On the incoming side there has been a small yearly step for me doing my job right. With my current employer bonusses simply don’t excist. A small downside for being with a semi-public company. Anyway, the step represents a 3% raise so that’s awesome anyway since I’m not planning on spending 3% more annually.
So, while staring away and feeling like there’s not so much to do about it at this point in my life (while my job tends to feel a little bit on the boring side yet I’m clueless as where to go from here), suddenly word came round one of my neighbours was planning on moving out. With him living in the smalles apartment in our block, that meant I could move in in his former place and suddenly save 5% annualy on the spending side! No, not just 5% on my rent, 5% annually referring to my income!! Thats 25% of my costs for renting!! Whoa!!
Despite this looking like a no-brainer, there where some issues to get clear in my head.
One. I’m moving from a 1st floor 60m² fairly spacey and light apartment to a 44 m² much less light attic (three stairs). The stairs are only a ‘problem’ as far as my drumming gear is concerned. With me not playing very much at the moment that’s fine with me. What the future beholds, we’ll see. There is storage space in a cellar in the building, so there are possibilities here. The square meters aren’t that much of my concern. There’s a attic in the attic where I can sleep so technically speaking I’m getting extra space to create a studio and move a round a bit more. Of course, the sleeping space is small (with a extra staircase) and, confirmed by the current resident, pretty hot in the summer. But I could use a fan (worked with him) and if it’s too extreme, I could sleep on my inflatable camping bed in the living area where windows can be opened and air can draft through. The light is a bit of an issue since I do like light. Since it’s an attic with small windows I think I need (need? Really?) to put in another roof window here. That would improve this space a lot. Yet, getting this done would cost me around 500 – 700 euro’s. There are some ways to get this done by the complex owner, yet this means my rent will increase and it’s not said that it’s a go. I could do it myself for less (marketplace, they go for 100 euro’s max and the work is pretty do-able if my neighbour is willing to help). That means a major improvement, a vast amount of labour to be done but hey, that’s earned back in one month of rent difference. Pretty sweet. Just got to get the complex owner convinced to do this on my own. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll take it anyway.
Two. There are some ‘wants’ here. The attic needs to be painted white again (it was white but slowly turning yellow). The sleeping attic in the attic is dark coloured and I really want them beams to be light so it doesn’t look that dark anymore. All of this will cost me somewhere around 400 euro’s and a lot of more labour. That means I would have to stay there for at least six months (which I’m planning too, anyway). There is a two week timeframe to get all of this done, I think that’s quite manageable with some help.
Three. I’m moving all my cr@p around again. Ok, there’s not that much crap I own anymore, but if you pile it all up it’s still a lot. Help needed on that part, too. I guess the sacrifice is dooable too.
Four. I’ve invested in my current place, too. I repainted the walls and floor, I put in some OSB style kitchen doors, I build a rolling wall/room divider/closet thing to create a much less heary bedroom inside my one-room place. Also, there where curtains needed (yes, needed, my neighbours can see everything without them and the street lights make it living daylight at night). I guess this all adds up to about 700 euro’s or something and most of the stuff isn’t re-useable. The kitchen doors maybe, but the new space is so much smaller I would like to stay with white there. The curtains most definitely not (no big windows), the rolling closet by far not (doesn’t fit) and the paint, well, that stays the walls and floor I guess. Actually, this wasn’t that much of a deal for me. That was last years budget anyway and I guess, what’s done is done. There’s no way I could get these funds back anyway and I really didn’t take these in with any equation.
Five. Flooring. The attic only has a underfloor. The apartment below me does have a ceiling and isolation, yet the guy living their can be noisy sometimes (so I’m told) and has a dog. It’s not that big of an issue (so I’m told, also) but it’s worth taking this in account because this could result me putting floor isolation and a wooden floor in. That would set me back another 500 euro’s i think, which would mean all of this adds up. Am I willing to do it anyway? Yes. I’ve been living in this complex with these people for fourteen months now and it’s fine by me to stay here for a lot longer if it’s up to me. On the long term me and my significant other might want to enjoy each others company permanently somewhere, but there are no plans for now and we both are happy to have a place of our own for now anyway. It’s not even sure I need a top floor anyway, so for me, this is acceptable.
So, all combined…
One. All good, just need the complex owner convinced.
Two. Manageable.
Three. Dooable.
Four. Not much of a deal anyway.
Five. Acceptable.
I guess it’s a go then! So yep, the decision is made. I’m moving. Again!
Anyone any good in sanding and painting?
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