If You Could Do It Over Again...advice/info For A New Family

[texxaslonghorn]

I know it's been said (one the first responses mentioned it), but please don't take anything you read here too seriously. This place can be great for simple recommendations, but a lot of posters are SUPER JADED for one reason or another. I've lived in BsAs off and on for years, and I love it. But I would probably be miserable if I took everything here to heart.

 

[Girino]

I think there is a difference between those expats who are here with the idea of staying only temporarily (and by this I mean a few years) and those who are bound to here (i.e. for money or family). Knowing you have a way out would make it much more easy. Falling in the later category will make you feel miserable.

Those coming here with a company usually have:
1) a wife at home dedicating fully to make your life better (i.e. researching on schools, looking for exotic food ingredients you miss)
2) an employee paying for your accommodation and other benefits, so that you can really pick the best without worrying about the price
3) a car paid you shouldn't be worried about selling/buying, getting insurance, etc.
4) Paid flights back home once or more a year even during peak times.
5) The guarantee that once finished your assignment here, you will be sent back home, all expenses paid and with a job already waiting for you.
6) The guarantee that if economy sinks, your company will take you out from here.
7) Little contact with day-to-day bureaucracy, since paperworks are handled by the company


Basically, being a relocated worker means you have a guardian angel.
Living in Argentina means downshifting from many materials things, knowing you will be surely able to upshift again changes your perception entirely.

 

[citygirl]

First - get the hard numbers. And confirm that the company will be paying for school/housing. Which will be your two biggest expenses so if those are taken care of - fantastic. One other point - this is a super child friendly place so while there are security issues and the like, there are def pluses here.
As to your questions:
[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]1. Where would you live? (San Isidro (to be close to the office), Nordelta (for the 'perceived' safety and security of a 'country' and also the social aspects, Tigre? Somewhere else?[/background]
​I would live in town. If you live in San Isidro/Nordelta/Tigre - you will need to buy a car. Well, realistically probably 2 cars assuming your husband takes the car to the office. Don't add on the expense. If you live in Belgrano/Nunez, you can get around the city perfectly fine without a car and your husband can either take the train/bus to work or you can get a car but at least you will only need one. Also, will you be renting a furnished or unfurnished apt? Keep in mind, unfurnished means TOTALLY unfurnished. No stove or curtains or anything. If renting unfurnished (prices much cheaper), you'll need a guarantor which your company will have to provide. And then to go buy everything which can take time.

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]2. Where would you send your children to school? We would prefer them to be bilingual but rather than going to a school of mostly expats we like the idea of our children building relationships with Argentinian children as well. Our children are baptised catholic but we are not practising catholics.[/background]
Lots of great schools[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]. [/background][background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]​Will depend on where you live (again, if you're in the suburbs, you'll need to drive your kids to school). Lincoln is the top school but is outrageously expensive. There are plenty of bilingual ones in town and suburbs so you'll have plenty of options. Once you decide where you are living, we can probably give better advice.[/background]

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]3. What would you bring to BA that you found hard to get or what cost a fortune?[/background]
Lots of people have answered. Electronics. Kids clothes/toys for sure! Nice linens/towels. Good quality kitchenware.

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]4. What do you wish you knew about BA before you got here?[/background]
Too much to say

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]5. What employment issues/challenges have you experienced since you have been in BA in terms of your contracts/salary. [/background]
The economic climate is obviously super volatile here. You will be in better shape if you tie your salary to a dollar amount if possible. We have 30% inflation - make sure the company will be doing salary adjustments. Do you have debts/bills at home? Keep that in mind when earning in pesos. Make sure you double/triple check how you will handle taxes in home country and Arg.

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

I think there is a difference between those expats who are here with the idea of staying only temporarily (and by this I mean a few years) and those who are bound to here (i.e. for money or family). Knowing you have a way out would make it much more easy. Falling in the later category will make you feel miserable.

Those coming here with a company usually have:
1) a wife at home dedicating fully to make your life better (i.e. researching on schools, looking for exotic food ingredients you miss)
2) an employee paying for your accommodation and other benefits, so that you can really pick the best without worrying about the price
3) a car paid you shouldn't be worried about selling/buying, getting insurance, etc.
4) Paid flights back home once or more a year even during peak times.
5) The guarantee that once finished your assignment here, you will be sent back home, all expenses paid and with a job already waiting for you.
6) The guarantee that if economy sinks, your company will take you out from here.
7) Little contact with day-to-day bureaucracy, since paperworks are handled by the company


Basically, being a relocated worker means you have a guardian angel.
Living in Argentina means downshifting from many materials things, knowing you will be surely able to upshift again changes your perception entirely.

I literally have none of those things, apart from my wife having a company car, and yet manage to be happy here. We both work having been hired locally. No expat replanting.

That said I have the advantage of perspective and long ago stopped comparing Europe with South America, South America with the US etc.

That comes with time, it's a technique worth implementing up front.

 

[Girino]

Also, will you be renting a furnished or unfurnished apt? Keep in mind, unfurnished means TOTALLY unfurnished. No stove or curtains or anything. If renting unfurnished (prices much cheaper), you'll need a guarantor which your company will have to provide. And then to go buy everything which can take time.

When were browsing for a place, we saw only places who would come unfurnished, but they all had the kitchen (cabinets + stove) already installed and available for use.
I wouldn't suggest to rule out "unfurnished" places based solely on the kitchen issue. In my experience, when browsing house ads the descriptions sometimes were inaccurate. One real estate agent told us that rentals in certain area went away so quickly that they didn't even waste time to put up the ad on the various real estate websites. Better check in person, leave your number and e-mail directly, along with a description of what you are looking for.

 

[citygirl]

Serafina - yes, cabinets always but often they will have no appliances (stove, refrigerator, etc) unless they are built in. Although perhaps that has changed, I haven't rented in a long time. And I completely wouldn't rule out an unfurnished apt either but it is something to be aware of when looking at renting. At least I was shocked when I looked at unfurnished places as it was very different from what I had assumed (that they would come with stove, refrigerator, blinds on windows, etc). Not a deal breaker but just something I point out to newbies.

Back when I rented, I ran the math and it wound up being not a big cost diff to rent a furnished vs renting unfurnished and buying. And certainly a lot less headache. *

*Assuming you aren't staying here forever and assuming you don't (as in my case) have family/friends that will give you lots of stuff to furnish the apt.

 

[Girino]

In Italy unfurnished means "just the bare walls" and you have to install your own kitchen, but lately more and more "unfurnished" places actually have a basic kitchen already installed to lure potential renters (I don't know here, but in Italy a basic kitchen starts at $2000, which is a lot of money for a place which is not yours and a kitchen you don't know if you will be able to fit elsewhere if you move again in the future).
But it should be noted that in Italy 90% of the kitchen are stand-alone furnitures, whereas here in Argentina I saw many concrete-cabinets, which will be there forever (this also means that you will have old cabinets).

I suppose they could ask their company if they provide relocation services, including house hunting. This would simplify things a lot, since dealing with garantia is painful.