Considering A 2 Year Move...some Questions.

[sergio]

Recoleta is as safe as you can get in BA and, in my view, the most appealing and convenient part of town. The Plaza Vicente Lopez area, as someone suggested, would be ideal, especially for your wife.

 

[ElQueso]

Right daft question time if I'm looking at apartments online and expenses/expansas are referenced are they monthly or annual? Almost certain it's going to be monthly but I'm seeing the likes of 10k expenses on 20k rent which got me thinking(hoping) it might be annual. I know that these are to cover maintenance in shared quarters where you have the likes of security, pool, gym etc.

The expenses are only for long term rentals and are monthly. I currently pay about 4K expenses per month on a 14K lease. These are not necessarily stable either - my expenses had climbed up a bit over 6K for awhile and have come back down recently. I live in Recoleta about 5-6 blocks from the Plaza Vicente Lopez mentioned in another post.

I wouldn't doubt it if prices have gone up as high as you're seeing in Recoleta, but I don't know for sure. My apartment is big, 3 bedrooms + office, maid's quarters, kitchen, dining room and den (not very easy to find, really, at least not at an affordable price, in Recoleta). About 170 sqmts. (5 of us living there - my wife and 3 teenage girls with all their living space requirements). I would think for a family of 4 with two wee ones you could find something much cheaper. Recoleta isn't all fancy, high-priced quarters. A modest 2 bedroom of 80-100 sqmts would probably be found at a reasonable price, long term and maybe even short term.

You asked about temp vs long term - it's a tough question. It may be difficult to find a single temporary rental for two years. Not saying impossible, as tourist rentals are down significantly and you might be able to find someone that will do so. But that also gets into the laws regarding temporary vs long-term contracts. Maybe your company can help out finding a furnished rental for two years, be it temp or long-term. This may be one of your biggest issues overall, along with furnishings.

You could probably furnish a smallish apartment for 3-6K dollars (maybe? I'm thinking a lot of used stuff. I could be wrong on that - I did it for about 2500 7 years ago, all used stuff from an expat moving) and if so, you'd probably be better off doing that for two years if you find a long term and can't find one furnished, rather than bringing in your own stuff. You will have problems and cost bringing in your belongings. Corruption, hold-ups, no real fixed cost, etc. You can sell off your stuff when you move and recoup at least some fo the cost.

That may be something you want to bring up with your company as well, is a moving allowance applied toward purchasing furnishings if you can.

 

[Happy Lady]

I think that your family would have a very good quality of life in the Plaza Vicente Lopez. The plaza is great for children, the area, as mentioned by others,
has restaurants, etc. grocery stores, cafes, etc.
A lively area with a good mix of age groups. We lived on the Parana street for 20 years and found it safe and lovely and spent a lot of time in the Plaza and loved it.

 

[johnw100]

How is you and your wife`s spanish? Really think that will be of the main importance, especially I think your wife with 2 young children. She will be running the home whilst your out at work doing long hours. and she will need to interact with people, nanny?, nursery teachers? shopping? service providers? etc

We came to Arg from the UK with a 1 and 3 year old but we had family here as my wife is local and that was`nt too bad, but I arrived with only very limited spanish and even though my wife did all the chores you do feel lonely and a bit useless. So not sure how it would work with no family support and two young kids. It might be a blessing and a distraction but then it may also be a very lonely life if there is a language barrier and from experience having family local helps so much with having young kids and being able to have someone to baby sit that you can trust.
The benefit of being around somewhere like recoleta is that there are many foreigners so she could build up a network on friends that way. But I think you need to be aware of the issues involved. If its an important work move and only for a couple of years it could be a great experience, but it will be hard work.

Thats just my opinion. Everyone is different, its not usually until you arrive somewhere that you know if you`ve made the correct decision or not.

 

[nlaruccia]

Ditto on Recoleta. Plaza Vicente Lopez is a lovely park, and there two supermarkets, gyms, ashopping mall, movie theater, schools, etc. all in one place and accessible by foot.

I loved Caballito when I lived there and Parque Rivadavia became beautiful after it was remodeled, but that area is as crowded during peak hours as Times Square, there are a lot of pick pocketers and it's very dangerous at night. Especially for a first time foreigner with two young children.

 

[WheezyB]

Thanks again everyone some amazing stuff on here and I've had some very detailed PM's also.

Found out some more today, the company would definitely put up a guarantee on a long term rental and also I get a 40ft container for shipping additional to my relocation allowance. The person I spoke to also made a good point that he liked the fact that he had his own furniture from home with him as it at least made something familiar. This now has me thinking that unfurnished and shipping things from home is the way to go.

@ElQueso - Sounds like a reasonable deal you have there not seen much around those prices but I've only really looked on zonaprop so far I know there are others out there and I can't help but wonder how much negotiation can be done when you are agreeing to a long term lease.

@johnw100 - Her Spanish is non existent but the company pays for both of us to have lessons and if we decide we are going we will start straight away. I did Spanish at school so I have a basic grasp still in the memory bank so confident I'll pick it up fairly quick and can start to help her practice before we go. Thanks for your other thought provoking comments exactly the type of input I'd like. I'll be going through the entire thread with her soon.

 

[sleslie23]

Thanks again everyone some amazing stuff on here and I've had some very detailed PM's also.

Found out some more today, the company would definitely put up a guarantee on a long term rental and also I get a 40ft container for shipping additional to my relocation allowance. The person I spoke to also made a good point that he liked the fact that he had his own furniture from home with him as it at least made something familiar. This now has me thinking that unfurnished and shipping things from home is the way to go.

@ElQueso - Sounds like a reasonable deal you have there not seen much around those prices but I've only really looked on zonaprop so far I know there are others out there and I can't help but wonder how much negotiation can be done when you are agreeing to a long term lease.

@johnw100 - Her Spanish is non existent but the company pays for both of us to have lessons and if we decide we are going we will start straight away. I did Spanish at school so I have a basic grasp still in the memory bank so confident I'll pick it up fairly quick and can start to help her practice before we go. Thanks for your other thought provoking comments exactly the type of input I'd like. I'll be going through the entire thread with her soon.

I think the general consensus of the BAXpats is to avoid bringing anything through customs that you aren't physically carrying with you on your flight. As with all things in Argentina, YMMV, but it is very likely that your stuff will spend 6 months in customs. It is equally as likely that you will never see it again.

Having your company put up the guarantia is the way to go. I'm not sure if things have changed since 2007, but it was a relatively easy process when I first transferred to BsAs.

 

[Girino]

This now has me thinking that unfurnished and shipping things from home is the way to go.

I can't help about which barrio choose, but I wanted only to say this: things in Argentina are much lower in quality compared to what you are used to in the UK. What in the UK you'd call average, here it is either not available or top of the notch and expensive. If your wife cooks and cares about the house (meaning even just "likes to pick up her own bed sheets), I think she will be grateful you shipped your stuff from home!

I like to cook and brought all my stuff here and I am so happy I did it as here half of the things don't exist or if they exist are ridiculously expensive. If the quality of life is important, then don't rely on what's available in Argentina only.

 

[johnw100]

I think the general consensus of the BAXpats is to avoid bringing anything through customs that you aren't physically carrying with you on your flight. As with all things in Argentina, YMMV, but it is very likely that your stuff will spend 6 months in customs. It is equally as likely that you will never see it again.

Having your company put up the guarantia is the way to go. I'm not sure if things have changed since 2007, but it was a relatively easy process when I first transferred to BsAs.

yes I know someone who moved recently at it took 5 months to be reunited with their belongings, although it was probably a month on the ship.

 

[mikic007]

It's hard to be few days without furniture, not to mention probably quarter of the time spend here (and then shipping back, which is not without hassle also). It is true quality is not good and not everything is available, but we do live, cook and sleep quite good all the same. If the company just give you the money from 2 shippings and later you sell some things, I guess this is easier and more comfortable. It's for 2 years, not for life, so some things you just don't care, how long they will last...