I’m just amazed that Jon
and I are enjoying condo living this much. A year ago, we hadn’t even
considered it.
After living for six years
in a small, classic hacienda-style concrete block and stucco house with a yard
in a Mexican barrio (neighborhood) of Sayulita, we decided to move to a condo in Puerto Vallarta for multiple reasons. Life in a rustic casita surrounded by friendly locals
was a great experience and we’re glad for that period of our adventures. But, what a pleasant contrast our new home is!
The Tiny Kitchen in Our Sayulita Casita
There are some things we’ve
missed and some things we grew weary of. Moving to a condo in the “big city” of Puerto Vallarta was a refreshing change. We feel like we’re living “high on the hog” for much
less than the same lifestyle would cost in the United States—we estimate about
half. Living a somewhat bohemian lifestyle in Sayulita gave us a new
appreciation for some of the luxuries we had given up. Wait until you see the kitchen in our condo unit!
While some people choose
to rent a home when they move to México, we believe purchasing a home is a good
investment. Besides that, we don’t have to worry about a landlord evicting us
or raising the rent unexpectedly. Owning our condo unit in Puerto Vallarta
gives us that sense of security. And there are so many more advantages of condo
living.
1. Our New Neighborhood is Very
Walkable
Puerto Vallarta Old Town Walking Map
Sidewalks, handicap accessible ramps, a funicular for the
steep hill down to the beach, and a beautiful Malecón to walk along the ocean for 1.3 miles from
Playa Los Muertos to the north end, make Old Town a senior-friendly area. We
often walk three to five miles a day which helps keep us healthy. I’m excited
about getting our urban walking sticks to begin Nordic Walking along the ocean.
2. We Love Having a
Dishwasher
Our Condo Dishwasher is an Appreciated Luxury
After living a minimalistic life in Sayulita and while traveling
in a small RV, hand-washing dishes every day for years, I became skeptical that
a dishwasher uses more water. So, I Googled it. Our GE Profile dishwasher in
our condo uses 3.5 gallons of water per load. I’m pretty sure I used more than
that to hand-wash and rinse the same number of dishes. According to its Energy
Star rating, it uses 249 kWh/year, costing us only 750 pesos or about $37 USD per
year in electricity! I don’t have to feel guilty about this
extravagance any longer.
3. Great Water Pressure
In our casita, water pressure was limited to the
gravity-fed stream coming from the tinaco (water-storage tank) on the second-story
roof. The first thing that comes to mind is the difference this makes when
taking showers. You might think that a low-flow, wimpy shower saved water, but
I think I stood in the shower longer to wash and rinse myself, especially when
I washed my thick hair. Better water pressure means a shorter, more satisfying
shower. Yes, we’re already spoiled by the consistent steady flow in our condo
showers.
Higher water pressure also makes using a
washing machine and dishwasher possible. We didn’t have either appliance in our
casita as filling them with water would take too much time and
electricity (water was pumped up about three stories from the underground cistern
to fill the three tinacos which requires electricity). The lavandería
in Sayulita used garden hoses to speed the process of filling their washing machines.
What a cumbersome process!
4.
The Luxury of Having a Laundry Room
I used to boast that one of my favorite
things about living in México was having our laundry done for us. We would take
our dirty laundry to the lavandería once a week and then pick it up
clean, dry, and neatly folded. That was half the reason we had a golf cart. After
years of that, we’re happy to do our own laundry. Plus, we were able to sell
the golf cart and invest the money in our new condo.
5.
Propane On-Demand, Hot Water All the Time
SoniGass Propane Tanks are HEAVY and Awkward
No more heavy, cumbersome propane tanks to buy, haul into the yard, and connect
to the house gas line the way we did in Sayulita. Jon doesn’t have to run out
into the street and flag down the SoniGas truck when he hears their distinctive
recording or the neighbors’ dogs howling along to the tune. No running out of
hot water halfway through a shower—Murphy’s Law ensures this would always
happen when I had shampoo in my hair. No trouble browning quesadillas on the
range because the propane ran out and the flame died. No worries about leaking
propane lines for Jon to repair and replace.
Where we live now, propane is provided by the
condominium so we never run out. It’s another service we pay for with our HOA
dues, a convenience we can now appreciate.
6.
Quieter, Especially at Night
These are benefits I appreciate, even more than Jon
does as I have an acute sense of hearing:
No roosters crowing and dogs barking at all hours
of the day and night or the sound of festivals running late into the night and
early morning as was normal in the barrio.
No need for me to use earplugs every night. The condominium’s
insulation and high-quality windows and exterior doors block sounds making it
relatively quiet. The condominium we chose is far enough from nightclubs that we
don’t hear the bone-rattling racket of late-night partying.
If guests become too rowdy after 11:00 PM when quiet
hours start, we can call the front desk to have Security take care of the
problem.
7.
Indoor Temperature is More Comfortable Year-Round
Our Cozy Condo Bedrooms Need No Heater in the Winter
Well-insulated ceilings, floors, and walls moderate
temperature fluctuations inside our condo. Exterior windows have thermopanes
with good seals that minimize air leakage.
In the winter, I don’t need a space heater in the
bedroom and three blankets covering me at night to be comfortable
the way I did in the casita. This helps keep our electricity bill down—it
has been even lower than our bill for our small casita which had about
half the square footage, no washing machine, dishwasher, or garbage disposal. Even in San Miguel de Allende where we rented a two-bedroom home for two summer months, we had to run the heaters all night to stay warm at night. We don't tolerate the cold any longer now that we've acclimated to this beautiful tropical weather.
We live in our condo full-time, so summer comfort
is important. When the weather turns hot and humid, we run the air conditioners
most of the day. Both the condo and our casita have three mini-split air
conditioners, but we were sure that our larger home would be more expensive to cool
in August and September. We were wrong! Our electric bills have been consistently
lower since we moved into our two-bedroom, two-bath condo in July. Our energy-efficient
Dual Inverter A/Cs help lower electricity use, but the real difference is
better insulation in this home.
8. Few Mosquitoes and No Scorpions! (Continued HERE in Part 2)
