Saturday, January 22, 2011

Assistance in finding a place to live in Uruguay


  • Where will you live in Montevideo?:
Where will you live once you arrive in Uruguay? What are the alternatives? First of all you have to decide what is the best choice for the period of time you will be staying. For less than three months the best alternatives will be a hotel or hostel, or an apartment rented per day.
Hotels prices (per day):
2 Stars and Hostels: u$s 20 to 60, depending on the zone they are located.
3 Stars: u$s 40 to 100.
4 Stars: u$s 100 to 150.
5 Stars : u$s 150 to 250.
Apartments rented per day: u$s 40 to 100.

For periods longer than three months it will be better, and cheaper, to rent an apartment or house.

Furnished apartments prices per month:
Studio: u$s 300 to 600
One bedroom: u$s 500 to u$s 1000
Two bedrooms: u$s 700 to u$s 1500
Furnished houses prices per month:
U$s 700 to u$s 3000 depending on the zone.

The normal period for renting is one year, but some owners accept shorter periods, three or six months. At the moment of renting a guarantee is requested. The guarantee is usually an amount equal to six month´s rent to be deposited in a bank. This amount will be returned once the rent is finished. This guarantee will be used by the owner to cover unpaid rent or damages to the property.

A contract must be signed and in some cases additional expenses might be generated, like real estate agent fees or notary public charges.

Renting might generate further monthly expenses:
Common expenses: depending on the services provided might vary from u$s 50 to u$s 200.
Taxes: u$s 10 to u$s 100.
Electricity, gas, telephone, internet and cable TV: depending on usage.

All mentioned amounts are estimated and might vary.
  • What can I do for you?:
Once you decide to come to Montevideo, I can help you find a hotel, hostel or apartment. When you arrive I will meet with you to welcome you and give you general information on Uruguay and Montevideo, or the city where you will be staying, and clarify any further doubts or questions that you might have. I will remain available for further assistance as required.
If you decide to stay for a longer period, in Montevideo, I will assist you in finding an apartment.
I will be open and available for any additional requirements and needs.
  • What is included in my service?
We will meet and decide on what living accommodation you require. I will look for the apartment/house, accompany you to visit them and be your interpreter with the owner or real estate agent. Assist you in all negotiations, explaining and translating all the required paperwork, and accompany you to the signature of the contract and deposit of the guarantee in the bank.  I will be at all times available for further queries and assistance. The service will be absolutely personalized at all times.
  • Fees:
-          A fixed charge of u$s 200.
-          A fee equal to a one month rent if an apartment/house is rented for a one year period.
-          A fee equal to half a month rent if an apartment/house is rented for six or three months.

A Friend Away From Home

I too am a foreigner. I have the advantage of coming from a country that is just round the corner. But I spent most of my childhood and adolescence as a foreigner, so I understand very well what it like is to be away from home. We could say that I became an expert in creating a home away from home. In times when there was no Internet and no cell phones, one had to get used pretty fast to life in new, far away places. And it was at those moments when one learned to really appreciate a friendly face, a soothing voice and a warm handshake. One felt that even living in a different culture and hearing a different language, one could find, and one always did find, a friend to make one feel a little less lost and lonely. Uruguay is very similar to Argentina, so it took no effort for me to feel at home here. Specially when the reason that brought me here is a lovely Uruguayan lady. We´ll get into that later on. But it really amazed me to find such a large quantity of foreigners, mostly from countries that are not so close at hand, living in this beautiful country. I have had the opportunity of meeting some of them. And I thought: "wow, even if the weather is great, it must not be so easy living far away from countries like Canada, USA, Switzerland, India or France. But I have been there so I can understand the feeling. And then I thought, what can I do to help them feel less far away? Could I find a way of becoming their friend away from home? I would really like to. I know Uruguay and the Uruguayan culture very well. I speak some of their languages. I understand them. Yes, I think that might work. I´ll try to help them and become their friend. And that is what I want to do. I am here to help you, to understand you and to try to make your stay in this great country as pleasant as possible.
Just ask, we´ll see what we can do.
Alex