House Tour

We all went on a house tour last week and visited three very different houses here in Merida: one in the process of renovation, one completely renovated, and one in its original state.  As you look at the outside of most houses, you will not  be very impressed.  It's only when you open the door and enter that you find a lovely home and most often a garden area and often a pool.

Entry to the Unfinished House

Completed Bathroom

Beautiful Pool

Partially Finished Kitchen

The owner purchased this house two years ago and has been working on it since.  He lives in Minnesota, is an architect, and comes to Merida one month each year to plan the next renovation on the house.  You can see his priorities:  the pool is complete and at the back of the house (the part in the picture with the pool) the bathroom is complete.  We asked if he had a projected completion date, and he said no, he didn't want to set a time limit and then be disappointed!  Smart man; this is Mexico.

The second house appeared in the New York Times last August.  Unbelievable what this young couple have done to this house.  They are both travel writers who live here about half the year. When you see this house from the exterior, it does not make much of an impression.  But wait until you walk through the front! They purchased the house for $85,000 and spent $150,000 on the remodeling. Pictures don't show the top floor. This house would probably be worth a minimum of a half million dollars in Austin. 

The exterior of the house is painted orange and very unassuming.

Walking through the dining room and kitchen

Master bedroom

View from a second bedroom

Master Bath

The original family lives in the third house we visited.  As you enter there is a picture of a 15-year-old girl on her quincenera.  The second picture is that same young lady today.

Same woman at age 15 & ????

This house was very old-fashioned in both style and furnishings; the woman must have been collecting nick-nacks for 80+ years.  The house is full of stuff!