How soon is soon enough?

[lolapls]

Hi all!

My girlfriend and I are moving to Lima in August. We want to find a job and a place to live (a room in a shared home would be ideal), but my question is... how soon is soon enough? I mean, do we start looking for rooms asap or wait until we are there? Paying for hostel/hotel while in Lima is not ideal, and jobs.. well I doubt we will get hired without going to interviews.

What are your suggestions in this matter? Thank you in advance!

Lola

[Followthesun]

Lola,
I would suggest looking in ubania.pe or even craigslist.org for apartments.
There are other sites that can be found by doing a search or even searching in expatperu.
Some apartments do not come available for a few months or others may have additional units in the future.
As far as employment, you will need a work visa to be legal.
This is far easier said than done. I know expats that have waited over 2 years for the work visa.
You could do work where the employer pays you - under the table - and probably a lot less than if legal.
You are doing the correct steps by asking questions here.

Best wishes

[chi chi]

Finding a room to rent is easy. Many places like kiosks, supermarkets, Western Unión offices, some pharmacies have a billboard where small adds are hung up. Local papers and especially the Sunday's edition of ElComercio has loads of adds for room. Don't look at websites in English as many landlords who advertise on them are aiming at 'gringos' thus they charge a highly inflated price.

When you found a room that you would like to rent then never pay the advertised price. Always negotiate. Landlords think that gringos a more reliable when it comes to paying the rent and maintaining their property in good order so that works in your advantage to get a cheaper rent.

Lima has loads of 'hoods' and rundown áreas and shantytowns. If you want to live in a nice área then expect to pay more than back home and still have to watch your back all the time. Even during the day.

Getting a job is hard, especially if you don't have a work visa because an employer must be willing to sponsor your workvisa and must prove that he can't find a Peruvian to fill the position.

I also suggest that you look for a place to rent after you found a job. Lima is a big city and you don't want to sit every day hours on the bus to get to and from work. Wages are low, so busfares will take a chunk out of your budget.

Be aware that the cost of living is very high in Lima and the wages are very low. Many things cost more than in Europe nowadays.

Last year, my gf and I moved to Spain as the cost of living is lower but the wages are 5 times higher in Spain.

I suggest that you bring with you a lot of saving to support yourself whilst you are looking for a job and to supplement the probably low wage you will get.
The average wage in Peru is much lower than the wellfare payments in Europe. You even have to pay for education and medical care in Peru.

[mammamia]

Getting a job is hard, especially if you don't have a work visa because an employer must be willing to sponsor your workvisa and must prove that he can't find a Peruvian to fill the position.

Let's be frank with Lola: getting a work visa is almost impossible unless you're an experienced civil engineer or a doctor or a professional that a Peruvian company can't get hold of inside the country. Even if you have a teacher's degree it might take a few months and sometimes even years for a school to offer you a contract. So, most probably, your job options will be limited to semi-illegal positions like a part-time teacher at a school or language academy, but you shouldn't be too worried about working illegally, yes, it might sound and feel quite uncomfortable but Peruvian authorities aren't as strict in this regard as their US or EU counterparts.

[Sergio Bernales]

Getting a job is hard, especially if you don't have a work visa because an employer must be willing to sponsor your workvisa and must prove that he can't find a Peruvian to fill the position.

Let's be frank with Lola: getting a work visa is almost impossible unless you're an experienced civil engineer or a doctor or a professional that a Peruvian company can't get hold of inside the country. Even if you have a teacher's degree it might take a few months and sometimes even years for a school to offer you a contract. So, most probably, your job options will be limited to semi-illegal positions like a part-time teacher at a school or language academy, but you shouldn't be too worried about working illegally, yes, it might sound and feel quite uncomfortable but Peruvian authorities aren't as strict in this regard as their US or EU counterparts.

Excellent point. Perhaps the OP is planning to work illegally.

[lolapls]

Hi again!

Thank you all for your answers. I can work legally since I am peruvian, however my girlfriend speaks a little Spanish so I guess her options are limited. At least more limited than mine... So I guess she will have to work illegally. I think it's dreaming to consider a work visa if we are staying less than a year in Peru.

Is the craiglist in Peru less scary than the one in the USA? I have had really good transactions with the american one, but I know you have to be super careful too. Adondevivir.com always says "desde S/. XXX", makes me feel they'll change the price if I tell them we are calling from abroad.

Will it be better to hostel around until we find a place? It seems easier to being in Lima to be able to find a place to live.

Thanks again to all!

[Followthesun]

Lola,

Staying at a hostel would make sense as you can then get an idea what sections of Lima would interest you.
You probably can negotiate a better rate if you plan to stay 10 or more days, just ask.
You need to use caution when using any internet site - very difficult to resolve problems.
Being you are Peruvian, that helps with getting a decent paying job - legally.
Please use common sense when reading some posts here - doing things illegal have consequences.

Again, best wishes...

[chi chi]

Will it be better to hostel around until we find a place? It seems easier to being in Lima to be able to find a place to live.

Thanks again to all!

I suggest that you stay in a hostel and then have a look around. If you find a neighbourhood that you like then you can start looking for a place in that area.

The best place to find places to rent is Sunday's edition of ''ElComercio''. Buy it early in the morning as affordable priced places go quick.

San Miguel is a nice and safe district and the rents are (still) affordable.

Never pay the advertised rent. Always negotiate a lower rent and make sure that the contract states what's included in the rent and what's not.

Always ask the person who rents out the property proof that he's the owner of the property. Ask him to show you the Titulo de Propriedad and his DNI.

Never rent a place that's still occupied. It often happens that current tenants move out later or not at all.

When you move in...CHANGE THE LOCKS. To avoid that the previous tenants or the landlord makes an unwanted visit.

Before renting the place, check out the area and the building both during the day and at night. Some areas are nice during the day but become a no-go area after dark. And many Peruvians love to put the volume of their ''equipo'' at full blast all night long. You don't want them as neighbours.

If you rent a place that has a street view then expect to hear a lot of horns, caralarms and noisy combis passing by. Few homes in Peru have double glazed windows.

If a place is advertised for a much lower rent than usual in that area then bells should start ringing. It could be a scam or the place might have neighboors from hell.

Always ask for a receipt for anything you pay to the landlord.

Make sure that the water and electricity meter are independent. Often landlords don't tell their tenants if the meters are 'compartido' so you might end up paying the bill of your landlord who lives in the flat next door.

[KenBE]

And many Peruvians love to put the volume of their ''equipo'' at full blast all night long. You don't want them as neighbours.

LOl! This is hard to avoid in Peru, especially if you live in an apartment building in a middle class area (maybe not so much in "pituco" areas like Miraflores). Peruvians love to party and listen to loud music. I hope the OP likes cumbia and reggaeton