Ecuador Expat Forum

FrankNichols
Joined 2017
Posts: 79

6 years ago

House Shopping advice - CUENCA ONLY

6 years ago

Another question:

Background:

We have been in Cuenca for 1 1/2 weeks now, and have about 1 1/2 weeks left to go. We have been riding the buses around "sight seeing" and walking miles and miles.
We are starting to have a feel for the area around the center of Cuenca and are ready to get a little more serious about our house hunting. Our goal this trip is to decide if we are going to move to Ecuador - one of the criteria is to find a place we would like to live - potentially the rest of our lives.

Our "plan" at this point is to live in Ecuador as a home base. Something acceptable to us, bare minimum and safe, so we can save as much money as possible which will then be spent on traveling abroad as often as we can save up enough for a trip or a week or so. We are in our late 60's and figure we will be up to traveling another 10 maybe 15 years before we will want to settle down - probably in Ecuador.

We are NOT rich Norte Americanos (compared to most Gringo's from what I have read), we live on SS alone. However we are lucky in that we both are healthy.

So with that in mind, we are looking for the following in a home/house - and would appreciate any suggestions on where or how to look for it. We are NOT looking to rent right now, we are looking to make sure this criteria can be met and we can visit it and see it. If that works, that will be one more checkbox checked in our bucket list for deciding that Ecuador is our new home:

Criteria for house:

In or around CUENCA (lots of reasons and not worth reviewing for now, this may change later after we move here - we are well aware most people move several times before settling in - and some, 50%, leave within 3 years)

Rental: $400/mth or less (up to $800/mth for "heaven on earth, but it would significantly reduce our plans to travel and that is not desirable)

House size: 2 BR, 2 BA Minimum - don't really need more, but could ignore them if they fit everything else.

Partially furnished: Washing Machine, Stove, Refrigerator

Prefer ranch style single story, 2 stories max

Hot water

Around 500 square meters (or larger) of yard for two LARGE dogs.

Neighborhood shops in walking distance (3 to 4 blocks): restaurant, bakery, grocery store, stuff store

Open market within 1 to 2 km (walking distance)

Fiber optic internet must have good fast service.

Safe area (does anyone ever look for an unsafe area?)

Big dog and cats friendly (2 very big dogs, one small dog, 2 cats)

Security fence (too keep the BIG DOGS in, the dogs will keep the bad guys out.)

2-3 blocks to bus lines and, taxi (but not on the bus line - ie. clean air)

15-30 minutes by bus or taxi to center of Cuenca, colleges, malls, etc.

Thanks in advance for any and all tips on where to look, what we might want to change or rethink in our criteria, etc.

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Help others in Ecuador by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Ecuador.