House Hunters International...The Verdict

I know many of you have been checking in multiple times daily to learn the verdict! Which did they choose? Why did it take so long? What have they been doing?! Don't they know I am waiting!

Welcome to Russia my friends! Where nothing moves fast and everything takes time! Unless of course you call your corporate contact to have someone come fix the shower head mount. That can be done within hours. He'll also fix the shower rod that keeps falling mid shower allowing all of your clean clothes, on what is not the towel warmer, to get completely soaked.  Everything is an experience here.  What you think will take a few minutes ends up taking almost 2hours! 2 hours of your life you will never get back. It important to take food and water wherever you go. You feel like it may just be your last meal. And don't ever pass a clean toilet up. If it is there...use it!  Otherwise you are left to pay a fee to use the porta potty outside a metro. And trust me when I say you don't want to do that! I have never done nor will I ever...but the lady who collects the fees, she has no issues setting up camp in one of these and eating her lunch in one.

I could go on, but you didn't check in to hear me ramble about how slow things move. That would require patience! I have learned a lot of patience Over the last six years.  I think it has all been building up to this relocation.  Good thing I learned it or I would be screwed! Kinda like the weather....the h ugh today was 60 degrees. Winter isn't here yet.  Now, I am screwed! My precious Florida blood is a bit scared of the winter.  Munchkin One, also known as our Siberian Prince, he is freezing. However I think the Munchkin Two stays warm with all the talking she does.

Right! What option did we go with...back on topic. Inquiring minds, I know...so last Thursday we placed an offer on....are you ready for it?! We placed an offer on option one.  We loved the balcony! Gorgeous! You open the doors and yu felt like you were in Europe.  Another advantage is being able to walk out the front door, cross the street and hop on a shuttle to the nearest metro.  We made our offer and it was accepted! Yippee! The landlord came back with some additional questions for clarification; one of which pertained to storage.  Thinking he would most likely go to Ikea to get it, we hopped on the website to size wardrobes.  It all became so overwhelming. I don't know how much storage we need. I know I didn't bring a lot of stuff, but this place has no storage.  We began to see that the storage we would need most likely would not fit into this apartment.  I liked the apartment for the balcony and shuttle but compromising on storage and room size. Munchkin two would end up in the small room, the size of a walk in closet.  I said to the Mr if we were in option four, storage and room size would not be an issue.  It is still within walking distance to school. The down side...no shuttle and walking to grocery, metro and tram.

On Saturday we spent the day exploring at option four. We took the metro, walked the grocery, walked to the apartment, walked to school from the apartment, took the tram back to the metro.  Is this a place we could really live?  The answer was yes.  It wasn't what I wanted, but it meets our needs.  And it is under budget.  So, after much deliberation and a minor cry in the metro, we placed an offer on option four.  We negotiated thru the weekend until today.  And here we are, with a new apartment in option four!

Today we went to pay deposit and sign lease.  What we thought would take a few minutes ended up to take 2 hours...those are the two I will never get back.  Thankfully, we had patience.  There is much more that went on and I will not discuss here...all I will say is for those who are looking to rent in Moscow, keep as much to yourself as possible (as we did), do not give much information (the landlords are the ones to show you their apartments), and stick to your guns.  Be reasonable in negotiations, but know your limits. At the end of the day, we said no, we have agreed to all your requests, we will not give in to even more money.  We are not rich Americans!  And that my friends, is the underlying message.  The misconception that all Americans are rich.

So, friends, what did you think? What did you think we would chose? What one would you have chosen? Are you surprised? Did you guess correctly?

House Hunters International, Option 4

This morning we saw three more housing options. We begin with the first....

Housing Option 4

Pros

3 bedrooms and size of rooms

Storage

Master closet

Within walking distance to school, foot bridge over canal

Walking distance (15 min) to metro

Views of water, school
The Mr could walk to metro to get to work, possible 30 minute commute including walk and metro

Cons

1.5 bathrooms

No shuttle to metro

Guarded bldg, not gated compound

Not an expat community

No outdoor space for kids
The Mr has to walk to metro in winter/snow to get to work

Rent

Under budget

House Hunters International, Option 3

Housing option 3 also sits on the Moscow River in Alye Parusa.

Pros

Three bedrooms

2complete baths

Fitness and pool (with fee)

On river

Nice views, no construction nearby

Metro within walking distance

The Mr can walk to metro for work, 30 min commute including walking and metro

Cons

Decor

School not nearby, would need private car/driver

The mr has to walk to metro in winter/snow

Rent

A lot of money

Withing budget expectations

Same price as option 1

House Hunters International, Option 2

Housing option 2 is located in a compound called Alye Parusa on the Moscow River.

Pros

Spacious three bedrooms

2.5 bathrooms

Newly renovated

More storage possibilities

Access to fitness and pool (with fee)

Within walking distance to metro

Fun kids play area

On river

The Mr can walk to metro, 30 min commute walking and metro

would need driver

Cons

Construction outside, not a pretty view, noise?

Not near school, would need private car/driver

Will it be ready in a month (complete kitchen)?

The Mr has to walk in winter/snow to metro for work

Would need driver

Rent

$300 more per month than options 1and 3

Still A Lot of money

Which means  you kinda wanna crap your pants over because in Florida I could be living in a mic mansion on the water. 

One third of the pool...continues on to the right. Pool under renovation, to be completed by September 1.

House Hunters International

Although we emailed the show, House Hunters International, MANY times they never called.  Multiple people emailed as well on our behalf.  Munchkin One and I LOVE this show.  So, we decided to make our own home version.

Come along with the Moscow Munchkins as we look for our next home in Moscow, Russia!
Our requirements were...must have 3 bedrooms, 2 baths,  fitness facility, near metro, outdoor space for kids to play.

This is House 1

Beregoyvaya

 Pros

Located within walking distance to school

Balcony off Master

3 bedrooms

2 baths
Shuttle to metro
The Mr would take shuttle to metro and then metro to work, 30 min commute

Cons

No metro nearby

Shopping, Grocery not convenient

Lacks Storage 

No fitness facility, however limited access to school fitness

Rent

A lot of money

but within budget expectation

 Green walking bridge in distance is near school entrance.

Which one will we chose? Stay tuned for more housing options!

Triumph Playground

This play area is for children of Triumph Palace. This, unlike the fitness centers, is free! Doesn't it look like fun?

Triumph Palace

This is a residential building we viewed today. There is a fitness center on premises for an extra fee. Annual membership to the fitness center is 81,000 rubles per adult and 44,000 rubles per child. This is about $8,500 a year.

School/Housing

Today we were off and running to the International School of Moscow. This school is located right next to the Olympic center housing two campuses. One building houses Reception to year 3. For those who need North American translation this means preschool to second grade. Year four (third grade) and older are housed in a separate building. The buildings are an easy two minute walk apart. If Munchkin One should attend this school he would take Russian and French. Both are compulsory ( translation-mandatory). Hot lunches, uniforms and golf are also compulsory. I love that we currently live in a place where a major golf tournament is played every May; golf courses surround every housing community yet we come to Moscow where they must play! A bus is provided for the students. If your child can not be assessed in person prior to enrolling, they will enter the school on a conditional basis. They have one term to prove they are capable to doing the work. This school appears to be very regimented and follows the British System to the letter.


The next school we visited was the British International School. This schol also has two campuses, not within walking distance of each other. The younger grades, Nursery (preschool)through Year 2 ( 1st grade) are housed in one building. The rooms are bright and colorful. The playground is extensive-lots of play things. The older grades ( year 3 which is2nd grade through graduates) are housed in another building. Warm lunches are provided as well as a bus. Russian language is compulsory. Each class has one main native English teacher and a bilingual assistant, speaking English and Russian. Uniforms are not required. The older children go off campus to a gym on the bus. The younger children stay in their building. Older children go to a room to eat lunch separate from their class. Younger children eat lunch in their classroom. We met with the Head Teacher, Betty Watson. I have tried to keep my personal opinions to myself with regards to the schools, trying to give only facts if someone is researching. With that being said, Betty absolutely loves her job and the children. She is Canadian and has been the Head person for both schools since 1997. She is a talker! But boy can you see a difference in her and this school compared to all others. It is evident she loves not only what she does, but the children. This school may not adhere to rules strictly (not a bad thing), but it is so nurturing! There is room for the students to grow and it is ok if they make mistakes.

For those wondering what the difference between the American system and British system...there is one main difference. American children fall behind there British counterparts. The British Schools are more advanced. For example, in both schools, the kindergarteners are enter able to read (not just sight words), but real books with real words...lol. Additionally, the children are doing double digit addition and subtraction. Year 2 children, which is what Munchkin One would be in this year, should be able to do fractions. Both schools are willing to help the children catch up. I get the impression the British School of Moscow is more flexible with this as Betty said if she needed to move the kids to different years, up or down, she would. However, I believe this is why our children would enter the International School of Moscow on a conditional basis. They need to prove themselves.


After touring schools we visited two housing locations. The first, Beregoyvaya, is located next to the Anglo American School. They are size able apartments with a children play area. A mini bus is provided to 3 metro stops. The buildings look very European on the outside with beautiful detail work. Accommodations on the inside are modern. I have included a link-not sure if it will work. This link is not the apartment we saw, but it gives you an idea. Housing options are categorized as Stalin Era, Western or Modern.

Next we went to Aliye Parusa. This is a large apartment compound with 5 tall buildings. It is right on the river with a yacht club. Very high level executives who require much security live in these buildings. We were told the companies Samsung and LG will only place their employees in these buildings. Side bit of gossip-I have also heard that many Russian men keep their mistresses here. Nice to know, huh? There is also a gym, pool and spa on premises. However, you must join this facility. It is not included in the rent price. To join the gym/pool it is 67000 rubles per adult and 34000 rubles per child. This complex is about a 10 minute walk to metro, grocery and shopping mall. A link has been
included.

We have made a decision as to which school we would like our children to attend. Tomorrow we will tour additional housing options. We also have plans to met up for diner with Diamond Lady and her hubby for dinner.

Productive Day

We had a long, but nice day loaded with a ton of useful information. We stared out meeting with a pediatrician at the European Mdical clinic. She is not only and Endocrinologist, but an adoption/ post adoption specialist. It was absolutely wonderful to meet her! She was extremely knowledgable and willing to work with our Endocrinologist in the States. In addition, not only can we take Munchkin One there for his Growth Hormone needs, we can take Munchkin Two for regular checkups is we want/ need too! I left excited and assured. We then went to visit the Atlantic International School. It is a very brightly colored building surrounded by a gate with an entrance near a guard. I attempted to include a link. Please pardon if it does not work. I am still learning my iPad. The school is quite small. There are a few campuses hosting multiple grade levels. Each class has an English native speaker, a bilingual English/Russian assistant and a Russian nanny. A hot lunch is served and included for all students, prepared on site. The concept of this school is teach through play. This curriculum is based on the University of Cambridge curriculum. Next we went to grab a bite of lunch and continue on the the Anglo American International School. this school is a large complex housing multiple gyms, multiple pools and multiple grades. This school is per school through grade 12. There are over 1300 students at this school, Americans making up the majority. The school curriculum is based on the American, Canadian and British school systems. School lunch can be brought or bought. Lastly, we visited a compound ( gated community) of Pokrovsky Hills. this compound is located right next to the Anglo American School. It is home to many expats from all over the world. This concluded our day. Tomorrow we will see another school, possibly two. In addition, we shall see more housing options. We have been so busy and this has left us little room for sight seeing. I imagine Saturday will be our day to do this. Overall, another great day!