is not luxury, but it's not bad either. No, the houses are not new, but many have been renovated and have nice appliances and furniture. The thing is, for us at least, they are free, and that means a lot in what you get. Also, the houses are really yours to do what you want. You can repaint, redecorate, garden and make it yours which is very important when living overseas.
Our house is a 2 bedroom with 2 living rooms, a kitchen, dining room, separate laundry room and 2-1/2 baths. It is more than big enough for our little family and I have to say, with some southern touches, I'm pretty proud of what we've done with our home. Because of space limitations and a growing expat population coming into Yanbu, my hubby's company has been given some new, 3-bedroom luxury apartments for larger families moving into Yanbu. I've got to say I'm a little jealous :) Our walls in our home are white, we can paint, but I'm too lazy - but the new apartments do have some color. They also have newer and nicer appliances and in all honesty, you are much closer to other westerners. Our home is in town and I walk the neighborhood to see friends, but with the new apartments, your neighbors are right there. Also, they are larger than the 3 bedroom single homes in town, which is good given that they don't have a yard, but do have a nice balcony. It's all of what you make of the experience. No one comes to Saudi Arabia expecting luxury or a house equal to what they may have in the states. You have to remember this is your temporary home and you make the best of it. The company does a good job trying to give you the basics of what you need to get set up, but you have to put some effort into the home to make it yours. Given the amount of employees and their individual needs, not everyone will like the choices or be happy with what they receive, but it's free and that's huge. In the end, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment with the little touches we added to our home, especially when we get compliments on our yard or the house in general. I will say it again, the expat life is not for everyone and it's certainly what you make of it, but with an open mind and a little bit effort, the life is more than rewarding from the experiences to the friends you make. It's all part of the adventure :)
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