A Cozy Abode in Guatemala: Weeks 22-23 Journey

A Cozy Abode in Guatemala: Weeks 22-23 Journey

Good morning! Here’s an update for Tuesday, following my hosting of the Carnival of Personal Finance yesterday. I hope everyone had a great weekend.

So, imagine starting the busiest week of the year—the Easter week, with a ton of planned visits and the final push on some projects—with a broken fridge! It isn’t exactly a surprise since the old fridge was at least 10 years old, left behind by the previous owner. We had anticipated needing a new fridge eventually, but not this soon, especially after buying a second car and a boat.

Faced with the options of buying another old fridge for $120, getting ours repaired for $80, or purchasing a new one, I decided on a new $750 fridge. It seemed like the most practical choice, even if it meant my boyfriend would stop calling me cheap for at least a couple of days. He wanted one with an ice dispenser, but those models started at $1250. I couldn’t justify spending an extra $500 just to avoid making ice ourselves. So, I settled on a fridge that includes handy little ice trays that you can manually fill—a good compromise to make my boyfriend’s life easier.

I bought the fridge at a supermarket recently acquired by Walmart. The manager assured me they could deliver it using their minivan that also transports customers who spend over $40. However, she underestimated the size of the fridge. It arrived at our house half-hanging from the minivan’s sliding door, but luckily, it was intact and working perfectly by the time our guests arrived.

The rest of Easter week was spent swimming in the lake and sailing our new boat with friends. Thursday and Friday were bank holidays—no workers, just a relaxing time. The following week, the workers returned to give our boat an impressive makeover. They transformed the old aluminum shell with wooden seats, compartments, and floors. These guys are multi-talented; they can pour concrete one day and refurbish a boat the next. They make sure nothing goes to waste and everything gets repurposed.

After Easter, it was back to work. Our architect provided the finalized level maps for our 90-acre land, so we started developing the back portion into small, affordable plots. The northern part is already accessible via the town’s street network to the east. Conveniently, the town is fixing up the streets, providing electricity, and even asphalting the main road from the nearby village, enhancing the value of our plots.

Last week, we burned the weeds and grass after failing to find someone to graze cattle on the land, leaving it looking a bit bare. Currently, three workers with machetes are clearing the remaining weeds and marking out the plots. This area will eventually thrive again, especially when the rainy season arrives in a couple of months.

We’ve managed to transform a bare piece of land into a livable space with a lake view room in just four months for $12,000, including furniture and a roof terrace/kitchen. To show our commitment and reliability, we aren’t taking on any debt for this development, avoiding the fate of many bankrupt projects in the area.

To attract locals, we’re donating a football (soccer) field to the village, surrounded by 10 of the 60 planned plots. The area also includes remnants of an old Mayan ruin, which will serve as a recreational area we plan to preserve.

The plots are priced at $2,000 for 900 sqm (0.22 acres), a reasonable and affordable rate for locals, especially compared to village plots that sell for $4,000 to $8,000. We offer interest-free financing over a year, similar to the payment plan our handyman used for his $2,000 motorcycle.

Our higher-end development looks greener after the previous burning, and from the main road around the lake, the area is quite appealing. We’re drawing up plans for a paved road and entrance gate as the first steps for this section.

That’s what’s new with us. What about you?