Category Archives: change

the van

26 Wednesday Jan 2011

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So this is more or less my baby, the one that will get me and my belongings from here to there. After checking with one of the cheapest moving companies in town and being told it would cost 550 euros (eep!) to move, I decided to revert to the old tried-and-true method of pestering all my friends. But hey, everyone gets pizza and beer afterwards!

This van will cost about 70 euros plus petrol and if Emilio (Maria Paz’s son) doesn’t have to go away this weekend on a family matter then he will do all the driving, as well as help out with the schlepping, as will his younger brother Alvaro. Seriously, I can only help with keeping things organised because I can’t risk putting my back out. But I reckon that with another couple of friends helping out (we can do a “human chain” thing with one person on each floor landing passing things up or down) and this rather spiffy van, it should only take two trips, and maximum three.

I’ll be picking up the keys to the palace on Friday morning so that Caroline and I can move some of the more fragile stuff over in her car. Then on Saturday the cleaners are coming, so that everything will be ready. After this I’ll bring all the food over and also stock the fridge with beer and other drinks for my movers. And then go home to spend my last night over at this “casa az”.

Now all I need is a driver and some young strong helpers…

the keys to the palace

24 Monday Jan 2011

Posted by in change, home, sevilla

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Ever since Steve’s typo, I’ve been referring to my new home as “the palace”. This afternoon I signed the contract, handed over the deposit and am now – officially – the keeper of the keys, though I won’t actually pick them up until Friday morning. Apparently there is still some painting and minor repairs to do, and then the cleaning woman is going to come over the weekend and get everything spic and span…

Meanwhile,  I’ll be moving some stuff over on Friday with Caroline, though I have yet to sort out the actual moving day or how I’m actually going to move. Today I spoke to Maria Paz’s son and he said he’d check out cheap van rentals and get back to me. So that bit is still up in the air. But wow! I have a signed contract and a new home. Go me!

p*cking

23 Sunday Jan 2011

Posted by in change, home, hope, sevilla

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Today Peter and I have officially started packing after having collected a few boxes over the past couple of days. It’s hard to imagine that in a week’s time we may actually be moved… heck, it’s hard to imagine that we’re even going to find enough boxes, let alone get them all packed in time. It’s daunting, to say the least.

I still don’t even know how we’re going to move yet. Options are probably now down to renting a van and getting friends to help. I’m still waiting for estimates from a couple of moving companies but I’m sure they will be way too expensive. As for when, it could really be anytime after Thursday because the apartment is empty and that will give them time to finish painting, cleaning and doing minor repairs. I was hoping for Friday, which would give us the weekend to get settled in. We shall see.

But man – p*cking sucks! When I moved here from Salamanca all my worldly possessions, including two cats, fit neatly into a small hatchback. A year later when I moved from across the street I carried stuff over bit by bit. No furniture, just books, clothes, cats and kitchen stuff. And when I moved here from the apartment next door I didn’t have to pack one box, though I did fill up the laundry basket a few times. Compared to those times this is gonna be hell. On the plus side it’ll give me the chance to get rid of a lot of stuff, and there are lots of bookcases, cupboards and closets at the new place. Though I doubt I’ll ever look back on all this and laugh. Most likely I’ll shudder at the thought and just be thankful it’s over.

my new home?

19 Wednesday Jan 2011

Posted by in change, home, hope

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Well, I found it! Just by chance after my friend Flor sent me an email last night saying she’d seen a for rent sign up on a building around the corner from her place. So I called and it sounded wonderful – and also too expensive – but I thought it was worth looking at. And man, it’s perfect. Bigger than I was looking for with three bedrooms instead of two (though really one “bedroom” is more of an office space) and 100 square metres not including the massive terrace. On two floors without the dangerous-for-cats spiral staircase. Clean, freshly painted, unfurnished (yay!). Tons of light everywhere, and balconies. The kitchen has loads of cupboard space, the two bedrooms also have lots of closet and storage space. The drawback? The price! And I am so trying to rationalise and figure out how to say yes to this place. My maximum price was set at 750 euros, a hundred euros more than I’m paying now, but I was hoping for 700. But the thing is, this apartment is actually worth the price. Which is 850 euros, and which the owners say they are willing to lower to 800 euros and guarantee that price for two years.

And so, 50 euros more than my maximum price, and 150 more than I am paying now. To be honest, if Peter was working more and paying his share then I could afford it. This irks, because the whole point of sharing your dwelling is to cut costs – this is not happening for me at the moment. Another option is to rent out the “third bedroom” for a few months until things get sorted, to see if Peter gets his shit together. Because really, if I have to share the place then it makes sense to do it with someone who can actually pay, right? I can put up with three for a short time, but hey, there’s only one bathroom. And I know I can find people willing to take that room here on short-term rental, because the apartment is fantastic. And the owners know I’m in love with it, and have given me first option, though I have to decide this week.

Well, I guess you’re wondering what the place looks like. Here are some pics I took this morning with my iPhone that don’t really do it justice, and the apartment was still in the midst of painting and cleaning, and they’ll be hanging curtains, etc, but you can at least get an idea  (click on all the collages to enlarge)…

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home hunting sucks…

12 Wednesday Jan 2011

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I know at least one person who loves apartment hunting, and I suppose if I could afford to pay more and didn’t have a deadline then I might feel less stressed about this. I think I’ve seen over a dozen places now and not one of them felt like it could be home, and I’m getting worried as time runs out that I’ll end up in somewhere I don’t like at all.

This is also hugely time consuming and entire half-days are lost going off to see places when I should hunting for clients.

I guess if I were just looking for another apartment, and not a home, then it would be easier. But I really don’t want to live just anywhere and I sure don’t want to end up in some place with a red kitchen or purple bathroom… there sure are a lot of ugly places out there, at least in my price range.