Another installment already? Yes, indeed, but don’t worry; I’m done promoting my little guest house for now. The updates have been frequent lately because I was behind and stopped posting while we were in Europe. So here we go! If you want to catch up from day one, I’ve created a page with all the links to previous posts about the house and Guatemala in general, including info on the cost of living, travel tips, and more. Check out my Guatemala page.

The first exciting news is that we sold some plots on the 90-acre land development! Things have moved quickly since our deeds got approved. We signed contracts on the first few plots and even increased prices this week. So if you’re interested, act fast! I had a lovely couple rent my guest house for a week, and by the end of their stay, they loved it so much they bought their own little piece of paradise.

We have some work to do for them, like fencing the land and planting a few trees, so when they return, it’s even nicer than they remembered. But first, we need to burn the land again, like last year, as the grass has grown wildly. This will get rid of the weeds and prepare the soil before the rainy season. It’s that time of year when you see clouds of smoke from various ranches doing the same.

The rain has almost stopped after an endless winter, and finally, the lake is starting to recede. Our deck is out of the water, but with another strong winter forecasted, I hope the lake’s level drops further before rising again.

We also reached an agreement with the well drillers. They’ll start drilling in early June to provide water for our buyers. This is exciting because they’ll use our drilling fee to drill free wells for people in need.

At the house, I decided to build another unit to rent. It will be opposite my current bedroom in a detached construction near the property’s edge. It will be slightly smaller since travelers don’t need as much storage or closet space. I closed the deal with the workers who built the first room. The cost is just over $3,500 for labor to excavate the land, build the room with stone walls, construct the bathroom with concrete to avoid mold like my stone bathroom, and install the electricity, plumbing, and flat roof, which may become a terrace for hammocks and dining.

Additionally, I will need materials like the toilet, sink, sliding French doors, wood for closet doors, and other essentials, bringing the cost to about $9,000. Adding another $1,000 for a small terrace in front of the room for guests to relax and a few flower beds and stairs, the total comes to an even $10,000. By reducing the room size by 50 square feet, I came under my $15,000 budget. I told the contractor we had a “no surprises” deal, meaning if there’s an oversight, it shouldn’t result in an added cost.

Work started well; on the first day, five men dug the wall. Due to easier-than-expected digging conditions, the projected cost of $450 might be halved. This gives me some bargaining power if other parts of the project get delayed.

The contractor estimated the room would be ready in two months. However, with Easter approaching and some restrictions on working when guests are around, I’m not sure it’ll be that quick. It would be great if it’s done by July when my brother visits for a month. July and August have low tourism due to rain, so I don’t expect many bookings then. Despite not loving the noise of workers six days a week, two to four months is a short timeframe for construction, and they’re working quickly.

Once completed, at my rate of $70 a night, I’ll need 142 nights instead of 214 to recoup my investment. At a conservative estimate of 5 nights booked per month, I could make my money back in 28 months, which is a decent 40% annual return. With some plots sold, I hope buyers will stay while they oversee their own home constructions.

I’m ensuring both rooms are sealed to prevent critters from getting in. While less rustic, it’s much easier to keep clean and bug-free.

In animal news, there have been changes. A guest who stayed for a month found the goose annoying, always hissing and screaming. I noticed geese often go after other animals’ eggs. So, my boyfriend took them back to his ranch. While they looked lovely on the lake, they were angry and bitter animals.

The turkeys have had babies; hopefully, they grow well this time as the lady turkey really wants to be a mommy. The old chickens have been killed and frozen for future meals because I find it hard to eat them the same day I kill them. The chicks have grown into adult roosters and hens, but with three roosters fighting all the time, my boyfriend took two to his ranch. The remaining rooster sings loudly at odd hours, so I might get rid of it too, just keeping hens for eggs and replacing them as needed.

The ducks have been quiet and growing well. From a pair, we got six surviving ducklings, then ate the dad, and now they’re breeding again and have just laid their first eggs.

Losing the geese meant losing our natural property guards. One afternoon, we heard two men on the property claiming to hunt but found no game. They said they didn’t know it was private property, which seemed unlikely, so we reported them to a passing police patrol. By the next day, we knew who they were and warned their families that next time we’d file a formal complaint. It’s hard to believe they didn’t realize a fenced property with a house is private. While they didn’t take anything, their presence was unsettling.