Today M did some serious negotiations with our soon-to-be landlord. After days of wavering, we decided to go ahead with the big flat with huge veranda. We wavered because the place needs A LOT of work. But we are familiar with the place and so we know what we are getting ourselves into. I would have liked to have a nicer place (with nice ceramic tiles instead of yucky old cement ones, and efficient air coolers, etc.)... but I kept thinking "At least they'll be no more surprises."
Housing is a struggle here, it seems you never know what you're gonna get until you've lived in it for one year.
The first place we rented was a really nice flat north of town. It was great in most every way except that it was too far away from the center of our city and the driving back and forth was too much. So we moved.
The second place we rented was a smaller, older house much closer to the center of town. But last spring ants came pouring out of the floor and walls making our lives stingy and frustrating. So now we need to move.
The new place has good and bad things about it... but either way, at least we know what we're getting ourselves into.
At the end of negotiations, we agreed to pay 30 dollars more a month than we would have liked, but the landlord agreed to pay for the whole house to be painted and for a water pump to be installed (tenants have to pay all upkeep and improvements unless negotiated otherwise). We have one month to get it ready before we move in and start paying rent. So we are pretty happy!
But... ask me again in one year...
