So, we’ve been back home from Europe for about a month now, and a lot has happened since then.

First off, we hosted our first Airbnb guests! In November, I had four bookings and made around $400. The first couple arrived just one day after we got back, and we were still getting things sorted with BF’s aunt visiting. They rented our new room, which had been closed for two months. We were worried about the room smelling like mold, the sheets being musty, and the fact that our water pump was broken, leaving us without running water!

Thankfully, everything turned out fine. The sun came out just long enough for me to clean the sheets and air out the room. BF worked all day on fixing the water pump, and our guests arrived at night, completely unaware of all the chaos.

We hosted three more groups after that, and one even found us through some shameless plugs on this very site, so expect to see more of those! I also added some pages to my land development website to describe the guest house, rates, and directions.

Hosting guests was fun but stressful, especially on the day we arrived. The rainy season, which was supposed to end in September but didn’t, made washing sheets and towels tricky. We definitely need to buy more linens. Despite the stress, our guests loved the property, which was great to see. When people enjoy your place and your efforts, it’s always rewarding. I’m glad they all left happy!

Now, our main concern is that with the heavy rains, the lake keeps rising and is now dangerously close to our deck. We might have to dismantle the deck to save it. Ours is the only deck still above water in the area, and it’s shocking how quickly the lake is rising. We’re eagerly awaiting the dry season, but it might keep raining for a few more weeks.

On the animal front, while we were away, we got 13 little ducks. Six are still around and they are adorable! Unfortunately, the other seven might have been eaten by what the villagers call “the animal,” a grossly large marsupial that looks like a rat with a long tail. We discovered it’s been visiting our kitchen too! I had a face-to-face encounter with it one night, and it’s truly disgusting. We’ve put poison out of reach of the chicks, but it hasn’t worked. It looks like we’ll need to trap it. BF has set up a trap in the shower, surrounded by empty glass bottles to alert us when it’s caught, and a rope to close the door and keep it inside until morning when the handyman can deal with it. So far, no luck.

But the big news is…
GET YOUR CHECKBOOKS READY!!!
We’re officially in business! Not just for renting out to tourists (another plug can’t hurt, right?), but also because we got our deeds approved for the land development!

We are beyond thrilled. Long story short, we thought after getting our plans approved by the cadaster, it would take 3-4 months for the property register to approve the plots and issue individual deeds. Instead, it took just two weeks! They’ve digitalized most of their process, unlike the cadaster.

This means our land development officially consists of 100 plots, each with an individual title that we can now sell!

Before this, we didn’t want to accept any money in case our project was denied and we’d have to return it. Plus, we can now ask for a higher price with full titles rather than without. In this area, lots of people sell land without a title for a lower price, but the registry mainly looks for land ownership, meaning you live on or cultivate the land without opposition. However, when you eventually want to get your deed in order, you might face problems. For example, our friends at the council have been selling plots they didn’t own, leaving people unable to get their deeds.

Now, the council has zero say in our land development. We tried negotiating with them—offering to donate our roads and land for a football field—but they were uncooperative and demanded heaps of pointless paperwork and expensive studies, hoping we would bribe them instead.

Remember that letter I had to type myself at the council? That’s the one we used to show national institutions that the council was on board. Right after signing it, the council demanded more studies, but the other authorities accepted just that letter to split our land.

What I’m most proud of is that we managed this without any bribes. The council must be furious, but that’s how we operate!

So, if you’re interested in owning a little piece of paradise with a proper title, get in touch with me! Prices start at $1.5 per square meter.