# Amueblada?



## Maggi3 (May 25, 2019)

Hola Todos,

I speak/read Spanish well so have been looking at local online sources for places to rent to get a sense of what is out there and how much rent they're charging. 

One thing I've noticed is that many homes are not furnished, which makes sense, but also don't seem to come with appliances like fridges and stoves. 

From reading this forum, I know the advice is to look for long-term rentals once you get to your destination, which we plan to do. However, what happens if the _casa de mis sueños_ is not amueblada? We're only planning to be in Mexico for about 1 year and are not bringing our US furniture. Do people rent appliances? Furniture? Or do I just forgo the local ads and stick to the more tried & true avenues (like vivanuncios)?

Gracias in advanced!
Maggie


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Sometimes you can find an unfurnished place with a stove but as a rule they come without stove or fridge so for a year,, it seems that you need to find a furnished place . You can always buy second hand , cheap things but then you have to give them away when you leaveor sale them and it is just one more thing to do..


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

As far as rentng furniture have not seen any place that does it in smaller town.. Mexico City I do not know but smalller places forget it. The only furnityre I have ever rented are hospital bed and even that is not easy.. I wanted an electric one in San Cristobal de las casas and found out there was one bed for rent in a city of 150 000 people and of course it had just been rented so good luck on regular furniture.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

You can find furnished places for rent. It is maybe less common than unfurnished but they are available. As you have noted unfurnished means really unfurnished. They will not have a stove or refri, they won't have light fixtures and may not have light bulbs. You might even have to buy toilet seats.


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## almot (Aug 25, 2012)

Maggi3 said:


> One thing I've noticed is that many homes are not furnished, which makes sense, but also don't seem to come with appliances like fridges and stoves.


They are often lacking kitchen furniture as well. The sense of this I personally would question, but Mex nationals have different set of values. Kitchen cabs are a value in the eyes of a local, so he rips them off the wall when selling or renting out. In detached homes sometimes all you see is a primitive cement counter, tiled on top, with a curtain covering the front. In apartments things are "usually" more civilized, there is a stove. To my estimates, buying a secondhand and very basic set of furniture for one-two people will pay for itself in 6 months or less, considering how much they want for a furnished place. "Segunda" stores do exist.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Sexond hands stores in many towns are just crap and expensive for what you get. I also would not get a mattress there either. There are some towns with decent second hhands towns usually where there are foreigners or lots of people in general but in smaller towns forget that so it all depends where you end up settling. Some of the furnshed places include dishes.. You have to buy quite a bit to live comfortably for a year.. or at least I do and then you have the fun task of giving it away when you leave because you are too busy setting up a sale and still ive in some of the furniture... Dor one year forget the house of your dream, be practical and rent furnished unless you want to basically camp out.


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## TurtleToo (Aug 23, 2013)

> Do people rent appliances? Furniture? Or do I just forgo the local ads and stick to the more tried & true avenues (like vivanuncios)?


Hola, Maggie, and welcome!

I second the advice that it is best to rent a furnished house or apartment for a period of six months to a year. However, that does not preclude using local sources to search for rentals. In many places both furnished and unfurnished rentals will be advertised locally. Also many cities have an active (Spanish) Facebook rent/sell page. 

Don't worry--the "house of your dreams" will be furnished! 

.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

yes RV interesting typo "sexond" for second hand .. . wonder what I was thinking about.. My


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Maybe it was the coffee!


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## almot (Aug 25, 2012)

"the house of your dreams" has to be furnished ineed, either by you or not . This is going to cost you. Pursuing a dream when it's just a temporary living, is nice but not practical. Whatever you can put up with, should be it, IMO. I would rent unfurnished if it were longer than a year, but for one year this is more stress for not much savings. Segundas are bustling businesses in big cities, they don't throw away things that people in the states do, so prices are not really cheap. Many people can sleep on a foam mattress and have a couple of plates and pots in the kitchen so the last day give-away is a not problem, but everybody's standards are different. If you can't live comfortably without 65" TV and 26 cu.ft fridge, you either have to buy it or rent some really expensive place. If you still decide to rent unfurnished, bring at least something like Thermarest to sleep in your new place initially, and basic cookware. Or live in short-term furnished rentals until you get everything in your long-term rental, but this again is going to cost you. 

There is a very good chance that you will have to buy something even when it's furnished (and then throw away, yes).


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Actually throw away is only a way of speaking, put them on the sidewak and they will disappear extremely quickly.


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## almot (Aug 25, 2012)

Getting rid of the stuff is easy, you can sleep the last night on whatever you have, or go to the nearest hotel. Finding a place (and furnishing it, if necessary) will take a bit more involvement.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

almot said:


> They are often lacking kitchen furniture as well. The sense of this I personally would question, but Mex nationals have different set of values. Kitchen cabs are a value in the eyes of a local, so he rips them off the wall when selling or renting out. In detached homes sometimes all you see is a primitive cement counter, tiled on top, with a curtain covering the front. In apartments things are "usually" more civilized, there is a stove. ...


I’m not trying to pick a fight, but I got a gut reaction to the “more civilized” comment. I don’t think kitchen cabinets make a place more civilized. I happen to have a concrete counter top at both my homes in Toronto and in Mexico (they’ve become quite trendy -Google it), and I hardly think that a curtain covering the space underneath is somehow less civilized. It actually makes sense during the rainy season, as the better air circulation with a curtain makes that space less prone to mould than if it were closed in. 

Definitions of “civilized” are both personal and cultural. I know many Mexicans (and other Latin Americans) consider the treatment of frail elders in the US and Canada as uncivilized, warehoused as too many are in long-term care facilities. I have worked in nursing homes, and I admire the many low-paid front line workers who do their best to care for the vulnerable residents, but they simply cannot make up for a family that rarely visits... I know there are exceptions on both sides of the border (for better and for worse), but in general I think Mexicans’ treatment of their elderly - keeping them ensconced in the heart, hearth and home of the extended family - is much more civilized and compassionate than “out of sight, out of mind”.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

open shelving make a lot of sense in a humid climate.. no mildew in the dark corners and the cucarachas are easy to spot no place to hide like they do in the kitchen cabinnet. The curtain makes sense to cut down on the dust. It s all a question of what you can afford and what you are used to not a question of civilization.... We had little curtains in France too under the sink that was more like a pila in the old days..


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## almot (Aug 25, 2012)

Opening shelving or not, but when there is no shelving or cabinets of any kind, and no stove.... Where I am, it is more dusty than humid, thus - doors on cabinets and counters. Cucarachas will find their way in with or without doors/curtains. Proper doors help against mice too, though they could chew their way in through the back.

It is not uncommon for a landlord (in any country) to try and give as little as possible while charging up to the limit of what the market can bear, but when the home is not livable the way it is offered up for rent, it can be shocking. Their standards of living are lower (hopefully this term will sound more agreeable to those sensitive to such things). Lower standards, thus lack of what we used to consider a must, a norm.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

It can be the same way in France because people who rent , rent long term and do their own remodelling and set up their own kitchen so it is not just because the country is poor it is cultural as well.
My parents rented in Paris from 49 to 1980 during that time they had a small one bedroom then a small two bedroom place when the neighbor next door died and then they rended the two and remodelled them to make a 3 bedroom. They paid for the remodelling.
. They also had to pay a " pas de porte" also known as batsheesh in cash to the manager in order to get the second place and open the place up. It was a rent control place so it was worth it to them and they bought a house in the country for week.end and retirement.. Different set of mind..
No it is not always the landlord wanting to make more money ..


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

almot said:


> Opening shelving or not, but when there is no shelving or cabinets of any kind, and no stove.... Where I am, it is more dusty than humid, thus - doors on cabinets and counters. Cucarachas will find their way in with or without doors/curtains. Proper doors help against mice too, though they could chew their way in through the back.
> 
> It is not uncommon for a landlord (in any country) to try and give as little as possible while charging up to the limit of what the market can bear, but when the home is not livable the way it is offered up for rent, it can be shocking. Their standards of living are lower (hopefully this term will sound more agreeable to those sensitive to such things). Lower standards, thus lack of what we used to consider a must, a norm.


If I’m sensitive to language used when referring to “locals” in Mexico, it’s because “they” happen to be my family and friends. My husband is Mexican and I feel very much at home culturally in Mexico, regardless of the socioeconomic stratum of the people I’m visiting. 

In terms of landlords getting away with high rents for some deplorable units, I don’t know where you are from in Canada, but in Toronto rents are through the roof, and some of the places on offer certainly don’t meet what I think most of us would consider basic standards. According to several young people (e.g. recent university grads) I’ve spoken with in the last couple of years looking to rent a place, there are some complete dives of highly questionable legality being rented for ridiculous amounts in this fair city of ours.


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## almot (Aug 25, 2012)

citlali said:


> It can be the same way in France because people who rent , rent long term and do their own remodelling and set up their own kitchen so it is not just because the country is poor it is cultural as well.


Maybe. In the US or Canada it is rather uncommon to remodel a rental place unless this is a really long term like 5 years or more. In big cities, especially in apartment buildings rented with 6-12 months lease, nobody does this. It is ready to move in.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

almot said:


> Maybe. In the US or Canada it is rather uncommon to remodel a rental place unless this is a really long term like 5 years or more. In big cities, especially in apartment buildings rented with 6-12 months lease, nobody does this. It is ready to move in.


I think rental laws are different in different countries. In Germany, people live in apartments for years. The laws prevent landlords from evicting people. So, maybe it is not surprising that renters are willing to invest in improvements.


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## almot (Aug 25, 2012)

ojosazules11 said:


> If I’m sensitive to language used when referring to “locals” in Mexico, it’s because “they” happen to be my family and friends.


Good for you. Unfortunately philosophical debate on relation between civilization, level of comfort and poverty doesn't help tenants, when appliances and/or built-in furniture are missing they are still missing


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Almot,
If those things are not expected, in the area you are investigating, they are not "missing". 
If there is no room for a refrigerator, it may be that the culture expects you to shop for fresh meat and vegetables daily.
If there is no western-style toilet, but a 1M square with a hole and two footpads, you are expected to squat, and wash your hand with the water provided.
If the water is not hot, you may be expected to build a fire at the bottom of the hot water heater 20 minutes before you wish to bathe.
If the kitchen has no range, and no place for one, you are expected to cook on a single kerosene burner that you place on the countertop.
If the house has no heating system, you are expected to dress accordingly in wintertime.
Just a few examples from my experiences living "abroad".
You adapt, or you will be very unhappy.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

almot said:


> Good for you. Unfortunately philosophical debate on relation between civilization, level of comfort and poverty doesn't help tenants, when appliances and/or built-in furniture are missing they are still missing


Exactly. So instead of qualifying such facts with words like loaded words like "civilized", indicating a sense of superiority, it is more respectful to the culture of the host country to simply state the facts. 

Often rental units in Mexico will not include appliances or kitchen cabinets. Period. 

Often toilets in some Asian countries are squat style facilities. 

Often toilets in Mexico will not have toilet seats. 

Milk in Canada is sold in plastic bags (I still get comments from friends in the USA who think this is really weird...) 

Hockey is Canada's game. 

Just the facts.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Hockey is Canada's game. 
Just the facts. 

1. Hockey may be Canada's game, this year the cup will stay in the USA...
2. Your headline broke forum rule 1.8......


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

chicois8 said:


> Hockey is Canada's game.
> Just the facts.
> 
> 1. Hockey may be Canada's game, this year the cup will stay in the USA...
> 2. Your headline broke forum rule 1.8......


I’m guessing you know those last 2 lines in my previous post were intended as a friendly joke between Canucks... 

Which rule is 1.8? When I click on the “forum rules” link, it describes expectations of posters, but it doesn’t take me to a numbered list...


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

1.8 This Website is in the English language and any Contribution posted by you on the Website should be in the English language. =Amueblada?


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

chicois8 said:


> 1.8 This Website is in the English language and any Contribution posted by you on the Website should be in the English language. =Amueblada?


Oh, that wasn't me. I didn't start this thread...


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

ojosazules11 said:


> Oh, that wasn't me. I didn't start this thread...



You are correct,my apologies...


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## Maggi3 (May 25, 2019)

I appreciate the constructive responses to my original post. Thank you to those who helped with practical advice. I had to take a few days off of moving research for my own peace of mind.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Maggi3 said:


> Hola Todos,
> 
> I speak/read Spanish well so have been looking at local online sources for places to rent to get a sense of what is out there and how much rent they're charging.
> 
> ...


It all depends on the budget of the house; yes, you can find furnished houses, more expensive and mostly in touristic places. 
In general, they come with kitchen cabinets and stove, again, quality of them depends on the budget.
The vast majority of rental houses do not provide refrigerators 
And no, to my knowledge, there are not any places to rent appliances or furniture


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## oesgwynedd (Nov 15, 2007)

i also find it depends upon where you are living! San Miguel de Allende 7 years ago is NOT the SMA of today! I wouldn't even consider going back there. Rents are 3 times what they were then. There were some nice homes.......reasonable prices. Los Frailes I had a great home unfurnished.....omg the prices now!
Guanajuato is a bigger town, a COLLEGE town and you can find reasonable rents, unfurnished and used furniture.
Celaya has the big box stores........unfurnished are just as was said, no cabinets etc. and expensive furnished.....
basically just decide what you can and cannot deal with or without. I had a trailer hitch put on back and bought a small enclosed LOCKABLE trailer. As I show dogs, I had to bring ALL of my Dog showing equipment down with me. Once there I found locals that are leaving (all the time) have sales. you just have to put it out what you are looking for and getting to the sale first.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

"If you can't live comfortably without 65" TV and 26 cu.ft fridge"

Where did the OP indicate she wanted that?


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

ojosazules11 said:


> Hockey is Canada's game.
> 
> Just the facts.


Well, perhaps at least for this night, basketball is Toronto’s game.
We the North.
Go Raptors! 

(For those who don’t follow such things, the Toronto Raptors just won the NBA Championship. The streets are alive...)


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