Apartments, pads, flats, whatever you may call them, they're all the same.. its a place to live in.. a place you can call home.. a place where you can have space and just be yourself..
And thats where the problem lies..
Finding the right apartment is like finding the right shoes.. the one that suits you, fits and is comfortable.. If you plan to stay for a month, imagine wearing shoes that are too small or too big or literally scrape the skin of your foot for a whole month.. oh yes, that would be unbearable..
So what do we do? we plan...
You have to know how long you want to stay, how much your budget is and what you need.. Do you want it unfurnished? furnished? or semifurnished?
Dont worry, i will guide you through..
lets start with 1 bedroom apartments - 1 bedroom apartments for transients or (renters who stay for 1-30 days) are hard to find.. Students take most of these apartments and owners prefer long term renters.
So if you plan to stay for a week or so.. this blog is not for you.. I will post another blog just for you guys so please be so kind and bear with me for a while.. I cannot impart all that i know in one big poof..
Going back.. the question i am asked over and over and over again is this : "how much?" and my very smart, very thought of reply is: "which unit?".
Rates vary.. Rates depend on the location of the unit, the amenities included and what the unit looks like. Units located closer to the city proper cost more than those which are located 15 minutes away. The fact of the matter is, units nearer the city proper are more often than not, not as good looking as those farther away. Because, the target renters are students. So if you want a unit near the center, do not in any way expect to be given a classy unit with what you pay for.
Dont be discouraged. Baguio is a small city.. what is 15 minutes away from the city proper when you get to be comfortable in a nice, well built unit? Compare it to manila where you take an hour just to get from point A to point B.
So here are the usual rates excluding city services:
1 bedroom apartment
unfurnished (meaning bare) - ranges from P5000 - P8000
furnished (depending on amenities) - ranges from P8500 - 12,000
2 bedroom apartment
unfurnished - P6,000 - P10,000
furnished - P10,000 - P18,000
3 bedroom apartment
unfurnished - P8,000 - P15,000
furnished - P15,000 - P25,000
City services: (water, electricity, internet) would range from P500-P2,000 per month depending on how you use it.
Again, if you pay the minimum of every unit, do not expect much. I had one client who had a budget of P6,000/month for a 1 bedroom apartment ask me if the unit had a microwave! Please people...
Condominium units on the other hand are another thing, rates also vary with location and amenities..
1 bedroom -
furnished - 12,000 - 18,000
2 bedrooms -
furnished - 20,000 - 25,000
3 bedrooms -
furnished - 25,000 -35,000
I will have another blog with all available units posted so stay tuned!
