Just over a month ago, Kris and I moved out of the big old house and into a tiny studio flat in Petone, the suburb nearest the waterfront. The unit is one of two behind a house owned by the landlord; he's a funny Dutch guy who is very particular but very helpful. When we moved in the front unit was occupied, but they moved out within a week; Albert offered us the chance to switch while it was empty, and we agreed. For just a little bit extra, we have quite a bit more space and storage than the other side. With that said, it's still just one room with kitchen, lounge, and bedroom all in one. It's in a nice neighborhood, just a short walk to the beach and to all the cafes and shopping on Jackson Street. We are especially enjoying the fact that rent includes Sky TV and all utilities, so we can run the heat pump as often and as high as we want! We have had to store quite a bit of our things, as this place is fully furnished and doesn't have much wardrobe space, but it will be a temporary place for us (not more than 6 months). It also doesn't have a full stove and oven, just a hot plate and a borrowed countertop convection oven, which requires some creative planning with cooking.
All in all, we are loving this new neighborhood, and just being on our own again after more than a year of shared accommodations. Here are a few photos of the new place:
