THE RENTAL MARKET

Perhaps it all depends on where you are looking, but there are few rentals in Pedasi. Somehow, serendipity entered my life once more, and via my newest network of contacts in the Pedasi area, I reconnected with someone we met while on holiday there and found his house had not sold, and that he was interested in renting it out if necessary. Well, guess who is seeking a 2-bedroom place for the coming 6 months plus while their home is being built! We have negotiated a rental amount for the furnished accommodations and agreements are in process....sometimes it amazes me how networking really can work.

Suggestions:
1. Best to try the network route when seeking rentals.
2. Aim for the bigger towns, even if there will be a drive to your new site.
3. Negotiate the price and length of lease (I sense there is power in time here).
4. Be prepared for a very different lifestyle! Remember if this is temporary (even one year), you can manage with no A/C, a smaller TV, less overall space, less "things" around you, etc.

We will have all the furniture that we move in storage while building is going on...at a monthly cost of around $150.00 (CAN). It will seem like new stuff when I finally see it again! The approximate cost of a full container will be $1150.00 (CAN) plus insurance at 3% on value. Not cheap, so we are weighing the costs versus purchasing all new when we actually move into our house. Likely, we will move some furniture and give away / sell other stuff. I have found in the past, that no-one wants to pay much for used furniture!

We are exploring an option that we only recently considered...of purchasing a small condo locally, and storing our winter clothes, non-movable furniture, and winter clothes there. We would have a place to return to when visiting, and it can also be looked on as an investment. More on this later when we do the calculations and determine whether this is a worthwhile action! We will end up with some "stuff" in storage anyway unless we do this. Can't take winter coats and boots to a place that averages 75 degrees F year-round!!!