# Guadalajara - Accommodation



## meltbaby (May 21, 2013)

Hey there guys,

I'm a newbie to this forum. Am coming to Guadalajara in August for 3 months to study Spanish. I am seeking advice on the best way to source short-term apartment (fully furnished, hopefully) to stay during this period.

I have identified few potential areas. For example, Chapultepec (Americas) and ProvidenciaI, or Centro Historic. 

My budget is up to 10,000 MXN or 800 USD and am looking 1 or 2 bed apartment. I don't know if this is a realistic figure. Although friends have said that for 7000 MXN you can get something really nice. But so far, I have not had any luck. I would be grateful if anyone can give me some pointer around the cost of rental in the define zones. 

I am current based in London but will travel back home to Santa Ana for a week before coming to GDL. 

Any advice, thoughts, experiences on sourcing real estate agents, or anything you think a newbie should know would be very much appreciated. 

Thanks alot
Dominik


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

If you are looking at online advertisements, you will see only the more expensive places. You might do better to look for longer term hotel, hostal or B&B options and do your looking on foot, in the neighborhood you wish. The school should also have options for homestay opportunities; the best way if you really want to practice el español.


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## meltbaby (May 21, 2013)

Hey there RVGRINGO
Thanks for the reply. I thought about the homestay option. Tell you, if I could turn back the clock for few years the idea would be very appealing. But being 40 yrs of age home sharing is no longer an option. Need my space and privacy


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## kito1 (Aug 4, 2012)

meltbaby said:


> Hey there RVGRINGO
> Thanks for the reply. I thought about the homestay option. Tell you, if I could turn back the clock for few years the idea would be very appealing. But being 40 yrs of age home sharing is no longer an option. Need my space and privacy


Suck it up and do your first month in a home stay. <insert smiley face> you will learn a lot more being forced to use your new language but also you will get a built in family unit and their contacts which is very important in Latin America. They can help you to find a place for the remainder of your time there if you still want to do so.


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## meltbaby (May 21, 2013)

kito1 said:


> Suck it up and do your first month in a home stay. <insert smiley face> you will learn a lot more being forced to use your new language but also you will get a built in family unit and their contacts which is very important in Latin America. They can help you to find a place for the remainder of your time there if you still want to do so.


Lol. Say that I can't. Any advice wrt the questions posed.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

meltbaby said:


> Lol. Say that I can't. Any advice wrt the questions posed.


If cost is not a concern, then continue to look for a real estate agent or try craigslist and rent before you get here. 

If you want to save money, then book a short term rental and find a place after you arrive. The more economical places are never advertised online.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

Assuming you are going to a school .... can't they help you? All that I've gone to do. I know one school in Guad that advertises housing options on their site. Google "Guadalajara Language Center"


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## meltbaby (May 21, 2013)

TundraGreen said:


> If cost is not a concern, then continue to look for a real estate agent or try craigslist and rent before you get here.
> 
> If you want to save money, then book a short term rental and find a place after you arrive. The more economical places are never advertised online.


Hey there TundraGreen

So, I do have budget of $800 USD or less per month. I have to confess with no advance knowledge about the rental market in the 2 zones idenfieid if my budget is sufficient or too much. Again, never been to GDL or lacking the local knowledge perhaps using an estate agent is very uncommon, which seems to be the case. 

Is just that in the Uk we often utlise estate agents or browse through the web to source a place to live.
Thanks for the steer.


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## meltbaby (May 21, 2013)

sparks said:


> Assuming you are going to a school .... can't they help you? All that I've gone to do. I know one school in Guad that advertises housing options on their site. Google "Guadalajara Language Center"


So, yes. GLC does offer assistance with accommodation. But the info I've gather thus far suggests that GLC is not in central GDL but in place called Tlaquepaque. I am looking to stay in Zona Providencia or Americana. So, not sure how that will work.
Any suggestions?


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

yu should look for a place in Tlaquepaque not centro No need to commute. I have a friend who rentsan apartment there , I know where but do not have the info handy right now. I will get back to you.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

meltbaby said:


> So, yes. GLC does offer assistance with accommodation. But the info I've gather thus far suggests that GLC is not in central GDL but in place called Tlaquepaque. I am looking to stay in Zona Providencia or Americana. So, not sure how that will work.
> Any suggestions?


Just a note about geography:

The Guadalajara Metropolitan area is made up of about 8 municipalities that all run together to form one urban area. The largest ones are Guadalajara itself, Zapopan, Tlaquepaque, Tlajomulco and Tonalá. The Guadalajara Catedral is at the nominative center of the Guadalajara Metropolitan area.

Colonia Americana is located about 2 km due west of the Guadalajara Catedral. Colonia Providencia is in Zapopan, maybe 5 km northwest of the cathedral. And the GLC school appears to be near the center of Tlaquepaque, about 5 km southeast of the cathedral.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

meltbaby said:


> Hey there TundraGreen
> 
> So, I do have budget of $800 USD or less per month. I have to confess with no advance knowledge about the rental market in the 2 zones idenfieid if my budget is sufficient or too much. Again, never been to GDL or lacking the local knowledge perhaps using an estate agent is very uncommon, which seems to be the case.
> 
> ...


Providencia is a very upscale neighborhood. You will likely have trouble finding a place to live there within your budget. Americana is more mixed with some expensive parts and some more reasonable.

$800 usd is about $10,000 mxn/mo. Depending on your lifestyle, that means you probably want to stay under about $3000 pesos for rent. That is pretty easy to do, but not in the places that are marketed to foreigners. You can get a room in a shared house for about $1500/mo and a small one bedroom apt for around $2500.

The best way to find those is to be here and walk around the neighborhood you are interested in. Talk to the people in the corner grocery store. Look for signs "Se renta" on buildings.


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## mes1952 (Dec 11, 2012)

If you're adventurous you might try locating temporary places to stay (at low cost) thru Couchsurfing.com and Globalfreeloaders.com where you can stay in people's homes and get more local info on places to live.


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## meltbaby (May 21, 2013)

TundraGreen said:


> Providencia is a very upscale neighborhood. You will likely have trouble finding a place to live there within your budget. Americana is more mixed with some expensive parts and some more reasonable.
> 
> $800 usd is about $10,000 mxn/mo. Depending on your lifestyle, that means you probably want to stay under about $3000 pesos for rent. That is pretty easy to do, but not in the places that are marketed to foreigners. You can get a room in a shared house for about $1500/mo and a small one bedroom apt for around $2500.
> 
> The best way to find those is to be here and walk around the neighborhood you are interested in. Talk to the people in the corner grocery store. Look for signs "Se renta" on buildings.


Hey, thanks so much for the pointers - awsome. I should be bit clearer in the original email that $800 usd budget is specific for rent. Is that enough to find something of good quality in Providencia or Americana?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

meltbaby said:


> Hey, thanks so much for the pointers - awsome. I should be bit clearer in the original email that $800 usd budget is specific for rent. Is that enough to find something of good quality in Providencia or Americana?


That changes the situation. That is a lot of money for rent. I have a friend who rents a brand new 1 bedroom apartment in Chapalita for $7000 mxn/mo. Everyone who hears about it is shocked by the amount of rent he is paying. More typically, another couple I know rented a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house in Centro for $4200/mo. You should have no trouble finding a place for $10,000 or less anywhere in the city, unless your expectations include a luxury condo in some exclusive development.


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## meltbaby (May 21, 2013)

TundraGreen said:


> That changes the situation. That is a lot of money for rent. I have a friend who rents a brand new 1 bedroom apartment in Chapalita for $7000 mxn/mo. Everyone who hears about it is shocked by the amount of rent he is paying. More typically, another couple I know rented a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house in Centro for $4200/mo. You should have no trouble finding a place for $10,000 or less anywhere in the city, unless your expectations include a luxury condo in some exclusive development.


Awsome. You've just put my mind at ease. Any chance you can put me in touch with your mates (or friends). Like to know how they gone about in sourcing their temp accomm. I have no expectation of a luxury condo. Just something decent with everything at works (like good sewage connection etc). The challenge I may encounter now is the language difficulty (I don't speak spanish yet).
Dom


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## meltbaby (May 21, 2013)

Hey Moderator - thank you so much for sharing the geography with me> Is much appreciated


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

meltbaby said:


> Awsome. You've just put my mind at ease. Any chance you can put me in touch with your mates (or friends). Like to know how they gone about in sourcing their temp accomm. I have no expectation of a luxury condo. Just something decent with everything at works (like good sewage connection etc). The challenge I may encounter now is the language difficulty (I don't speak spanish yet).
> Dom


The guy with the new apartment found it from the sign on the apartment building. The couple with the house found it by seeing the sign on the building and then asking at a little restaurant next door.

If you are asking about where they lived before they found the apartment/house, in one case they had a home stay arranged for them. In the other, I do not know, but suspect he just had a hotel room. There are hundreds of them listed on any of the hotel listing sites on the web.


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## meltbaby (May 21, 2013)

Thanks Will


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## chiman (May 29, 2013)

Look for a real estate agent (Agente de Inmobiliaria in spanish)
A good way to find local places is to google "rentas guadalajara" and then maybe find an agent most likely they will speak English.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

chiman said:


> Look for a real estate agent (Agente de Inmobiliaria in spanish)
> A good way to find local places is to google "rentas guadalajara" and then maybe find an agent most likely they will speak English.


Why would you expect that a Mexican real estate agent in Guadalajara would speak English?


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## chiman (May 29, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> Why would you expect that a Mexican real estate agent in Guadalajara would speak English?


Big city, many English speakers specially since they have many USA companies and most likely those companies contact Real Estate agents to help employees relocate.
I'm sure not all of them speak English but they should have some that do (per agency)


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