,

Koh

[ConnieK..]

Koh,

If the council can't help try the diabetes association, veterans affair, home care etc. A lot of organisations for limited mobility people will gladly help with renovations or advertising when you are done.

Sounds like a great plan to me

as for the games - try your local op shop - we had a blast last year playing old games from my childhood we bought at garage sales and op shops - nostalgic value aside it was great to play ancient board games with my kids.

Con

[Kohinoor]

Hi all,

Well, once more, I'm off to Bne tomorrow night.... More to do on the new "holiday accommodation" property. It's just going to be the weekend this time, so I'll be back in Syd on Monday. (Gee, some things are expensive !! - yet worthwhile).

About to hit the sack, so keep well all - see you early next week.

ConnieK - Thanks for the thoughts - yep, worth checking for sure.... That "extra" will probably come after the initial pressure of change has lessened. But, point taken - and thanks. Right now, "it's all ON"

Koh

[Kohinoor]

Woohoo !! Just today, I've been approved for an extra bunch of $$$ that will allow us to furnish this place at no immediate cost (think "deferred payment", "interest free", "all of the above" ) which makes this more and more do-able, as the extra income will cover the extra outgoings (plus) and allow us to provide a place of serenity with little up-front cost to us. The gains from providing this will more than cover the cost down the track.

So, right now, I'm feeling that the world is on our side - and we'll do our part too, by providing the world with another worthy "kick-back" place for those who want to indulge !!

Day by day, things seem to be easing (ah !! whew !!) There's still lots to do, but we just work with this, and I''m feelng pretty confident that we will be "open for business" by early August.

Any Cohenites who want to "kick back" in one of the world's most peaceful places, do send me a PM, and let's see if it can help you,

Koh

[ConnieK..]

Wow Koh,

That's great , so glad it worked out for you!

August huh, that's excellent, then sit back, relax and watch the $$$ roll in

Well done puppy **scritches ears** you rock!

Connie