# Relocating later this year - 2013



## kenwestphal (Apr 11, 2013)

Am looking to relocate to Manila area later this year. My company is located in Makati City in the Bonifacio Global City area.

It is my wife and I and a 9 year old daughter as well as a 17 year old son, and mother-in-law/nanny.

Any suggestions on where I should be looking to rent a home? Would really want a safe place with a pool, whether that be a condo or a single family home is open, just want it to be a nice place.

Any suggestions from the experts?


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

*Welcome*



kenwestphal said:


> Am looking to relocate to Manila area later this year. My company is located in Makati City in the Bonifacio Global City area.
> 
> It is my wife and I and a 9 year old daughter as well as a 17 year old son, and mother-in-law/nanny.
> 
> ...


Ken, First, welcome to the forum. Your company should find or provide housing for you and your family rather than leave it to you to do in a foreign country. 
I'm going to suggest that you first learn all you can about the Philippines as well as take an exploratory trip here before deciding on any move to be very sure this is where you want to bring your wife and especially children to live. This is a 3rd world country and far from making a move across town. I am suggesting this trip not just to make it easier but mostly out of legitimate safety concerns.


Best of luck...


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## raconnor (Oct 30, 2012)

kenwestphal said:


> Am looking to relocate to Manila area later this year. My company is located in Makati City in the Bonifacio Global City area.
> 
> It is my wife and I and a 9 year old daughter as well as a 17 year old son, and mother-in-law/nanny.
> 
> ...


It depends on your budget... I live in Global City, and it's one of the high-end areas here in the Philippines. That's great for being able to have security (I say that loosely as this is still the Philippines and there's always an inherit risk of danger anywhere you go--see the restaurant shooting thread to drive that point home) but on the flip side, everything is a LOT more expensive here. 

I moved to Global City from Baguio and the price I pay for rent tripled but the unit size is smaller than where we were... 

If you're in the low-end of budget, you can try renting at a place like Bonifacio Heights (since you're a large family, you'll have to get 2 units that have been combined). It's tecnically outside of Global City, but it's a very short ride there and it's located right between all of the military bases so the security is top notch. Has a pool, too. 

If you are in a mid-range budget, there are places like The Infinity if you're wanting a newer condo unit; you can try the "older" part of the area near The Tree and probably get more bang for your buck (condos like Blue Sapphire and those near it). Two Serendra could also be considered mid-range for Global City, I think. 

If you have a high-end or a subdivision that is actually secure, you can try looking at the super-luxury condos such as Essensa or One Serendra (condos) or Mahogany Place or Forbes (subdivisions). You'll be shelling out big $$ for these places. 

It'd be good if you could get your company to help you out in finding a place because they will probably have your best interests at heart. I've been in marketing for years and have a few in-laws that are in real estate here and I can assure you that having an agent who really cares about YOU and not just selling homes to you will be hard to find. All agents are going to see you as a cash cow and do everything they can to get a bigger commission from you so be careful. 

Like I tell everyone who starts these "I'm moving to the Philippines...where should I live" threads, the more information you can provide the people on this board, the more likely you are to get a proper answer. 

Taguig City (where BGC is) has to be one of the most extreme places in the whole country. One minute you're standing in the middle of a luxury mall where they're selling $8,000 watches and then a jeepney ride later, you're in the middle of the shadiest places where they're hocking knock-offs for 85 pesos while they steal your wallet.


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## kenwestphal (Apr 11, 2013)

I will be traveling to Manila multiple times before the move so yes I will definetly check it all out first. My company will help with the move/relocation and provide a housing and schooling allowance probably in the $3500/1500 respectively per month range.

I am trying to nail down some areas so I can better judge the expense side of things to have in mind during negotiation.

Prefer to have a house with pool and 24/7 security in the neighborhood and would be willing to spend over my monthly allowance if needed to secure a very safe home in a good neighborhood area with other expats.


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## raconnor (Oct 30, 2012)

kenwestphal said:


> I will be traveling to Manila multiple times before the move so yes I will definetly check it all out first. My company will help with the move/relocation and provide a housing and schooling allowance probably in the $3500/1500 respectively per month range.
> 
> I am trying to nail down some areas so I can better judge the expense side of things to have in mind during negotiation.
> 
> Prefer to have a house with pool and 24/7 security in the neighborhood and would be willing to spend over my monthly allowance if needed to secure a very safe home in a good neighborhood area with other expats.


That's a decent budget to get a nice secure location. Forbes Park would be the best place to live.. it is home to the a-listers, foreign ambassadors, and the richest of the rich but it's going to blow your budget. It'd take around $10,000 per month (or more) to live around there, I'd say. 

For your budget I would say check out Mahagony Place 3. It'd be secure, give you a townhouse like you're looking for (though there are a lot of duplexes.. so you might have to go to the high end of your budget to get a stand alone). 

Off hand I can't think of a subdivision that is often rented where there are a lot of private pools... most subdivisions are owned by 1 company and there is 1 community pool within the compound.

If you are interested in a condo, checking out Serendra One would be a good bet. It's going to be at the top of your budget, too, for a 3 bedroom (it will also have a decent "maid's room" which is probably where your MIL or daughter could stay) it'll be around $3500 to $4000 per month I'd guess. 

To keep your budget down, there's also Serendra Two which is the same company but the units are a bit smaller. 

Condos are going to be your safest bet.. you'll have 24/7 security and you'll be hundreds of feet in the air. 

Do you plan on driving here? Traffic can be a bit of a nightmare, but public transportation is pretty decent in Global City so if you don't plan on having a car, you should not have too much trouble getting around. They have a bus system that goes all around BGC + there's a bus that heads out from Market! Market! to EDSA so you can get on the MRT fairly easily as well. 

If you do plan on driving, you can try to look toward some other places in Makati (I'm not really familiar with that area, though, so I don't have any names on hand to suggest) 

If you are ok with being in a unit on the very outskirts of BGC, you can try looking at Essensa (both Cameron and Lawton tower).. it's located at the very entrance of Global City coming along Lawton Ave. on what is known as "millionaire's row"... it's a nice luxury place to stay at and there aren't a lot of people running around because it's on the very edge of BGC.

If you are OK with being very near BGC but not actually in it, you might want to check out what is called "McKinley Hill".. it's a really neat place and has a lot of Italian inspiration. There's Tuscany Private Estates (condo) which would give you a nicely sized unit and fit your budget. There's also McKinley Hill Village where you might be able to snag a nice house and lot that would fit the "subdivision" bill. 

Lots of events happen at McKinley hill and they're putting up a new mall there (complete with a replica Venice canal) and there are lots of restaurants / shops within walking distance... it's a nice little city within a city within a city. 

They're also working on a place called McKinley West but I'm not sure when it is going to be finished.. it's going to be a massive subdivision which would probably be more what you're looking for; not sure if there will be anything available there by the end of this year, though. 

McKinley Hill is also right near C5 and the British International School and Chinese International School. Not sure on the cost of those schools, but if you're living in McKinley Hill they're just a hop, skip, and a jump away.

International School Manila (sort of the American International School) is going to run about $20,000 for a full year ($12,000 paid in USD and the other paid in PHP) for your oldest and probably around $10,000 (again, split between USD and PHP) for your youngest. So I'm not sure if your school allowance would be per child or total... ISM is located right inside BGC, not too far away from Market!Market! (and the new SM mall that's going up).. about a 10-15 minute drive from Serendra One, I'd say. Maybe less.

Hopefully that gives you at least a few ideas to check out... I think there are a few more guys on this board that live in the BGC area so they might be able to shed some light on places I'm not familiar with.


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## kenwestphal (Apr 11, 2013)

I believe my company would supply a driver so that should not be an issue. I believe it is $1500 per child allowance for school and my 17 year old may actually do online college courses as well so not sure he will actually attend a school there.

Thanks for your advice. Do you know of any realtor or service that has a decent website that i could review homes from and possibly line up visist during travel to PHP prior to the move? Dont really need this yet, but wanted to do my homework first.


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## raconnor (Oct 30, 2012)

kenwestphal said:


> I believe my company would supply a driver so that should not be an issue. I believe it is $1500 per child allowance for school and my 17 year old may actually do online college courses as well so not sure he will actually attend a school there.
> 
> Thanks for your advice. Do you know of any realtor or service that has a decent website that i could review homes from and possibly line up visist during travel to PHP prior to the move? Dont really need this yet, but wanted to do my homework first.


Not a lot of realty sites like you'd find in the US. checking out the local classified sites here would probably be your best bet of scoping it out online: 
sulit.com.ph
ayosdito.ph

just doing a search for "serendra one rent", etc. will be your best bet


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## kenwestphal (Apr 11, 2013)

Thanks I really appreciate it. My family likes to have adventures and have relocated across America a few times, but this will be our first foray into International relocation so we are really wanting to make sure we think it through well and find a really solid place.


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## TheEndofDays (Apr 13, 2011)

Just like what others have said, it would be great to just stay within BGC since your office and the international school are there, and basically it's an expat enclave.

And since this is a company-sponsored relocation, you should "harass" your employer to help you out on the arrangements.


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## Annat789 (Apr 29, 2013)

If you're willing to add another US$500-1000 to your housing budget, you should be able to get a house with a pool in Magallanes Village or Bel-Air, both subdivisions around 15 minutes from BGC. If you're lucky, you may even get one in Dasmarinas Village - an exclusive village right next to Forbes Park.
Coming from the US I would say that the International School Manila would be the best choice for your daughter - it follows the American curriculum so it would make it easier for your daughter to adjust. It's a pretty good school with very good facilities (although admittedly I think the British School across the road is better academically, and in terms of pastoral care.) 
I hope this helps and good luck with the upcoming move!

PS. Security in the above villages is all pretty good.


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## frankjacobi (Apr 30, 2013)

Gene and Viol said:


> Ken, First, welcome to the forum. Your company should find or provide housing for you and your family rather than leave it to you to do in a foreign country.
> I'm going to suggest that you first learn all you can about the Philippines as well as take an exploratory trip here before deciding on any move to be very sure this is where you want to bring your wife and especially children to live. This is a 3rd world country and far from making a move across town. I am suggesting this trip not just to make it easier but mostly out of legitimate safety concerns.
> 
> 
> Best of luck...



I totally agree with you. If you want to relocate from one country to another then make sure that you are moving to the right area where you and your family is fully secured. You can visit their online real estate sites and check the rent options available.

Good Luck with your trip.


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