J G S HABITAT #7

Goodbye apartment!

Well after 8 months I finally left my apartment in Redfern and I couldn't be happier.

Whilst it was a brilliant layout with new carpet and only 5 minute walk to the station, I never had a moments peace in there and when I look back on what happened in my time there, I truly believe it may even have been cursed.

Whilst I was bang on Cleveland Street and only a floor above street level, the traffic noise was not a problem. Sure it was noticeable during peak time or when a motorbike or ambulance roared past but by bedtime it was quite peaceful enough.

The issue was in the building's design and construction. Firstly, the unit above had hard surfaces in all areas so when everything was dropped or dragged I would hear it. But the space in my unit amplified the noise too so it sounded heaps louder. Plus their sliding balcony door actually made my lounge vibrate every time it opened and that was at least 5-6 times an hour.

Added to that, and unbeknown to me before signing the lease, the unit above me had their kitchen situated above my bedroom. Another hard surface with the same issues.

Now this would be okay if ordinary people lived above me in that unit, but as it was a split level 3 bedroom flat, it housed 6 university students from France and there was activity up there 24/7 particularly in the Kitchen. I would hear everything through the floor, laughs, cheers, screams, shouts, guitars, chair sounds, door sounds, tapping, stomping etc and not just sound but reverberations as well.
Nothing could therefore block it out, music, ear plugs or relaxations tapes.

So why didn't I  complain? I certainly did complain -  to everyone.

Real Estate Agent said they couldn't do anything because they didn't manage the other unit.

Strata said that it needs to affect more than one unit to be dealt with by them - I was the only unit underneath theirs.

I even rang the agent of the unit above who reported that, after speaking to the tenant, they believed them when they declared the noise wasn't coming from them - honestly!

So I was advised to call the police when i heard the noise again.

"Hello Officer, the people upstairs are making pancakes at 2am and I cant sleep"

Mostly I don't blame the students, they are who they are and most of their noise should not have been heard by me if the building was properly sound proofed. But being French their disinterest in caring about anyone but themselves was also a disadvantage.

The days leading up to leaving was the worst noise imaginable too as they were on holidays but knowing that I was getting out allowed me to just handle it till then.

So where am I now? Back to the Burn. (Ingleburn - for those north of the bridge)

I will stay out here for a while to recalibrate and work out where I want to go next.

Added to that I am also starting a new job on Monday which is another change I really needed. Sorry to disappoint many of you but I am still not going to sell ice creams in Darling Harbour :-)

But I will be continuing to help people which is something I seem to have a knack for.

You all know that my day job is just a money job and that the real fun happens in the writing department and of course the performing department.

I am happy to report I am back in the audition game this weekend and next weekend so hopefully there will be some extra exciting opportunities down the track.

So that's why my blogs have fallen behind a bit lately as there's been a hell of a lot of packing, moving, and cleaning to do but now things should get slightly back to normal.

If there is such a thing.

Till next week

J G S