I’m in the process of moving to a long-term rental this weekend – a three bedroom, two bath house with a carport that’s a couple of miles further out from downtown Boquete and about three blocks from the highway. It’s in a nice little neighborhood called Jardines de Boquete (Boquete Gardens) – just a couple of streets with cute little houses. It seems safe and well-kept.
I think I got a bargain – it’s just $105 more a month than I’m paying for my current two-bed, one-bath, second-floor apartment, and most importantly, it has NO STAIRS! Tim and Bill helped me move – I had them schlep all the boxes down the stairs and into the house, and paid them by buying them lunch.
My initial rental agreement is for three months, just to make sure I like it (which I’m sure I will!), then I’ll sign a one-year lease. The landlord (Don) is Canadian, and will be in Edmonton for at least the next year or more. We’ve e-mailed back and forth several times, and I spoke to him on the phone today. I think we’ll get along just fine!
Front of the house. The driveway is paved with ceramic tiles. Pretty, but slick when it’s wet outside, which is most of the time during the current rainy season!
The living room is furnished with comfy leather furniture – a sofa, loveseat, and recliner. All those pieces made the living room pretty crowded, so I moved the loveseat to the dining room. Much better!
Living room, after rearranging the furniture.
Dining room. The floor-to-ceiling mirrors on the back wall are a little startling sometimes, but covering part of it with the loveseat helps a bit!
The kitchen is small, but serviceable. With the availability of a room off to the side where the HUGE refrigerator, chest freezer, storage shelves, and washer/dryer are located, it should be just fine.
The kitchen has lots of dishes, tools, and cookware available. There’s more counter space across from the sink.
Storage room with refrigerator, freezer, washer/dryer, and storage racks.
Two of the bedrooms have queen-size beds in them. The third bedroom had twin beds, but they were removed so I could use that room for my office. So excited to have a dedicated guest bedroom – I haven’t had that in any house I’ve ever lived in. So, friends, your room is ready – come on down for a visit!
The master bedroom has an ensuite bath with a shower that has a big rainfall shower head. There’s another bath with shower in the hall, across from the guest bedroom.
Master bedroom, with windows overlooking the back yard and the neighbor’s house.
Beginnings of my office. Computer will go on the desk, clay table on the back wall, and jewelry assembly on the left side.
I was so happy to find some storage drawer units very similar to what I had in Oklahoma, to store my clay. I had to go to the DoIt Center (like Home Depot) in David to find them. They were a little more expensive than the ones I originally bought, but it was well worth a few extra dollars not to have to pay shipping!
The yard is covered with gravel – no grass at all, so it’s low-maintenance. The landlord pays a lady to tend the trees, plants, and flowers. There’s an avocado tree and lemon tree in the back yard, and a mandarin orange tree, hibiscus flowers, and lovely shrubs in the front yard. I think the trees are fairly young – Don said the avocado tree produced exactly ONE avocado last year. Hopefully, there will be more this year!
Gravel-coated back yard with avocado and lemon trees.
AWESOME!
It looks beautiful!
Cute house!! Looks like it’s been very well maintained.
Impressive!
Yaaay! Way to go Myra! Looks so comfy! Looks to be an enjoyable place to live! Enjoy!
Love all the windows, Myra! Looks as though you’ll be very comfortable there!
Perfect for you! I like the tile driveway, but be xtra careful of slips. Maybe experiment with different soles to see what gives you the best traction.