12 countries in 12 years

Showing posts with label furnished rentals and pets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label furnished rentals and pets. Show all posts

Monday, January 25, 2016

Seeking Cheap Rental for Less than 3 Months in Cuenca Ecuador?

A Reader Asks: We’re coming to Cuenca to check it out in January and we’re wondering if it is possible to find a cheap rental for 3 weeks for both of us.
 


Frank and Angie's Response: The million dollar question asked by hundreds of people. The short answer to your question is there are no “cheap” rentals in Cuenca, and especially for less than 6-months.  Less than 3 month short term rentals will be more costly. Understand that you are coming to a popular tourist destination where hundreds of gringos visit each month and prices reflect that.
 


Minimum stays in furnished apartments is usually 6-months, however a few landlords are willing to rent for a minimum of 3 months. Anything less than that is going to be other options. Let’s take a look at some of those options. 



Note: If you have a pet, if the landlord allows small pets in the home the renter will have to pay a pet deposit, in case something gets ruined by pet.
 


Short Term Rentals
 


If you’re only visiting for several weeks to a few months you can check out these websites for short term rentals. And remember to negotiate according to your personal circumstances. The asking price is usually not the set price.
 


Craigslist – This is accommodations that charge per day and weekly rates for apartments and home stays in Cuenca Ecuador.


Airbnb - You can find plenty of short term stays on Airbnb, however be careful and make sure that you know what you are getting...there has been some complaints.



OLX - This is the daily - weekly - monthly ads for short term stays in Cuenca Ecuador




Hostels in Cuenca Ecuador
 


Cuenca Ecuador has some nice comfortable hostels and if you are only one or two people then staying in a hostel is probably your best bet for the budget minded traveler(s). Hostels are less expensive than hotels and will usually have a shared kitchen and common area for guests to use. Kitchens are supplied with utensils, pots and pans and cooking appliances. The only thing you will need is your own dish detergent for doing your own dishes.
 


We list several hostels, according to different budgets in the DIY Cuenca Landing Guide. Below are videos of a couple of these hostels.
 


La Casa Cuencana Hostel – Martha, the owner of this hostel offers the DIY Cuenca Landing Guide readers a discount if staying for a full week. Please show her you bought the book with a printout of the page of her Hostel or the book itself.
 


Note: We list rates for several hostels in the DIY guide; however rates are higher during holidays and festivals. The whole month of February Carnaval is celebrated throughout the country of Ecuador.
 


Hostal Macondo - Here is a video tour of this hostel. 



                               

Cuenca Ecuador Short-Term Rentals – Rooms for rent and home stays in Cuenca Ecuador.
 


Another great option, if you are only one or two people, is staying with an Ecuadorian family. There’s two ways this is done. The Ecuadorian family will rent out a room in their house and you use the shared kitchen; the room may or may not have a private bath. You will find these listed as a "habitacion".
 


The other way we’ve seen it done is with the bigger Ecuadorian homes where they make a separate apartment attached to their home; These "mini departamentos" will usually have a one bedroom with a private bath, kitchen and its own entrance. Renting this way can also be more economical than staying in a hotel, plus you will have the added benefit of interacting with Ecuadorians on a more personal level and learn some Spanish!
 


Until we write again…
 


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We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy Abroad. We live in Cuenca, Ecuador and travel the Ecuador coast whenever we get a chance. We just adventured throughout the country of Panama for five weeks! Come along and enjoy some of our experiences with us!

Friday, January 1, 2016

10 Tips of the Trade When Looking for Rental in Cuenca Ecuador

It really is all about value; and frugal folks know that because being frugal does not necessarily mean, and usually doesn’t mean, buying the cheapest product or service on the market.  If you want to save money every month on your rent then there are a few things we must keep hush-hush. Why? When little ears know what you want in a rental the price suddenly goes up and up and up and up…and then where is “value”? 




Cuenca Ecuador

1. Don’t let it be known you want to be walking distance to Supermaxi or Coral – There is no need to tell the agent you want to be close to a grocery store. Eight times out of ten, you’ll actually be walking distance to a grocery store in Cuenca, unless you live in the country.
 


2. Don’t let it be known that you want to be near El Centro – Did you know that anywhere within the city of Cuenca, you can grab a taxi for a few bucks or a bus for $0.25 cents and be in the historic district?
 


Most Gringos Have the Same Rental Requirements
 


It’s all over the Cuenca chatter: The immigration office handles 10 new applicants from North America a day! That means there are ten new people who need a house or apartment to rent just in Cuenca! That’s 70 people needing a rental in one week in a city of just 500,000 people. And did you know that most gringos have the same rental requirements? What does that mean for Cuenca?  It means higher prices and less value. 



3. Don’t let it be known that you want a river or city view – Have you ever seen the ads that say “river view” or “on the river Yanuncay”?   Are they renting you the river or the apartment? Gee whiz!  
 


Let’s stop right here! You’re probably wondering how can I have all of the above things in a rental if I don’t let the agent or facilitator know what I want?  That’s easy. Just keep looking and usually you will find something you are looking for, or close to what you are looking for.   Gone is the $300 home with green space, river views and walking to a nice park and grocery store because that’s what everyone wants. That house is now at about twice as much!!



It’s not reality to have everything you want on your rental list and at the price range you are looking in.  We understand you want to rent a nice, clean, bright and airy place but too much pickiness above that will surely cost you.  The “cost you” part doesn’t make Cuenca cheap anymore, does it?
 


4. If you are renting for 6 months or less, we say forgo the river view!  It is funny, foreigners move here for three months and demand a river view. Are you going to stay cooped up in your apartment all day or go out exploring Cuenca?  Views cost money and are impractical at best. Views do not make the apartment any more comfortable and not having a view does not make a nice, clean, airy apartment less inviting either.  Sometimes an apartment just happens to have a view but because we didn’t demand it, the price stays in line with what it should be.
 


5. If you do not have a dog, then definitely give up the yard idea. Seriously, this is no joking matter.  Espacio verdes (green spaces) cost money in Cuenca Ecuador!  If a house on the Cuenca Ecuador rental market today happens to have a small green space then it’s going to be overpriced!  Sadly, that is what it’s come down to.
 


6. Renting in a certain neighborhood, plus wanting to have all the gringo requirements mentioned in this article, will surely cost you a higher rent and most-likely will take a lot longer to find.  Better not be in a hurry. 
 


7. Be willing to rent in any area of Cuenca as long as the neighborhood is good.  We know the good neighborhoods of Cuenca and the not so good neighborhoods.  Not being picky about what neighborhood (sector) of Cuenca you live in will surely open up a lot more variety and options to the renter, which means more value in a home.  The southeast side of Cuenca has less gringos living there but some of the nicest and newest homes are in this part of town and the river!!
 


8. If calling an ad out of the paper and you don’t speak Spanish very well or have a thick gringo accent, find a local Ecuadorian to call the ad for you and get the “real price” to the local market.  You wouldn’t believe how many times we’ve called on house ads that raised the price once they found out it was for a gringo. We have even had Ecuadorians say “You’re a gringo, so it will cost more for you”.
 


9. Always negotiate the price – This one is a sure thing. We should negotiate even if the ad doesn’t say it is negotiable. Don’t be bullied because you are a gringo.
 


10. Know what the contract says – Make sure you know exactly what is stipulated in the rental agreement because you might need to make changes. You do want your deposit back when your lease is up, right? Then nine times out of ten the lease will need to be changed. It’s all in the wording and if you don’t know what to look for you might just get gringoed. 



Until we write again...if you like this article you might like these ones too. Happy 2016!






We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy Abroad. We live in Cuenca, Ecuador and travel the Ecuador coast whenever we get a chance. We just adventured throughout the country of Panama for five weeks! Come along and enjoy some of our experiences with us!

Saturday, October 31, 2015

7 Tips to Look Out for BEFORE Renting in Cuenca Ecuador

Of course, if you have us help you find a rental we make sure everything, and we mean everything is on the up and up. We go through every fine detail with the home and Frank goes through the contract with a fine tooth comb to make sure there are no silly stipulations or catch-22’s that will later have you pulling your hair out and costing you money.




Turi View - Cuenca Ecuador

Recently we learned of a newcomer to Cuenca who went to all of the trouble of finding and procuring a rental, buying furniture and having it transported to her new rental, then getting her new home all set up and cozy, only to find there is no Internet service provider in that area. Wow, talk about frustrating! there are many such stories that we hear from time to time from foreigners that are worse than that. So, we made this check list of things to look out for BEFORE RENTING.
 


1. Make sure you can actually get Internet installed in your new home / apartment. Some areas outside of the city do not have Internet as of yet. We live in the city but not downtown and four years ago the Internet just got in our neighborhood.  Some of the local folks just a block away didn’t have Internet. The point is some areas of Cuenca do not have Internet service.
 


2. If you are not fluent in Spanish, make sure you have someone who knows Business/Real Estate Spanish to check over the contract.  Anyone that knows basic Spanish can read a contract but do they know real estate laws and provisions? It’s important that you hire someone that can help you not get taken advantage of.  Frank’s REALLY good at that and knows all the regulations that pertain to renting in Ecuador.
 


3. If you decide to live in a house, make sure the house is secure with either razor wire or electric fencing. If neither of these is present, unfortuantely, you will be upping your risk of getting robbed. Make sure the home has a whole house alarm installed so when you leave the home and an intruder tries to break in, the alarm will ring very loud, which will deter thieves from sticking around. They’ll be high-tailing it out of there fast! You can register the alarm with the police too.
 


4. Make sure you like the area. More and more foreigners move into an area only to find as little as two, three, four months later they’d rather live in another area of Cuenca. This is why it might be a good idea to live in a temporary 3-month rental first.  This way you can get a better idea of where you want to live permanently. But that’s up to you…we’re not telling you what to do, just giving you recommendations.


5. Make sure the house does not have leaks, mold, or other major problems that will come rearing their ugly head down on you after two, three, or four months down the road.  That happened to us when we first arrived, but I was able to clean the mold in our house, but sometimes the mold is not cleanable with ordinary household chemicals; besides who wants to clean mold from inside and behind cupboards every couple of years?
 


We know personally of two different renters who had to leave the rental they were in because of mold growth inside the walls of the home and another with mold growing under the carpeting.   If you’re reading this, perhaps you would like to comment about it below.
 


6. Make sure you feel comfortable with your landlord.  Reality is you might not get along with your landlord; this is a complaint we hear from expats from time to time. Some things such as this are often, but not always, an unforeseen issue that can only be rectified by moving.  This is why we advise to take your time with the new owner/landlord and get to know them a little bit. Women usually have a good gut feeling about people, so do what your gut tells you and do not rent the place if you feel uneasy with the landlord.
 


EXAMPLE: One couple told us that their landlord is always coming over checking to see if the place is clean and wondering if the dog is messing up the floors and furniture. According to the renters, she is also snoopy and relentless. We’re just saying, if you have a pet(s) and the furniture and house is newer, the owner might be a bit more concerned about the home, and rightly so. Be a good tenant and make sure your pet is not ruining anything. Put slip-covers on the furniture, clip your dogs toenails so they do not scratch the hardwoods, you know things like that.
 


7. Well these are the kinds of things and more, that we look out for, and protect you from as much as possible.  Nowadays, everyone says they will:  “look at the contract” but in reality, do they know what they’re looking for?   



Until we write again…
 


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We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy Abroad. We live in Cuenca, Ecuador and travel the Ecuador coast whenever we get a chance. We just adventured throughout the country of Panama for five weeks! Come along and enjoy some of our experiences with us!

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Excellent Rental Finds in LOJA, SALINAS, QUITO & CUENCA Ecuador!

We searched high and low for the best rental options in Ecuador and here's what we found! It's all about value. We always search for the BEST VALUE rentals for you, based on your need and wants. See what's new today!

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Loja Ecuador
Pretty 3 bedroom 2 bath apartment in Loja, $180 a month! The kitchen has an all glass (french style) door that leads out to the balcony with views and the living room has great views too, plus there is a dining room and parking spot for your car. This is a super cute and clean apartment. V-A-L-U-E

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Salinas Ecuador
Nice 2 bed 2 bath apartment with nice furnishings. Located right off the Maelcon with fabulous ocean views. The apartment is 100M (1200 sq ft). Asking $600. During high season this same apartment would rent for $1200. 

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Quito Ecuador
3/2 apartment located in a nice suburb of Quito called Tumbaco. The town of Tumbaco has everything, grocery stores, malls, restaurants and shopping.The 130M (1,450 sq ft) apartment also has a green area. Asking $350! 

Cuenca Ecuador
3 bedroom house with YARD in Chlluambamba for $350! Don't think this one will last long.
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Cuenca Ecuador
Beautiful NEW 3/2 detached house in the country with 1600M of green, green and more green!  This home is located 20 minutes outside of Cuenca. This MODERN home is 140M (1550 sq ft) and has an open and airy kitchen, living, dining area. Nice light fixtures and curtains throughout the home, with nice finishings. All three bedrooms have built-in closets and the master has an ensuite bath. This is a nice house. Asking $400!!
 LDK open floor plan, bright and airy
view from kitchen country home, open floor plan

Country house 1600M yard (almost 1/2 acre)
These are the best value rental options in Cuenca today and they are available now.  Take a look at our Assistance Packages and choose the one that fits your needs; and we'll provide the priceless protection for your smooth transition abroad from Gringo Good Samaritans. http://www.gringogoodsamaritans.com

Friday, July 17, 2015

Cuenca Ecuador Expat Rental Assistance: Spacious 4/3 Apt W/Views & Terraza

Steve and his wife like their new apartment in Cuenca Ecuador. The apartment is spacious, new, with views and located in a nice quiet Cuenca neighborhood. What more could you ask for? In this video Steve talks a little bit about his experience with using Gringo Good Samaritans - Expat Rental Assistance. 


                        



We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy in Cuenca Ecuador! Enjoy the Discover Cuenca Ecuador blog!

Saturday, October 19, 2013

This Beautiful, Spacious 4-Bedroom Home is Back on the Market AND with a Lower Rent Price!!



The beautiful open-floor plan home (rare in Cuenca) with the master bedroom downstairs (also rare in Cuenca) is available!! And guess what? We finally got the rent down from $450 then to $420, and now $400!!



Click here to view the home tour of this lovely home and then contact us if you are ready to rent. Oh yeah, almost forgot, it also has a cute manicured, fenced green area for the doggie.