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Finding a house in Bogota ...

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mukerjicolombia
  6/10/2015 05:08 EST

Hi,

I'm moving from India to Bogota later this year on a job assignment.

Other than my child's school admission, the other big thing on my agenda is finding a house in Bogota.

I'd appreciate any assistance I can get in this regard.

Is the trend towards living apartments or independent houses?
Should I be considering gated communities or not? Which is safer?
Which areas of Bogota would you recommend I should live in?
Is there an Indian community in Bogota? Should I consider living in that area?
What are the approximate rents for apartments/independent houses in Bogota?
Do rented apartments/independent houses come with all furnishings - kitchen/furniture/electrical fixtures etc or do we have to buy them after taking an empty house on rent?

I know it's quote a lot of questions to start a post with ... but I wanted to put all that's on my mind on paper!

alelihomedecor
  6/10/2015 10:17 EST

Hi! For info on renting you can take a look at the following website www.pads.com.co....

They rent with furniture in some occasions but if there is any additional furniture you need I can give you a hand with my business. The webpage is www.alelihomedecor.com

Hope the info works for you!

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Exbury
  6/10/2015 11:15 EST

There is a lot about this in older posts in the forum but basically my thoughts are:

Is the trend towards living apartments or independent houses?
Most people opt for apartments (preferably with facilities such as swimming pool, gym etc.), some prefer having a house in a community but harder to find a good one. Getting a rental contract can be super difficult for foreigners so try to get your company to sort it out for you, or at least get them to arrange you a furnished apartment for 3months while you look.

Should I be considering gated communities or not? Which is safer?
Generally gated communities would be the safer choice for families in Bogota.

Which areas of Bogota would you recommend I should live in?
Traffic can be ridiculous so try to pick something that gets you easy to work. Level (Estrato) 4 and up would be recommended. If you give your rough work location (just street) you will probably get better recommendations. Bogota is a big and varied city.

Is there an Indian community in Bogota? Should I consider living in that area?
I have never heard of one myself, my personal thoughts is find somewhere you like, unless its a super-long job assignment.

What are the approximate rents for apartments/independent houses in Bogota?
Really varies, additional if furnished. Budget around $1000USD to $4000USD depending upon size, location, quality, Estrato.

Do rented apartments/independent houses come with all furnishings - kitchen/furniture/electrical fixtures etc or do we have to buy them after taking an empty house on rent?
Most dont come with furniture. Fixtures yes. Those that do are generally a fair bit more pricey. If you are staying more than 1yr generally best to buy your own stuff new, it will work out cheaper even if you gave the stuff away when you left.

broncoII
  6/10/2015 21:11 EST

Is the trend towards living apartments or independent houses?
In Bogota there are no independent homes. They call everything else apartments which are normally in multi level buildings.
My wife and I purchased a apartment (condo) 18 story building in North Bogota Cedritos. Gated entrances with security guards 24/7. Normally the farther north the safer and nicer it gets.
Good Luck

mukerjicolombia
  6/30/2015 02:21 EST

@alelihomedecor - Thank you very much for the information about PADS. The website looks promising and I will contact them to see if they can provide assistance in locating a suitable apartment.
As for your own offer to assist while reviewing my house interiors - I'll contact you once I have located and fixed an apartment in the city.

@Exbury - Thank you very much for the exhaustive and extremely helpful insights. This helps. Especially since I'm in Bogota now for a couple of weeks to recce the city for apartments/schools etc before getting my family in.

@broncoII - Thanks for the response. It'll be helpful as I compare renting versus purchase etc in the longer run.

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