The dream home that might never be
Let’s move in together
A huge milestone for any couple. But for my girlfriend and I, it was also a logical step. We lived around 40 minutes away from each other, and since we were both working from home, we took 3 or 4 day-turns staying at each other’s place. We are both very much the home-body type and enjoy spending time together, so it was far from being an inconvenience.
After some time though we started getting tired of living on the go off of a duffel bag. Tired of having to plan the week’s logistics in advance according to each other’s itinerary and commitments. Wary of not having a space to really call our own. Having a resident toothbrush just wasn’t cutting it anymore. So when the idea of renting a place together presented itself, we both had the same “this makes a lot of sense” reaction.
Now, for the tricky part. Picking the place.
Our dream home
We live in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a massive city that accommodates a wide variety of lifestyles and cultures. It’s the kind of place where you can find anything if you’re patient enough and know where to look.
Our wants and needs were pretty straightforward. I work in finance from home due to the (neverending) lockdown, so I needed a place that had an office or working space and that was not too far from my actual office in case the day came where I had to go back. Part of my girlfriend’s enterprise is making home cooking videos, so the place needed to have a large kitchen with good lighting.
As far as wants go, I have quite the “spartan” taste. It’s another way to say I have no taste at all. That’s why I suck at picking and negotiating. I always let anxiety get the best of me and end up being too hasty. If it seems fine, I’ll take it and move on. This is where my girlfriend is the perfect complement. Apart from having impeccable taste, she is a bloodhound when it comes to researching, putting in the work and negotiating the best price.
Our dream home appeared after only a couple of weeks. A large single-bedroom duplex in a very comfy neighborhood we were both familiar with. The owner was a film director who was moving to another country. It came fully equipped: furniture, kitchen appliances, projector (the cinephile in me teared up in delight), you name it. It had an ideal office space that fit us both and a sprawling dream kitchen on the top floor that opened up to a wide terrace complete with a table for 10 and a barbecue.
This is the space we wanted to call our own. This is where we wanted to live. Together.
“The second rule of business”
Contract signed, downpayment deposited. We were moving in together on July 1st This was really happening, and we were beyond excited to embark on this new adventure. But the universe had other plans.
Two weeks out from moving in, my girlfriend gets a call from the realtor. The owner’s plans had changed, she was no longer moving abroad. However, she still wanted to move out from her place, since she wanted to start a family and needed something more suited. They asked us if we could give them till the end of the year to figure it out. End of the year? Figure it out? Are you kidding me?
There was not even time to panic. So we sat down and talked it out. We came to the conclusion that we were going to move in together on July 1st, and it didn’t matter where. We felt if we didn’t do this now, life would start getting in the way and the dream of having our space would remain elusive. We called the realtor and told him we would give the owner three months, after which she would have to return the downpayment doubled, as per the terms of the contract. They agreed.
And now?
Now we needed to find a new dream temporal home for the next three months. In an economically unstable Argentina, finding an owner willing to enter a short-term contract is much easier said than done.
Turns out to my charming blonde partner in crime’s mad skillz, this was child’s play.
It took her only four (four!) days to find a new place with a temporary contract: an apartment only a few blocks from the duplex with two large bedrooms, a fully equipped and ample kitchen, and a stunning view with gorgeous natural light from all sides, a rare commodity in a concrete jungle like Buenos Aires.
Nesting
We moved into our temporary new home on July 14th — a minor delay, considering the circumstances. The space was lovely, but it didn’t feel like we lived there. The furniture was a bit old and unkempt and uncomfortably arranged. It needed something. It needed a bit of us, our spirit, our personality. It was the first time living with a couple for both of us and we wanted it to be perfect.
Conveniently, my girlfriend had a ton of furniture from her old apartment. So we got to work. We asked the owner if he could take away some of the old furniture and thankfully he agreed. A plush sofa here, a more colorful dining table there, a massive concrete table to work as a double office desk in the spare room, a large flat screen in the living room, coffee table books, framed photos, flowers, candles, a couple of crystal skulls, move a couple of things around, sprinkle some bling and love into the mix and bam! We were home.
The little things
It’s been a month since we moved in and we couldn’t be happier. We found and molded a space into a part of us. Where we can work, eat, sleep, make love and be home-bodies together. A space we can be proud of, where we enjoy having friends and family over to feast on mind-blowing vegan cuisine.
In a time when we have been forced to stay inside, it has never been more important to have a space that is our own and reflects who we are. Mind you, it doesn’t need to be such a complicated and stressful process like the story I just told you. Claiming a space can be as simple as finding a small detail that makes you feel at home. It can be a view, a window, a smell, a piece of furniture, a gadget, a bobblehead, a framed photo, a pet or a person. Something you can always come back to after a long day. Something that gives you peace. I urge you to identify it and hold it close.
My girlfriend and I are so happy with our new space that we are starting to doubt whether or not we want to move out at the end of the three-month contract. As luck would have it, the owner quickly grew very fond of us and already asked us if we were considering a long-term agreement. It’s funny how things work out sometimes.
