00:00 [Music]
00:17 Welcome to Rancho Oco!
00:21 Hi, I'm Alexis. I'm 41 years old.
00:25 And I'm Hani. I'm 37.
00:29 We acquired the property sometime in October 2020.
00:34 We saw it on a post.
00:37 So we went there.
00:39 Right then and there, we saw it.
00:41 Although it was still growing, we couldn't see how big it was.
00:44 We downed it.
00:46 Then we made a full payment in January 2021.
00:49 We first made a well here on the property so we could source water.
00:53 And then we started construction in February 2021.
00:58 This house was finished in the first week of May 2021.
01:03 It was fully furnished including the mini pool in September.
01:06 [Music]
01:09 My first inspiration is probably my childhood memories.
01:13 Because back then, in our house in the province, my grandfather made a well for us.
01:20 We spent most of our time there.
01:22 We just played.
01:24 And our family bonding was there in that well.
01:27 Although we have a concrete house, I remember that we have a well.
01:32 So why not? I'll do that now.
01:34 Because I have kids now.
01:37 And for our kids to experience living in the province and in the well.
01:43 [Music]
01:46 At first, we were really new to this place.
01:50 We would wake up early, around 4.30 to 5.30.
01:53 Because there were so many alarm clocks.
01:56 There were cows grazing, birds chirping, and chickens chirping.
02:02 We were taking advantage of that because when we wake up in the morning, we can see the sunrise.
02:08 After the sunrise, we'll go gardening.
02:11 That was our first experience here in our place.
02:15 This is our dining room.
02:19 This is where we eat, hang out, and get some fresh air.
02:25 [Music]
02:26 This is our kitchen.
02:28 This is where we cook.
02:32 [Music]
02:35 This is our mini pool for the kids.
02:38 If they want to swim, with a mountain view, stargazing while swimming, they go here.
02:44 Most of the time, they just enjoy swimming here.
02:47 For me, the unique feature of this well is the bathroom.
02:54 This is the modern touch of this well.
02:58 This is my favorite spot.
03:01 I just lie down on the bathtub, and there are a lot of plants.
03:06 You can stargaze here.
03:08 It's very relaxing.
03:10 This is another unique feature of our well.
03:15 The mini pool in front.
03:17 We made this for our kids because they love swimming.
03:23 Even if I'm inside the house, I can see them swimming.
03:26 You're very secure that nothing will happen to our kids.
03:30 [Music]
03:32 Maybe our favorite spot here on the farm is our recreational activity area in front.
03:40 Because there are a lot of things you can do here.
03:43 Our favorite activity is bonfire.
03:45 It's like you're doing something special when you're bonfiring at night.
03:50 This is our room.
03:51 It's queen-size.
03:53 You can see the view from here.
03:55 The sunrise.
03:57 You'll be relaxed while you're sleeping.
04:00 [Music]
04:02 Most of the materials that we use are mahogany.
04:05 It's customized to our local tistizas.
04:08 This is from Sahig to Dingding.
04:12 It's all mahogany.
04:14 It's a bit pricey, but it's worth it in the long run.
04:18 We're really proud of our mahogany.
04:20 It's a labor of love because we sanded the floor and the walls.
04:26 We also varnished the walls.
04:28 Maybe it's not obvious that only amateurs do that.
04:31 We have our own DIY.
04:33 We love to do DIY.
04:35 This is our second room.
04:37 Loft type.
04:39 It's a habit of climbing.
04:43 But this is strong.
04:45 You won't fall.
04:48 We don't have a professional help.
04:50 We didn't get an architect for the plan and the costing.
04:54 We thought we'll only reach 500.
04:58 But as the construction progresses,
05:01 we add what we want to add.
05:04 So, more or less, we reached 1M
05:08 including the mini pool, the water system,
05:11 and all the furnishings in the house.
05:14 In terms of design,
05:15 my idea is the traditional house with a dome.
05:18 We incorporated modern fixtures
05:22 to make it look like an upgraded modern house with a dome.
05:26 Up here, we have a double bed.
05:28 You can see the outside.
05:30 If you want to get some fresh air,
05:32 there's a balcony outside.
05:34 We're here in our balcony.
05:38 It's nice to get some fresh air.
05:40 The balcony is here.
05:43 The kids play here.
05:44 It's safe and sturdy.
05:46 Rancho Oco.
05:49 Since our surname is Oco,
05:51 we're looking for something that rhymes with Oco.
05:53 Our eldest, Kia,
05:56 repeated the name Rancho Oco.
05:58 So, there.
06:00 Our property's name is Rancho Oco.
06:02 It has a sense of ownership.
06:04 In terms of the dome area,
06:10 it's more or less 5.5 meters by 6 meters,
06:13 including the deck and the dining area.
06:16 In terms of the lot area,
06:18 initially, it's 1,000 square meters.
06:21 Then, we acquired the second property,
06:25 so it's 2,000 square meters.
06:28 When we decided to rent an airbnb,
06:32 since our friends are asking
06:35 if they can visit the house,
06:39 and some are offering to rent,
06:40 we also wanted to share our experience
06:44 living in our house.
06:46 So, we decided to lease our property in an airbnb.
06:51 And one more thing,
06:53 it's an additional income for us.
06:55 We're also building a house for our personal use.
06:59 Just in case there are guests.
07:01 At least they have privacy.
07:03 So, we have our own villa.
07:06 The advice we can give is to think carefully.
07:11 It doesn't mean that if we see someone
07:14 moving out to Manila, living in the province,
07:16 and building there,
07:18 we'll be impulsive.
07:20 We have to be prepared emotionally, financially,
07:23 and we have to know where to jump.
07:26 We have to test the water first
07:29 so we won't regret it.
07:31 So, when you decide that you're going to do it,
07:35 do it wholeheartedly.
07:36 Trust the process.
07:38 Along the way, there are doubts.
07:41 We're inexperienced in building from scratch.
07:45 So, we have doubts along the way.
07:48 It's good that with the support of my husband,
07:50 he reassures me that what we're doing is okay.
07:53 So, let's continue.
07:55 If you want something, you have to work on it
07:58 so that you will achieve it.
08:00 Teamwork between us
08:02 led to this wonderful result.
08:05 If you have an interesting or inspiring story
08:07 that you want to share,
08:09 email us at stories.olygood@gmail.com
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08:21 [MUSIC PLAYING]
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