Moving House
January 17th, 2008After 3 1/2 years in our current spot we’re finally up and moving. Following an exhausting search of rental properties in and around the area we finally found a newly built single storey home in a nice estate not too far from our current spot and conveniently located to our customers. Although we’ve gone through the application process, been accepted and picked up the keys, I’m far too naive to expect a smooth transition and therefore I’ll use the blog to keep you up to date with progress;
16/01/08 - BROADBAND - First things first - we’re graphic & web designers so pretty much ahead of everything else, broadband is critical, so lets start there… Simple task right? dream on. Spent nearly 3 hours on the net’ and phone trying to establish whether or not broadband is going to be available at the new property and what flavour broadband we can expect. Main problem - no telephone connected yet and therefore no phone number… No cable available… Without a number, neither Telstra, Optus, iiNet or our current provider, Internode are able to tell us anything except the time of day. Hmmm, not looking good. Eventually come to the conclusion that the only was is going to be a physical check - so in the car, off to the new place… A quick introduction and straw poll with the neighbours turns out that a couple of them have ADSL, we’re in business. Lesson learned here:- its quicker and easier to ask your neighbours when trying to ascertain the availability of broadband than contacting any of Australia’s major telco’s.
17/1/08 - Picked up keys, measured up the place to see how our furniture’s going to fit and had a good nosey through, looks good - ducted air-con throughout, nice and light when all blinds opened up, 1 dead downlight, no keys for locked windows but otherwise ok. Agent going to track down builder and retrieve aforementioned window lock keys…
17/1/08 - PHONE - spent about a half hour on the phone with Optus’ indian call centre - so far very helpful, new connection required, so technician booked, hopefully to turn up within the next 5 working days, hmmm… Existing line to be re-directed until everyone gets the hang of it. New, supposedly cheaper plan as apparently we’re not using the current $55 plan so a lower line rental plan suggested - see how that one goes that to be honest it seems every time I’ve changed plan / provider its only turned out to be more expensive, maybe we’ll look at VOIP…
17/1/07 - ELECTRICITY / GAS etc - called Connect my Power. Answered immediately, took details, found best deal (with price guarantee), signed me up - 5 minutes at max - power should be switched over to us by Monday 21st - watch this space. Called Elgas, need to fax through Gas Compliance Certificate so we’ll have to go find that at the house…
22/1/08 - GAS - delivered and hooked up, by far the easiest service to get organised - well done Elgas.
24/1/08 - INSURANCE - Spent about a week going around the may pole on insurance. Although they dont care what everything’s worth otherwise, none of the majors will insure a sensible value for office equipment under a domestic policy so we had to look at a domestic policy plus a business policy, mucho casho, no surprise there then… Luckily, a referral from a friend to Roy at Scofield Insurance Agencies (07 3289 2792) and we’re sorted quick smart.
25/1/08 - PHONE - Telstra technician turns up and hooks up the phone and another phone point for us, job done. Now we can put the ADSL application in…
31/1/08 - BROADBAND - Get a text message from iiNet to call them re; our ADSL application - which I do, which they answer in no less than a half hour - only to be told that as we’re on a RIM (whatever that is) ADSL2+ isnt available - priceless. Can we get ADSL1 - sure, great, hook it up. Nope, got to start the application again - 5-10 working days - you gotta be kidding me. Cancelled and back to Internode - at least they answer the phone.
As we thought - you can call the UK like you’re in the next room, but getting broadband connected in Australia is the most ridiculous, cumbersome and downright nonsensical process imaginable…
