What areas of BA have underground power lines?

[sts7049]

looks are definitely deceiving even in PM. i looked in several buildings here and i found many to be disappointing in terms of quality. so just visit and evaluate in person before deciding.

 

[Sequoia1321]

looks are definitely deceiving even in PM. i looked in several buildings here and i found many to be disappointing in terms of quality. so just visit and evaluate in person before deciding.

Looks can be deceiving. Generally speaking living in an older building here actually means less maintenance and better quality.
Just get an inspection done before buying or renting (perhaps you may just need to change the water pump or something like this.)
Newer buildings especially those built in the early-mid 2000's have paper thin walls and such low quality components that you turn the doornob of your fancy new apartment and it is likely to come off in your hand. Elevators constantly break down. Mould grows due to lack of ventilation. Walls crumble due to ingression of water. Broken drains flood apartments and carparks. The list goes on. If you want quality you really need to pay top dollar and even then it is no guarantee.

Get something built up to the 80s and it is likely still going strong with minimal work ever having been done on it and much stronger bones to support any refurbishment you want to throw at it.

How do you tell if something is a look that's deceiving? I'm aware of builders using cheap material just good enough to get a sale, but trying to figure something like this out as an average buyer seems more difficult. For example, how can you know the quality of the internal components they use, such as the plumbing, the thickness of the walls etc.? Here in the USA a good real estate agent can help figure some of these things out, but not sure how that's done in BA.

 

[antipodean]

How do you tell if something is a look that's deceiving? I'm aware of builders using cheap material just good enough to get a sale, but trying to figure something like this out as an average buyer seems more difficult. For example, how can you know the quality of the internal components they use, such as the plumbing, the thickness of the walls etc.? Here in the USA a good real estate agent can help figure some of these things out, but not sure how that's done in BA.

Simply visit it and see and touch for yourself. If it looks or feels cheap, it probably is.
Never, ever, ever do anything just based on pictures unless you have someone who you trust with your life on the ground seeing it for you.

 

[sts7049]

Simply visit it and see and touch for yourself. If it looks or feels cheap, it probably is.
Never, ever, ever do anything just based on pictures unless you have someone who you trust with your life on the ground seeing it for you.

this.

once you walk in you will notice the cheap feel or lack of quality.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

Simply visit it and see and touch for yourself. If it looks or feels cheap, it probably is.
Never, ever, ever do anything just based on pictures unless you have someone who you trust with your life on the ground seeing it for you.

Does nobody ever order a structural survey before they commit to a purchase of hundreds of thousands of dollars? I can imagine cash buyers being reluctant to pay even more fees on a purchase but back in the UK where a financial loan would be dependent on a good survey report, people have learned the value of a thorough survey even when paying cash.
(Disclaimer: I have two architects in the family and my best friend is a Chartered Surveyor)

 

[antipodean]

Does nobody ever order a structural survey before they commit to a purchase of hundreds of thousands of dollars? I can imagine cash buyers being reluctant to pay even more fees on a purchase but back in the UK where a financial loan would be dependent on a good survey report, people have learned the value of a thorough survey even when paying cash.
(Disclaimer: I have two architects in the family and my best friend is a Chartered Surveyor)

See post #10.
From my observation few people seem to bother here however and even fewer people seem to take action against developers for faults and failures - they just slap it on the expensas of the condominium. Perhaps that and the fact that most are bought off the plan explains why those kinda of buildings get built and bought time and time again.

 

[jblaze5779]

A $5000 lesson that I learned in Argentina.

Move to the old building that still looks good. Do not move into the new building that is untested. Just because it's shiny and new doesn't mean it won't fall apart a month into your lease and then you end up getting charged in the expenses to repair everything.

 

[jantango]

Yes, I imagined Puerto Madero would have underground power lines. Cool looking area and seems very modern. One of the downsides to there I imagine is maybe that it's lacking the BA original vibe. Will have to see for myself.

You hit the nail on the head. When I walk in Puerto Madero, it's like walking in a deserted town. The residents don't walk; they go to the garage and get in their cars. One of the things I like most about BA is that it's a walking city where you meet real people on the street and in stores, etc. There is a feeling of community. It reminds me of my childhood in Chicago, when we knew all the families on our block and we said hello. Surely that doesn't happen in Puerto Madero. It's nice meeting neighbors on the street who stop for a chat in Balvanera.

 

[Ries]

More importantly, which areas of Buenos Aires have underground pneumatic tubes that could deliver the mail?

El correo neumático de Buenos Aires

(De Otto Carlos Miller ) Hoy, Internet mediante, en pocos minutos podemos escuchar una partita de Juan Sebastián Bach, consultar libros y...

serdebuenosayres.blogspot.com

 

[Sequoia1321]

You hit the nail on the head. When I walk in Puerto Madero, it's like walking in a deserted town. The residents don't walk; they go to the garage and get in their cars. One of the things I like most about BA is that it's a walking city where you meet real people on the street and in stores, etc. There is a feeling of community. It reminds me of my childhood in Chicago, when we knew all the families on our block and we said hello. Surely that doesn't happen in Puerto Madero. It's nice meeting neighbors on the street who stop for a chat in Balvanera.

Are there some neighborhoods in between that have some of the best of both worlds? I watched some of this Buenos Aries Walk, I think it's close to Puerto Madero. So far the neighborhood seems clean, has no utility wires, but does seem to have some of that BA original vibe or architecture.