Parrot on a PorchA Journey Toward the Little Mansion Dream

The Little Mansion I’ve been blogging about will very soon open its doors for us. We’re still fixing the necessary loan documentation (actually, the most grueling part in acquiring a home) but we’re now given the go signal to carry on with the much awaited Big Move! Woohoo! So that also explains why I rarely can be caught online these days. Aside from the fact that Yayie hasn’t returned from her vacation yet, the husband (who is on a one week work leave) and I are multi tasking, trying to accomplish all these things while attending to a robust toddler. Albeit stressful, the husband’s loving it though because, as he puts it, the physical activities actually makes a great exercise for him and can even be considered the best ab workout, he says. On the other hand, I really can’t wait for Yayie to get back so everything will be less exhausting and we can transfer smoothly.

One of the things I am excited about in our new home is the new air conditioner that will be installed in our bedroom. The heat and humidity are really too much to bear these days that it will make you want to stay in a cooled room all day long. However, you can’t do that unless you’re game to be surprised on how much your electric bill will balloon up to. Speaking of electric bills and consumption, I’m glad to have kept in mind these tips when we shopped for our aircon. Unmindful of the brand, we got the perfect aircon at the best deal. Perfect meaning great features and the most important of all, has a high Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) as tested and certified by an energy auditing firm. We can have peace of mind using it for extended hours without having to worry about our electric bill.

April is slowly winding up. It’s already the 21st of the month and before we know it, it’ll be May soon. This thought actually tingles me. Somebody close to my and my son’s heart will celebrate his birthday and aside from that, it’s also the tentative month we’re anticipating LM’s full completion and hopefully, the big move. I do not have the latest updates yet regarding the ongoing state or progress because we weren’t able to check on it last weekend. Hopefully, this weekend, we’ll get to see as well as have a new word from the developer on the next steps.

We’re set to check out our favorite furniture shop nearby. That’s where we bought the bed frame, closets and a few furniture we’re currently using. We have already canvassed last year the ideal sofa and dining table sets that we would like to have but we’ll also check for they might got new models or better designs that would suit the house. We’ll also go through the ongoing rates and check if there’s a need for the husband to apply for a cash advance should additional funding will be needed. If ever we’ll find one that we like, we’ll just probably reserve it or if not, we’ll just hope that it won’t get sold so soon. We can’t buy yet since we don’t have an ample storage space for furniture at the moment.

God-willing, LM will be 100% done by the end of the month. Then hopefully, we’ll do the big move within the month of May. As the most awaited moment comes to reality, I can’t help but get a bit emotional as I browse my The Little Mansion Project gallery in my Flickr account. From there, I see how our biggest project so far inch by inch evolved with all the pictures I’ve taken every time we did a site visit. It’s really satisfying and overwhelming..and it makes me more excited each time we see additions and development week by week. I’m also happy that I have this blog to document our journey towards that Little Mansion dream. My blog entries truly chronicle and preserve the special memories that LM brings about. From the time we initiated the plan, made baby steps, to doing ocular inspections of the prospects, monthly site visits, witnessing how they do the roofing and floor tiling, buying household stuffs…of how this little nook transformed from a vacant, plain lot to now a habitual, lovely and homey abode.

The experience and the journey has truly been amazing. And I’m all pumped up to experience more.

Last Friday, we dropped by Little Mansion to check how everything is going. The house isn’t 100% done yet but from the looks of it, they’re already on the finishing stages. I’ll detail later on the recent development and additions.

Remember my post about our Ideal Cabinet System? Well, we are not having exactly the same design but it’s close enough, somehow. I like how ours turned out actually. This is just the initial frame and there are some more additions to be made on both sides.

What’s important is that we have ample storage spaces for all our stuffs and other trinkets…and mess. That’s one thing that my older sister reminded me before. Make sure to allot storage areas especially that we have a kid and also to anticipate family additions in the future. No, there are no birth announcements soon from us. But we just deem it necessary to also think of the future especially that it will be our home for the next decades and perhaps, for life. Glad we didn’t pursue with the original bedroom layout plans. Otherwise, we would not have this huge space for the customized cabinet that we requested.

Last Holy Week, we took advantage of the work break and we did a general cleaning of our bedroom. We also took the chance to unearth the stashed home appliances and kitchen stuffs that were gifted to us on our wedding a few years ago. We dusted and checked each one of them, take note of the models/specs and see if they were able to withstand the long storage time. We also made a list of the stuffs that we already have as well as created a shopping list for things that we don’t have. The school break is a perfect timing because my MIL permitted us to use the Kinder 2 room to serve as our storage room for Little Mansion stuffs before the big move. Here’s a picture of the husband checking out a rice cooker.

We were also able to buy two major appliances last weekend and as a good online friend coins them, they are Little Mansion’s Easter gifts. We’re really grateful for bonuses and payday loans, they’re indeed a big help in this time that we’re sprucing up the 90% done Little Mansion. (We’re yet to drop by this afternoon at Batasan and check the progress of the house). This is a crucial time for our savings, our credit cards, my paypal, our wallets. Luckily, we’ve been steadily blessed in the past few months so the expenses are not yet wallet draining so far. We do not have monthly amortizations to pay at the moment so it’s still pretty bearable. Speaking of amortizations, that’s what I’ll be busy about this coming week. I’ll be occupied collating loan documents and praying fervently that it’ll get processed and approved the soonest.

This weekend, we’re bound to buy another major item in the Appliance Store. Hopefully, we can get a good deal again just like our aircon and TV purchases last week. It may be hurting our wallets big time but shopping for LM stuffs is actually one of the most exciting parts.

I’m feeling kinda nostalgic and emotional right now. I just went over my very first entries in this nook of mine and it dawned on me that it’ll be exactly one year soon since we embarked on this Little Mansion project last April 15, 2009. We didn’t have concrete plans to start with nor that huge amount to place a 30% downpayment for a usual house and lot cost in the city. We didn’t know any real estate agent. We hoped that we could search easily for Edinburgh Estate Agent the way they do in Edinburgh. All we had then were just determination and faith. Looking back at how we took off, it wasn’t easy. Heated debates, immense brain storming, tried to objectively weigh pros and cons, sweat and tears…it really was like that. One year after, I can’t help but be somehow be proud of what we have accomplished so far. We aren’t at the peak yet but it won’t be long anymore until we reach that. As our dear Little Mansion is unfolding right before our very eyes, as early as now, as I can say that it’s worth every tear, every sacrifice and every challenge that we went through. It wasn’t indeed an easy ride but our ammunition of determination and faith is what keeping us through. We endured a lot and waited for so long but truly, good things come to those who wait.

And now that dear LM is just an arm reach away, I’m still packing enough energy, determination and increasing more faith as I know that it’ll be another beginning, an entirely new life to brave. New challenges, adjustments and more tests will arise to summon us. That’s why in every way I can, I’m trying to get myself prepared like learning how to effective keep and manage our little home sweet home. Housekeeping is not an easy task. But with helpful resources like our parents and the internet, I know we’ll be guided accordingly. I just wish though that we have a local directory that functions like TouchLocal.com in Edinburgh. It’s an online business directory that features local businesses and service providers in Edinburgh. So let’s say one household needs the services of an Edinburgh Electrician, he just has to go over the listing of all published electricians within that area. Isn’t that service great?

Since the Little Mansion will be finished any time soon, we’re now starting to get on the nitty gritty part of acquiring it (a.k.a. loan application). To recap, we tried to apply it last year initially with the loan purpose “Purchase of lot and construction of house” but we were told that it could not be since the construction permits were all named already to our developer. So that means, we need to have the house construction gets finished first before we can proceed to apply with a loan purpose of “Purchase of House and Lot”.

The husband took a leave from work yesterday so we can attend the Pag-ibig Housing Loan Counseling at Justine Building in Makati which is a requirement when applying for a home loan. We have attended already last August but the seminar has a validity of just 6 months meaning the loan application should be submitted within that time frame. So since we’re yet to submit ours, we have to attend it again. The counseling is just actually a 2-hour orientation where everything an applicant needs to know is discussed. An audio visual presentation will be shown highlighting the eligibility requirements, the loan application procedure and steps. It was also discussed briefly how an approved loan amount is determined from four factors. The amortization components were also explained so topics about home insurance quote, interest rates, the two types of insurance fees included and the upgraded monthly member contribution fee if applicable were mentioned in passing.

It was our second time to attend but we still listened attentively because there are new provisions and changes in the loan program. From 2 million pesos, the maximum loanable amount that Pag-ibig can grant now to a member is 3M plus the interest rate tier was also adjusted. Interest rates have been lowered.

Our approved MSVS (Membership Status Verification Slip) which is the seminar attendance proof will be released after 10 working days. The husband’s Certificate of Employment request is now being facilitated and will be available hopefully by next week. Until then that we can forward all the required documents to our developer for their submission of our loan application to Pag-ibig. We’ll then hope and pray for the best.

By the way, if you’ve stumbled upon my blog from google and should you be attending the Housing Loan Counseling, take note of the following reminders:
1. Be sure to bring a photocopy of your ID for the registration process.
2. Take note of the counseling schedule and please be considerate to arrive on time. Ours should have started at 10 AM but we began 30 minutes later to give way to the influx of latecomers.

Just played with the little one which constitutes my break time too from the puter so here I am, perked up a bit.

Anyway, ready to see how the Little Mansion looks like now?

Woohoo! Almost..almost..done, huh? With the rate of the construction progress, in less than two weeks, perhaps, Little Mansion’s fully accomplished.

1. First coating of paint on the exteriors and interiors
2. All five doors upstairs and three doors on the ground floor were installed. No paint yet.
3. Floor tiling on the ground floor: living room, dining area and kitchen all done.
4. Ongoing installation: kitchen counter, wall tiling and sink installation
5. The T&B upstairs almost done. Toilet bowl installed. Just awaiting for the shower and the sink.
6. Ceiling linings (or whatchamacallit) done too.

We’ve also talked to our “Ninong” Contractor/Developer last Saturday and  he said that we can start processing the loan application since it’s almost finished.  Perhaps, by the time PAG-IBIG does the ocular, Little Mansion’s all made up and 100% done.  So since the validity of the Loan Counselling we’ve attended last year has expired (6 months), we’re set to attend again this coming Friday.  We’re now also preparing the updated pertinent documents so we can submit the loan application package the soonest.  Then we just have to wait and pray for the best.

Depending how lax our schedule will be this weekend, the fun part of shopping stuffs for the Little Mansion will soon embark. We’re taking the plunge..woot! We’ll be doing it one at a time, though. But who knows depending on the progress we’ll witness in our weekend Little Mansion visit (progress of the construction), we might purchase two or even more. Thank God for the husband’s just received bonus and the extra paypal moolah I set aside, we have a budget for the following:

- a 1 HP window type air-conditioner (it’s still under debate whether to get the manual or the remote type)
- an 8 to 10 CF two door no frost fridge
- a twin tub washing machine with just a meager capacity

We have some other stuffs next in line but it’s just funny because the husband keeps on including his body fat burner equipment. He says, the gym is one of the first rooms he wants to spruce up. He’s really that determined to tone those muscles and remove those unpleasant tummy bulges, that’s why. Well, he’s the boss. The master’s boss is my command.