This is the eighth part of my journey converting the land I bought in Guatemala and my new life here. If you missed the earlier parts, you can catch up on them.
Since it’s the last day of the year, let’s take a look back at the house expenses. We’ve spent a lot so far, just to make the house liveable, and though it’s far from perfect, it’s comfortable thanks to BF’s efforts. He constantly fixes things, moves furniture, and optimizes the space. As long as the roof stopped leaking and the house was clean, I was happy. We initially added a plastic cover to the thatched roof and didn’t upgrade it until much later. Now, the house looks much better, but I’m waiting to do more until the new room is finished. BF is focusing on the house with the handyman, while I’m working on developing the 90-acre piece of land that came with it.
Some of you asked about the land. There were actually two pieces of property for sale. One is a 22,000-square-foot lakefront plot where the house is located, and the new room is being built. This plot is for us to live on, and I plan to start a small guest house next year. The other piece is a 90-acre land about 200 yards from the lake, previously used for breeding cattle. Although I considered moving my calves there, I’d have to pay for a cowboy and secure the perimeter to prevent animals from escaping. Instead, I decided to develop the land. It borders the village on the east, the road on the south, and two other ranches to the north and west. I plan to divide it into smaller plots for residential purposes and start marketing them early next year for people who want to live close to nature and enjoy the sunshine all year round.
Interestingly, the big land hasn’t incurred many costs yet. We were looking for a farmer to put cattle there since everyone has pasture at this time of year. We ended up giving it to a local farmer for free so his 50 cows could graze and clear the high pastures. He’s also cleaning the perimeter for us in return. We’ve repurposed some fencing materials and kept the barbed wire. We sold the cattle scale on the land for $1,300 and used the money to buy a boat motor and a few pieces of furniture that weren’t included in the house sale.
Now onto the house costs:
– Creating and running the company: $1,900. This includes registering a limited company, land registry, changing ownership on the beachfront leasehold, and monthly accounting fees.
– Works on the beachfront land: $8,975, covering everything from electrical work, mosquito nets, digging a septic tank, fixing the roof with palm tree leaves, buying a water pump and pipes, building various structures like walls and doors, materials for a new room, and paying workers.
– Plants and animals: $180 for buying hens and garden seeds.
– Living expenses: $2,750, which includes food, bed sheets, appliances, and household bills. This will likely decrease over time. Our costs in the city included stocking up on non-local items like wine, cheese, and olive oil.
– Electricity: $20 per month
– Gas for the car: $100 per month
– Cooking gas: $5 per month
– Misc expenses: $1,300 for a boat motor and household items from the previous owner.
We have spent a total of $15,105, while our income has been $1,490 mainly from selling the cattle scale and the temporary plastic roof cover. We also managed to get an $80 refund for a freezer repair.
While it feels like we’re spending a lot, we’re making progress. The workers have resumed their work on the new room after the holidays. The stone walls of the new room are being built, and we’ve set up a petanque field which we enjoyed during Christmas.
On the animal side, our rooster is recovering after a fight with the turkey, who is now tied by the beach to keep peace among the hens. We are also fencing the property for security and to keep the animals in. Previously, people walked through our garden uninvited, which we hope to prevent.
The garden is doing well with an automatic watering system. The fastest-growing plants are garlic and melons, while basil is struggling.
Lastly, we have a new resident snake in the garden, which is quite the sight!
How is your week going? Do you like my snake? Enjoy New Year’s Eve and all the best for the coming year!