Finding an Apartment in Santiago

tk toronto

New member
Sep 7, 2006
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I?m having some frustrating issues at the house I?m staying at now. I basically pay for breakfast and dinner everyday and a room to stay in and am able to do my laundry for between $6,000 and $7,000RD per month. ( I haven?t paid yet)

However, the fact that I?ve been taking cold showers everyday for a month even though there?s a heater that?s ?pparentl? getting fixed I was told after I finally said something after a month (I was guaranteed hot water by my school and I don?t understand how they?ve been taking these cold showers for a month and only are going to call a technician now), the fact that my land lady expected me to wash my very vibrant colours with my white capoeira uniform(which is very expensive and I wasn?t about to mess it up and have to wait til get to Toronto to buy a new one) because she didn?t want me to do another load, the fact that my land lady wants to wash my clothes in warm water and possibly shrink my clothing (but yet, I?m showering in freezing water and am sick due to that and constantly sniffling), and I saw my second cockroach last night so I?m really not cool with that. I know that bugs are a normal part of life here, but cockroaches in homes? Correct me if I?m wrong, but I DON?T think so.

I think I could survive for another month or so, but after Jan, I definitely need to GET OUT.

Does anyone know of furnished apartments that are for rent? If not furnished, what?s the price range I?m looking at? If it?s better to furnish it myself, what price range am I looking at for simple furniture for a single person?

I know I must sound like a spoiled brat, angry, and really jumbled, but I just got here and am REALLY frustrated right now with all this $hit and the fact that I?m sick isn?t helping either...

Thanks in advance for the helpful responses...
 

Thandie

Bronze
Nov 27, 2007
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Hey TK,

I had an American friend who was living down the street from me who was paying $3000 pesos a month for a room.
That included free access to the washer, but not food.

I pay 5500 pesos (+500 pesos for water and electricity) for a beautiful fully furnished 1 bedroom apartment in a nice and quite urbaization, hot water shower, access to my landlords wireless internet and generator on the grounds of a really nice Dominican family, in downtown POP. The only thing I had to bring was sheets and towels.
I am about a 10 minute walk from Central Park.

It sounds like you are paying a lot, especially for living in Santiago?
 

SKing

Silver
Nov 22, 2007
3,750
183
63
Cockroaches Girl???
Hell...to the...No! You can find something much better, maybe not cheaper but better at the same price.
The guy that helped me find my house and also helped TheHun here on the forum is named Patricio Falconi...
Google his name and his site will come up. On his site are his cell and home numbers, he is great...tell him Shalena sent you. He does not speak English so call me if he doesn't understand something that you say. I am now good friends with him and his wife, they are good people
Tell July that I said I am sorry that I bailed on the spanish class "pero ese director quiere aprovecharme con esos precios" (he'll understand)
SHALENA
LA PRIETA RABIOSA
 

Canela21

New member
Oct 29, 2008
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I shower with cold water, so that's probably not what's getting you sick since tons of people in the country get by without a water heater ;) But like you said, if you're paying for it, then you should get it! And the fact that you don't have hot water in the bathroom, but you do have it to wash clothes is bizarre.
As for cockroaches, they might be something you need to just get used to. I hate, hate, hate roaches and I'm still scared of them, but now I know I still need to become accustomed to them regardless. Seeing cockroaches doesn't necessarily mean that the home is dirty (like you might think back in Canada, maybe?)
As for buying furniture or renting furnished, it depends on how long you will be here. Furniture here is probably a bit more than you'd expect (that does depend on your tastes though, of course) and and unfurnished apartment usually comes without appliances--stove, fridge, etc--so if you won't be living here long it wouldn't make sense to buy all that.
Since you mentioned your school, I'm guessing you're a student? Here's a link that PUCMM has for international students to find housing. You might find something there, and you can get an idea of prices: Alojamiento
 

tk toronto

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Sep 7, 2006
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Update, I just found out she's charging me $9,300 pesos for the month! She charges $2,300 pesos per week apparently.....Also, after speaking up, the hot water got fixed magically...but I still need to move. Thanks so much for thr replies! I will PM those that need to be PMed.

Also, I NEVER take cold showers, so....it might be getting me sick, but I don't know.
 

SKing

Silver
Nov 22, 2007
3,750
183
63
Girl, I will call you because she is getting over...My house (which you have seen) with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, sala informal, sala formal, comedor formal, patio, balcon,etc, etc., etc... is only 15,000pesos per month. I will call you tomorrow with Patricio's number...I am in DR although I go to NYC the end of this week
SHALENA
LA PRIETA RABIOSA
 

track

New member
Sep 6, 2008
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Update, I just found out she's charging me $9,300 pesos for the month! She charges $2,300 pesos per week apparently.....Also, after speaking up, the hot water got fixed magically...but I still need to move. Thanks so much for thr replies! I will PM those that need to be PMed.

Also, I NEVER take cold showers, so....it might be getting me sick, but I don't know.

Hate to tell you, but from $6,000.00 pesos you are at almost $10,000.00 per month.

There's 52 weeks in one year, that's 4.33 Weeks per month. Then $2,300.00 x 4.33 = $9,966.66. For one room!:surprised

I think I've seen people living in DR on that budget!
 

tk toronto

New member
Sep 7, 2006
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Hate to tell you, but from $6,000.00 pesos you are at almost $10,000.00 per month.

There's 52 weeks in one year, that's 4.33 Weeks per month. Then $2,300.00 x 4.33 = $9,966.66. For one room!:surprised

I think I've seen people living in DR on that budget!

Yeah, everyone I've spoken to that's from here says that price is ridiculous. I have to pay her, but I want to find a place ASAP.

Basically, this price includes doing laundry, breakfast and dinner. BUT, I am HARDLY ever there for dinner, hardly. Like, MAYBE once a week. So, basically I have breakfast there. However, still, I mean, I know a couple that rents an apartment near the Monument for $6,000 pesos, so I think this is a little ridiculous.

I've received some help from some helpful members (thank you so much), so I think I'll be okay.
 

augustus

New member
Dec 19, 2007
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Cockroach, you're joking, when I stayed in Sosua tor the month of December, in a newly built condo, a huge spider jumped out of the nightstand table next to my bed, it was about 2 to 3 inches with legs extended. I took pictures and didn't want to smash him on the new walls and waited for him to get back onto the floor, well I won't wait again, because he moved like a bad dream, or a horrow movie and got away as if he were a better thinker than me and an hide in the dresser and I opened the drawers and everything and never saw him again. So when in DR, I would welcome a 2 to 3 inch cockroach, with a friendly greeting........I have a friend that just got over being sick for a couple of weeks after being bit, by some sort of bug.........