Renovating
A Home In Morelia, Mexico
The
Krondorfer’s Experience ~ by Sandy Caputo
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and Werner Krondorfer could fit a beautiful people profile. Their 40-year-plus
marriage has seen them making their lives in Europe, the United States
and Mexico. They regularly travel to Chicago, Pittsburgh and Stuttgart
to keep-up with the hectic lives of their three grown sons, spouses and
four grandchildren. Return visits have them showing guests the special
sights and tastes of Mexico that convinced them to choose it for their
retirement.
They met and
married in their native Germany and each worked to earn the ability to
buy a home there and raise their family – Werner, as an electrical engineer;
Karin, as a teacher. Eventually, Werner was transferred to work in the
United States where they made their home in Pittsburg. They were first
introduced to the special charms of Mexico's highland area during an International
Living journey in the early 90s. Some eight subsequent house-hunting trips
followed during which they took the time for in-depth looks at the area's
cities – many of which claim reputations for their climates being eternally
spring-like. |
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The
Krondorfer's house in Mexico
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Guadalajara
was not only too large for their tastes, but was beginning to experience
serious air pollution. They found that city's nearby community of Ajijic
and its famed Lake Chapala disappointing in two respects: first, the lake's
waters were being depleted by local farming and residential needs and,
second, they guessed that the overwhelming presence of ex-pats in the area
would be somewhat stifling to any ability to assimilate authentically into
Mexican culture.
That sense
also prevailed in San Miguel de Allende even though the physical feel of
the latter was far more Mexicana than what they had experienced in Ajijic.
Werner was as charmed as Karin by Cuernevaca and its abundance of flowers,
and Queretero met all the requirements they were looking for. But it was
in Morelia that the two found just the right combination of excellent climate
and desirable other amenities (nearby airport, lively cultural life, modern
health care facilities, and relatively affordable home sites).
Karin admits
that they were also positively and negatively influenced by the weather
they encountered on the particular days they visited each city and counsels
that anyone should become thoroughly acquainted with the year-round climate
of their potential new place of residence before making a decision based
on weather. A sun worshiper, she laughs, now, at the length of Morelia’s
rainy season and the degree of chilliness that can descend in winter months.
In her entire year of visiting Morelia to monitor their home’s renovation,
she experienced only sunny, blue skies and pleasantly warm temperatures.
Once they decided
upon Morelia, they inquired about a realtor and were introduced to a local
architect who began showing them properties. High on their list of priorities
was having an excellent view of the historic 16th century city. They returned
to their U.S. home unsuccessful in having located anything promising. Werner,
meanwhile, continued researching Morelia via the internet and happened
across an old article by the subject of the first in this series (Dr. Hank
Duckman).
Werner noticed
that the original architect with whom the Duckmans had contracted shared
a first name with the man the Krondorfers had been working with in Morelia.
Werner contacted Hank and discovered the architect/realtor was one and
the same. Werner thanks the internet for saving them from suffering a repetition
of some of the same problems the Duckmans described at the hands of that
supposed expert. On their next trip to Morelia they met with the Duckman's
second architect, Jesus Palafox, and things moved rapidly and smoothly
along thereafter.
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Karin
and Werner settled on an existing property that would meet the best realtor's
location, location, location criteria, but at the same time presented Sr.
Palafox plenty of redesign challenges. The home had stood empty for a few
years and it had been vandalized and had suffered some weather damage.
Werner estimates that the purchase price of approximately $120,000 (U.S.)
was essentially what he would have paid for the land - without the house
- in that same neighborhood. He wanted to stay within around a $200,000
total budget and such seemed entirely doable. The completed job, he says,
probably ran closer to double their original estimates, but the home has
an additional den and deck area, a co-joined master bath and master bedroom
area, an expanded outdoor living space, and beautiful lap pool - all in
addition to that spectacular view they were seeking.
Just as the
renovation work was commencing, Werner's company in Pennsylvania assigned
him a year-long consulting job in Mexico City. During that time, he and
Karin made the eight hour round trip drive between the two cities twice
monthly to track progress on the renovations. By the time the consulting
job was wrapping up, the home was also finished and the Krondorfers retired
to life-after-work in Morelia. |
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The photographs
tell the pre-and post-renovation story. The pool was an after-thought and
responsible for a major portion of the above-budget costs. But would they
do anything differently? Maybe incorporate a little more solar technology,
they say, into providing heating capability during Morelia's rainy season
and sometimes chilly mid-winter months. Would they recommend people employ
any special precautions about taking on a similar project? Only that they
make certain to work with tested professionals and that they ascertain
clear land title through a proper attorney (especially important, Werner
says, when the buyers aren’t fluent in the local language). Are they happy
with the results? Yes, indeed. Just look at the accompanying photos. Wouldn't
you be?
The following
is Sandy's first article for the magazine:
 Renovating
A Home In Mexico ~ Expats
In Mexico
To contact
Sandy Click Here
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Werner,
Jesus Palafox, Leonardo, Karen
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