welcome to our home (part 1)

That's our building in front of the clubhouse!

The long weekend has been such a fun one mainly because we already got to see our new pad! Well, we've already seen similar units for turnover, but it's different if it's your own unit you're asked to inspect.

Saturday morning was our schedule for our condo's orientation, where we were acquainted with a handful of other unit owners and were given a run-down of rules, privileges and everything else that comes with being a unit owner. Francis and I were very much interested on the part about home improvement, because we definitely have to hire pros that will construct partitions for our now bare pad. We plan to copy the layout of the model unit for our 40-sqm nest, which we plan to decorate in a Baguio-meets-zen style.

We were presented with two options: either we go for the in-house contractor or another contractor referred by our agent. We really didn't like both so we opted to meet with Francis' high school friend who is a licensed architect. We sat down with him yesterday and laid out all our cards--the look we want, our budget, etc. So now we're just waiting for his proposed plan and see what we can do from there.

With the limited budget that we have for now (we're praying that we get enough provisions for more improvements real soon), I'm strapping myself up for sacrifices. I bet I'd have to choose between one thing over another, and just that thought is really keeping me on the edge of my seat. Of course, if we had all the money in the world to spare right at this moment, we'd go all out. But we'll take our architect friend's advice: never rush. It's just that my head is so full of so many plans that it might break my heart a little if we can't have everything in one go. Still, I'll be patient. I know that if we want our house magazine-worthy (and our pockets not left empty), we shouldn't hurry things.

So there. But there's another issue: I think Francis is confident enough with my taste that he actually wants me to play the ID for our place, since, he said, I already know exactly what I want. That, and we're hiring an architect anyway, so he said designing the pad shouldn't be a problem. Now that I'm mulling over the idea, I think I may be able to do it, considering the style we're going for isn't really something complicated. I mean, how complex can zen be? Plus, I am such a Baguio lover that I think (think is the operative word here) I know what Baguio elements should be incorporated. Still, I am nervous about it. Maybe I can ask a friend from RL to help me out? Let's see.

Anyway, here are some photos of our place. If everything goes smoothly as planned (we're praying everything will!), the new year will find us in our new nest!

The small playground and the pool. Hello, night swimming!

The unveiling of the windows, haha! Francis and a technical personnel inspecting the kitchen sink. Now the kitchen needs a lot of improvement, and I'm so excited about it!

The hideous pipes that need to be cleverly concealed,
and the bathroom sink that will be made over in the future

It may not be our top priority now, but in the near future,
we'll have to re-tile the bathroom. In the meantime,
we'll repaint the walls to a warmer color to set the mood.

My husband looking excited and
nervous at the same time, hahaha!

Oh my, oh my, oh my! Adult life can really be exciting! Thank You for this big blessing, Lord!