How to Make Any Place You Stay in Mexico Feel Like Home
The beauty of an extended stay
For a few years now, many travelers have been seeking extended stays in the cities and countries that excite them as options such as AirB&B and home sharing websites have emerged. A huge number of jobs underwent radical transformation during the pandemic, give more people the chance to work from virtually anywhere (or anywhere virtually!)
Personally, I'm much less excited these days about crack of dawn flight departures, stressful connections, and packing and unpacking. I prefer the experience of settling in to a city long enough to develop a routine that accommodates the balance of work, play, exploration, exercise and relaxation that short-term stays can’t achieve.
Short-term rentals
Short-term furnished rentals cost a fortune in the US. In other countries, such as Mexico, it’s far easier to find furnished apartments that you can rent for months at a time for not much more than the cost of a year-long lease. How well they’re furnished will depend on the circumstances of the owner. I have rented units under all kinds of owner circumstances, and all with ocean views and rents of less than $1,100 a month.
Rather than the beach this year however, I was interested in a certain gated condo complex in Mazatlan’s marina zone. It offered soothing views of the marina and spacious three bedroom units. Residents appeared to be a good mix of expats and Mexicans. The grounds were immaculately maintained and security guards actually questioned visitors driving in.
Slightly better furnished units were going for $1,200 or more (high for Mexico), but a more Spartan unit was available for $895. I decided to see if I could decorate the less expensive condo myself and still come out substantially ahead over a six month stay. I set a decorating budget at $500 dollars.
A new paradigm
In the U.S. renters would never dream of putting money into place. In Mexico, you will want to re-think that rule for two reasons. First, things are cheap. Second, labor is cheap.
Frequently you can make improvements that don’t cost enough to haggle over and can create a vast difference in the appearance or comfort of a place. Over my seven years renting places in Mexico improvements I’ve made have included installing locks ($35 dollars), having huge area rugs cleaned ($70 dollars) and repairing some end tables ($25). I even installed a bedroom door once ($125 dollars). (Why it was missing continues to intrigue me.)
Lighting
Lighting is everything. The first that had to go in the new place was the light bulbs. Many Mexicans have a fondness for those ghastly blue-light bulbs you still see in some offices. I’m convinced that, like the oyster salad that only people in my family like, Mexicans got used to the lighting as children. Before signing the contract, I requested all the bulbs (focos) be replaced with warm light (focos amarillos). If necessary, you can give a maintenance person 100-150 pesos ($5-7 dollars) to replace them for you.
Spatial appeal
I enjoyed watching this plant double in size in only a few months.
Rental units are sparsely furnished. Correct furniture placement isn’t always as obvious as it seems. Simply angling existing couches and chairs instead of conventional placement orienting around corners makes a world of difference when you have fewer pieces. Place pieces of art you don’t like into a closet, or move them around (using the same nails so as not to damage walls).
Plants
Watering plants and watching them grow is one of those little rituals that helps make a place feel like home.
Plants are very inexpensive to buy in Mexico. I purchased two waist-high plants ($10 dollars for both), a slighter smaller plant ($5 dollars) and potted tropical flowers for a centerpiece (pot and plant cost $22 dollars). Pots (mesetas) for the large plants cost $2 dollars each at places like Casa Ley.
If you purchase several larger plants from a local jardinaria, it should only cost a few dollars to have them delivered right to your door.
Photos
Most of us have friends who are excellent amateur photographers. Ask them for digital files of some of their best photos. If you don’t have a photographer friend, free high resolution photos are available on sites such as Flickr, Unsplash, FreeImages and Creative Commons. Many Flickr photos are free as long as they’re not used for commercial purposes.
Prints of high resolution photos would run you at least $15 each in the US. In Mexico, I was able to find a shop that made beautiful large (8x10) prints for $3. High resolution files are large. You’ll need to store them on a chip rather than a regular drive. I brought 40 high resolution pictures of flowers (If you’re not in any kind of Witness Protection Program, family photos will also give your place a homey feel).
There are several attractive ways to mount photos without framing. The most expensive component of my decorating project were the Command strips I used ($7 for a pack of 12). Test whatever mounting method you use in a non-conspicuous spot, behind a refrigerator or other hidden spot first to make sure you don’t damage any wall. It’s helpful to have a friend help you take measurements and hang them.
To save time, money, and trips to the photo shop, spend a few evenings planning the size of prints you want to order. Consider if the image was taken as a vertical or horizontal shot. Consider how thick you want the borders to be. Sketch out their placement you like on a notepad. I was so rushed to get ready for guests that I short cut the planning part, which resulted in buying copies I didn’t use and going back and forth for different sizes or to correct border width on some.
Fabric Stores in Mexico
Fabric stores in Mexico are a gold mine. Cord, fabrics, string, ribbons, measuring tape, all cost pennies. At home, a friend of mine once designed an installation for a photography show attaching the photos to squares of burlap, rather than framing them, to great effect. You could do this type of thing very inexpensively in Mexico.
Hiring a seamstress to make a simple set of curtains or make cushions for patio chairs would also be very inexpensive. Fabric stores will likely have names of seamstresses you can contact. Fabric stores, rather than furniture stores, are places to find inexpensive decorative cushions.
Household goods: Where to shop
When shopping for plant pots, kitchenware, candles, towels and other household items, start with Mexico-headquartered big box stores and shopping centers that cater to Mexicans rather than Walmart, CostCos and Home Depots, which all cater to expats.
Casa Ley is a Walmart-type store with over 200 stores in Western Mexico. Shopping malls that feature Casa Ley contain cornucopias of small surrounding retailers with everything from organic food to dollar stores. (My Mexican friend Estela and I even joke about making a commercial for them (“Hay de todo in Casa Ley!” we cry out together in our rehearsal.)
Rugs
One of the hardest things for me to get used to in Mexico were the tile floors, which all homes and apartments have regardless of how upscale they are. Buying an area rug was a necessity for me and my biggest investment at $150 dollars (I was staying five months),
Kitchenware checklist
A number of famous chefs have said, “It’s not your home until you’ve cooked in it. You can’t feel like it’s home if you’re frustrated every time you put together a meal. Confirm that necessary items you need for cooking will be there upon your arrival.
Every year, even doing this I spend around $100 on non-essential kitchenware that keeps me from going insane, such as a second cutting board, an extra large skillet, additional mixing bowls and covered glass dishes.. My cookbook, The Lazy Expat: Healthy Recipes That Translate in Mexico has a checklist of kitchenware items to expect and/or purchase.
My total cost
Ultimately, I invested $470 in making the place feel like home. Amortizing that investment over six months calculated into a monthly rental expense of $975 for a place that’s nice enough to entertain in.
Adding the touches myself resulted in an environment that reflects who I am more than the more expensive condos would have. Plus, my little project got me out there, practicing my Spanish and engaging with merchants and friends who helped me put it together over glasses of wine and glue.
Adopting a similar do-it-yourself attitude for decorating will greatly expand the options for renting longer-term and help you feel at home wherever you are and whomever you are with.
About the Author
Kerry Baker is the author of three books. Her second book is If I Only Had a Place, a book on how to rent well, beautifully and cheaply in Mexico. Her third book is The Mexico Solution: Saving your money, sanity, and quality of life through part-time life in Mexico. The manual on how to live in Mexico out there that won’t leave you numb. Her most recent book, The Lazy Expat: Healthy Recipes That Translate in Mexico, is a cookbook for travelers, snowbirds and expats who want to maintain a healthy diet in Mexico. (You must cook.)