Take an Exclusive Tour of my Delightful New House

After months of searching, my husband and I finally found a house that is affordable and where we can comfortably fit our family of five. Here it is!

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Why We Had to Move

Last year, my family went through some hard times (illness and near bankruptcy to name a couple) and several sacrifices had to be made.

One of them was moving out of the 3-story townhouse where we had been living to a tiny, run-down little house we could barely fit into.

The kids, my husband and I were clearly not happy about downsizing, but it was the most sensible plan. We had to move into a more affordable lease so we could get back on our feet.

Months later, things started looking up again. Sales at our family business greatly improved, and we managed to pay off most of our debts.

Also, with the Mexican rainy season coming up, my husband and I decided it was necessary to move out of the tiny house because it’s sitting in an area which is prone to flooding.

It was definitely time to move!

Looking for a House

We started looking for a house. It had to have at least 3 bedrooms, more than one bathroom, and a lease that kept within our budget. Demand for rentals in our area is high, so this seemed like a bit of stretch, to be honest.

First, we looked for houses in our neighborhood. There were none available. Well, there was one, but the lease was way overbudget. We had look elsewhere.

After looking at a few houses, we settled on a single-story house not far from where we were living. It had 3 bedrooms but only one bathroom. However, the lease fell withing our budget and we wouldn’t have to move too far from our neighborhood, so we decided to overlook the bathroom problem.

The house needed a few repairs before we could move in, but the realtor said it would be ready in a week. We showed the house to the kids and they liked it, so my husband went out to find boxes and I started packing.

But when we called the realtor a week later, he said repairs weren’t finished. In fact, we would have to wait maybe one or two more weeks to move in. Plus, the previous occupants still had boxes in there and the realtor didn’t know when they would be gone. Aggravated, my husband and I decided to look for other options.

We started browsing through the internet ads again and nothing. There just wasn’t anything else available. The next day, I woke up and decided to take another look. That’s when I noticed a new house had come on the market.

I showed it to my husband and we made an appointment to look at it. We loved the house! It had 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, two stories, and it was in a closed neighborhood. Best of all, the lease was affordable. Bingo!

The only downside was this house was in area completely across town. Moving there would mean a new routine and new schools for the kids. Were we ready for such a big change?

To be honest, there was really nothing holding us back, so decided to go for it.

We spent a little too long looking at the house. By the time I checked my watch, I realized we were running late for another house appointment. My husband thought we’d better grab the house we liked before someone else did, but we decided to keep our other appointment and that’s why we didn’t sign the lease contract on the spot.

As we were driving to look at the other house, I tried to call and let them know we were running late but for some reason I couldn’t get through. My husband tried calling from his phone and the call didn’t go through either.

When we arrived at the place, there was no one there. Perhaps the real estate agent had gotten tired of waiting and left? We called the number on the rental sign and the call didn’t go through again. We waited for a few minutes but then decided to leave. We had really liked the first house anyway.

Was it meant to be?

Moving Day

The next day, we took the kids to look at the new house and they loved it. This time, we signed the lease contract without any second thoughts.

I had already spent two weeks packing , so the move was almost ready. We spent the rest of the day putting the last of our things in boxes and making moving arrangements.

Unlike the last time we moved, this time everything went smoothly. We called a moving van and the guys showed up ready and on time. We started putting things in the van at 11:00 am, and by 6:00 that evening, we had set up the beds and the kitchen so we could heat dinner. Everything happened without a glitch!

The day after we moved, my father-in-law paid us a visit and gave the new house a cleanse. We could feel the good vibes going on already, but a cleanse is never a bad idea!

The Tour of the New House

Our new house sits in a corner all by itself, so we don’t have any immediate next-door neighbors. My husband loves this. He likes having the front street all to ourselves.

There’s front porch where I put most of my plants. My succulent collection sits on the windowsill and out front. That way, the plants get plenty of sunshine in the morning.

I also have an extensive ceramic sun collection, so I like to have the wall space to show it off.

We had to get rid of our old living room when we downsized last year, so we don’t have any couches at the moment. I decided to set up the folding tables so the kids can have room for games and activities or for watching TV.

The good part is I now have a new blogging space. Yay!

The dining room is roomier. We’re happy we can now have dinner comfortably instead of cramming into a tiny space.

But what I like best is the kitchen. My old kitchen was a tiny square with barely enough room for the essentials, but now I feel like cooking again.

This is the laundry area. It’s out in the backyard but it’s covered, so I can keep my washer safe there.

In the corner is the water heater. We turn it on when we want to take a shower and turn it off when we’re done. Saves on the utility bills, saves energy, and saves the planet.

This is the drying area. In Mexico, most people don’t have a dryer and hang-dry the laundry instead. This makes sense because we get plenty of sunshine around here. And it saves the planet.

Under the drying area there’s a cement-free zone where I found a cute little tomato plant. Adorable, isn’t it?

This is the water pump and the water tank. Many Mexican houses have this. The water comes in through the pipes and fills up the water tank. Then, the water pump automatically turns on and fills up another water tank on the roof called the “tinaco”. This roof tank supplies the bathrooms and the kitchen with water.

I also have a little cactus collection which I keep on the windosill in the backyard.

This is a narrow corridor that leads out to a side door. We keep bikes and other stuff in here, and it’s also good for hauling out the garbage.

 

Let’s go upstairs!

I don’t really like the stairs. The steps are a little too narrow. At first, I got nervous every time I went up or down the stairs, but I think I’m getting used to it now.

The kids have to share a room, but it’s very spacious. In the old house, their beds were practically pushed up one against the other. This is a welcome change for them.

The master bedroom has its own bathroom. Enough said!

My oldest son has his own room, but declined to have it photographed. He said he wanted privacy, but I think he was just too lazy to pick up his mess.

We found a bird’s nest in the upstairs bathroom window. I wonder if the momma bird will come back?

Let’s go outside!

Like I said before, the house is inside a closed neighborhood with security cameras and everything. This means it’s very safe to live here. The neighbors tell me sometimes they don’t even lock their doors when they go out.

We’ve never had security issues in any of the places we´ve lived in before, but it’s comforting to know the neighborhood takes this seriously.

The best part is there’s a playground inside the neighborhood, just a couple of blocks away. I could even let my younger kids walk there by themselves. I think this could help them develop a sense of independence.

Ready for a Change

It turns out we were ready for a change after all. The kids will have to change schools, but they don’t mind. My oldest son had to find a new route to get to college, but he didn’t mind. My husband has to drive a little more to get to work, but he doesn’t mind. I have to meet new neighbors and get the family settled into a new routine, but I truly don’t mind.

Even Harvey the cat has made himself at home!

We’re all grateful for this change. It was difficult living in a cramped little house, where it was too hot, where there was no room to play, where we had to literally wait in line to use the bathroom, and where we all felt miserable.

We’re grateful to have a place where the kids can play, where we can have people over, and where we can all feel more comfortable. The whole family is feeling optimistic and happy again, and I think that’s the most important thing to be grateful for.

I’m hoping we can stay here a good, long time.

What do you think of our new house? Have you moved recently? Share your thoughts in the comments!