The household ecosystem

As of 2pm yesterday, I own a house. Well, apart from the bit the bank owns, which is most of it. Yesterday on my internet banking, a cute little house icon appeared in my list of accounts, with a scarily high number for the balance figure.

The new phone number will be connected today (so I can sort out ADSL in advance of moving). Ditto the ‘lectricity. Gas and water next week. I collected the keys last night and had a look around. It looks good. Hopefully it’ll still look good when all my stuff is inside it!

With the prospect of termites where I’m living now (9 days until I move out), I was asked if I’d checked for them in the new place. Fair question. I haven’t, because the place was bought in so much of a hurry (to beat the other buyers). But I’ll certainly be getting all that kind of thing checked out.

I noticed slaters on the (rental house) bathroom wall yesterday. I wonder if they interact with the ants and the suspected termites? Do they get along with the possums? What about the cats that go hunting through my garden?

All around our homes there are various species, mostly unseen, living their lives right under our noses.

And they’re not even paying rent.

• Countdown to the dishwasher
• New house pictures