On the Move
kimnjed
October 27, 2014
I started packing today. We’re moving! YIPPEEE!
(That yippee wasn’t intended for the move itself, but more for the end product of where we’re moving to)
On Saturday we are moving to a new home here in Zhytomyr. It all happened really fast, hence me just starting to pack today. Yikes.
When we moved here almost a year ago we moved into a home that suited us really well for this first year in Ukraine. Our current home is super close to Mission to Ukraine, it has plenty of space for guests, it was in our budget, and it has been fine for the past several months. But, we have known all along this wouldn’t be our place to settle down in. It was a stop along the way. π
We decided to start looking for something that had a yard. Oh how we have missed having a yard and a garden!! Our current home has no land or yard at all. Any and all of the land outside our door belongs to the neighbors and is a constant construction zone. We also wanted some place that could be more easily wheelchair accessible. If possible, we really wanted a house, not an apartment.
Last week we looked at two houses and the second one seemed just perfect! So, we’ll move in on Saturday!
Pros:
-It is a one-level house. I LOVE one-level houses.
-It’s really well built and nicely insulated. Ukraine is supposed to have a crazy winter on the way, so this is very good.
-MORE COUNTER SPACE!
-It has a living room! Our current home has a big dining/kitchen area, but no living room. We’ve missed having a couch. π
-It’s cozy and compact. I don’t like a lot of house to clean.
-Here’s the kicker: It has an ENORMOUS space for a garden. I mean HUGE! We thought we would have to move out to the village to get land like this, and we were willing to, but finding it in town is even better! There is a big front yard/driveway and then in the back there is garden space that just goes on and on. We are happy, happy, happy.
-We’ll be about 3 blocks from a small bazaar, which is super convenient for shopping.
Cons:
-We don’t know anyone in the part of town we’re moving to. We don’t know the shops or any neighbors…starting from scratch in that way is kind of intimidating.
-The new place quite a bit further from Mission to Ukraine. No more 3 minute walks to MTU- now it’s a bus ride away. Boohoooooo
-It’s a two bedroom house, so there’s no guest room. But don’t worry, friends! The couch turns in to a bed. We’ll still have room for you!
We’re happy and thankful to have found a cozy place that looks like it can be a real home. We’ll make sure to post pictures when we’re moved in!
Now, back to packing. Yayyyyy…..sorta.
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I can’t wait to see pictures! And I’m glad to see you’ll still welcome guests. π
Yes yes pictures please π Do pray for us too – as we are also looking at moving!
So happy for you all! I’m sure the kids are going to love having a yard. We looking forward to seeing some pictures of the new place.
Wishing I was there to help you move and clean. ..weird I know, but it’s my thing. Love you!
The garden sounds amazing! Do your kids have to change schools?
I live in an area (in North America) where detached houses are the norm (though new construction consists mostly of townhouses). I realize that European cities tend to be pretty compact.
I am just curious what your arrangements for the kids would be like in the new house. Of course in North America we tend to try to have the kids have their own rooms, but if that can’t happen, we plan for single gendered rooms. I’m sorry I’m rambling, but I guess what I’m getting at is that I was hoping you could explain the norms for your area.
Perhaps, how many kids do locals have? Is it normal for each child to have their own room? Are 2 bedroom apartments/houses common? I’d imagine having two kids is average there, so what if they have one of each gender? Also, do both parents work? What do they do for childcare? I would find a “Ukrainian Living” post extremely insightful.
(I do not believe that a child’s gender should determine who they are rooming with in cases of siblings)
Congrats on the new home!
Seems I missed picking this up. So, how is your new home feeling? Hope it is working out as planned.
Love you guys. How about some pics of the homested?