Advice on large apartment 2000+ sq. ft.

[jb5]

Hello all. I have just returned from my first visit to BA, thinking about opening a company office there. I loved the city to say the least. Friendly people, great food and lots of charm.

I had too many commitments to look at real estate so finding this site and thread is the start of my education.

We spent some time in Recoletta, Puerto Madero and San Telmo. Also saw some parts of Palermo briefly.

So where do I even start? I'd like to initially rent. As I look through listings I see that size tends to be small by US standards. Can one find a large apartment (2000 square feet plus), where should I consider and what should I expect to pay?

Any advice for a naive newcomer, a female who would be living alone, much appreciated.

 

[Neil]

http://www.buscainmueble.com/Web/Index.htm
is your friend....!!!

 

[mini]

IF you can find one that big, you can expect to pay over $4,000 pesos for a regular long term unfurnished apartment. Furnished temporary: I don't even want to think what the price might be, probably 3x that.

I find the biggest problem is most sites don't let you search by m2 but only by ambientes.

 

[jb5]

Thank you both. Neil, that site has some amazing places! I really liked San Telmo but get the feeling the locals still consider it a questionable neighborhood.

As for furnishing an apartment, am I right that in US dollar terms, it could be done reasonably (under $10K)?

 

[Napoleon]

I really liked San Telmo but get the feeling the locals still consider it a questionable neighborhood.

That's just because it is.

Personally, I'm not a fan. But then again, I lived there.

 

[jb5]

Help me understand the issues. Is Recoletta the only sane place for a single woman to consider?

 

[Neil]

With

http://www.buscainmueble.com/Web/Index.htm

you can search by metres, and other parameters....(# of rooms, garage, pool etc..)

check opciones avanzadas...

 

[Dudester]

Here's one in RECOLETA with almost 2000 Sq. Ft (200 sqm) - Beautiful building

http://www.argentinahomes.com/properties/?id_prop=10525

(go on Argentinahomes.com if the link doesn't work) As far as San Telmo goes for single women? I haven't been to BA for a long time but from all the reading I've done on here and other places I would say Recoleta is a safer bet. Just seems like too many unpleasant things happen in San Telmo for it to be considered very safe.... then again, it doesn't seem horrible but if you have choices I would stick to Recoleta (I do love the vibe in San Telmo though - I guess that's what Taxis are for) Hope that helps, Dudester

 

[mini]

Thank you both. Neil, that site has some amazing places! I really liked San Telmo but get the feeling the locals still consider it a questionable neighborhood.

As for furnishing an apartment, am I right that in US dollar terms, it could be done reasonably (under $10K)?

Sorry: Now I see you are taking about putting furniture in the apartment & not renting a furnished apartment. I've delete my comment as I didn't answer the right question!! Duh!

With
http://www.buscainmueble.com/Web/Index.htm

you can search by metres, and other parameters....(# of rooms, garage, pool etc..) check opciones avanzadas..

OMG! Where have you been all my life???!!!

Help me understand the issues. Is Recoletta the only sane place for a single woman to consider?

I can't answer that. I have mixed feelings about it. All I can say is if you are renting an apartment in that price range then Recoleta or Puerto Madero are the only places to consider. (except maybe out of the city).

 

[steveinbsas]

Can one find a large apartment (2000 square feet plus), where should I consider and what should I expect to pay?

As you may have already seen at http://www.buscainmueble.com/Web/Index.ht 2000 sq foot (180+ mtrs) apts in Recoleta are almost all priced at over $300,000 dollars.

Recoleta is a fairly small barrio, but beware, not all properties that are advertised to be in Recoleta actually are inRecoleta, including some in the vaguely defined "Barrio Norte" and Retiro (from 9 de Julio to Plaza San Martin). Also, there are areas of Recoleta which are less desirable than others, particularly the areas between Santa Fe and Cordoba and the "back side" of the cemetery.

There are also blocks in Recoleta that are way too dark at night to feel as "safe" as you would like.

I really liked San Telmo but get the feeling the locals still consider it a questionable neighborhood.

San Telmo is great for the occasional day trip (Sunday for tourists-Saturday for locals), but not so nice at night compared to Recoleta.

As for furnishing an apartment, am I right that in US dollar terms, it could be done reasonably (under $10K)?

I furnished a 3 room, 70 mtr apt for about $10K, and that included 3 mini-split air conditioners, lavasecoropas, fridge, antique light fixtures, imported area rugs, the basic furniture items (mostly art deco), and one bed and one futon. Obviously, furnishing a larger apartment would probably cost more. New furniture is more expensive and much lower in quality compared to the US.

I shopped very carefully and found some real bargains. I also spent an additional $2500 for a 42" flat screen TV (ouch) and about $5000 for art, which I was able to buy for about 30% of what most B.A. "galleries" charge. Argentine art is really cheap by comparison with US art in the first place and I can help anyone who is interested find similar values.

Also, as I posted yesterday in another thread:

"If anyone from the forum is here and looking for property, I would be happy to meet for a coffee and tell you what I know about buying here. I don't ask for any payment. There are some things you should know, especially about transferring the money, but I cannot post them here. I got a lot of inaccurate information from most of the Argentine real estate agents.

I am not a real estate agent, but I do know one that I can recommend. He speaks English and is willing to work with any of the other small Argentine real estate offices (that is rare). He works for his clients to find what they want, even if it means splitting a commission with someone else. I would not be involved in any way with your purchase, but always be happy to verify any information you receive as best I can."

The best bet, as others have posted, is to come for a few months and rent a temporary apartment. You can renew your 90 days tourist visa here and stay for up to six months if you desire. I first rented for six months (in Palermo) and my two priorities were looking for an apartment and obtaining residency. I shopped all over the city and eventually bought in Recoleta. I closed on the apartment three days before my temporary lease was up and four days after being granted residency. It was all a lot of work and I also got a lot of contradictory information about the resident visa in the process, but it all worked out.