Furnished v. Unfurnished

Many of the furnished apartments start around $500- in the area near Carolina Park. There are usually many available- you can find them in the Sunday newspaper El Comercio or by walking around and finding For Rent signs.
I used to rent a 3bedroom unfurnished apartment in North Quito (Carcelen) for $350/month. Unfurnished means no fridge or stove usually.

I feel your pain Bob. One of the most important factors is what type of time frame are you looking at? That is a huge factor in determining the rent. I struggled with that very same issue. Do I want a lower monthly rent, or do I want to pay extra for a place I can check into, all inclusive, unpack my bag, and be good to go.
You probably don't want to hear this, but your very best option is to be in country, and do some scouting. There are still great deals to be had, as proved by MistyMeaner and the fantastic place she has. Totally furnished, and in an ideal location.
So, that presents the problem of what you do until you can locate that ideal rental, and my advise would be a hostel. That way you could have a place to crash to do you search, and once you find a place, you can book.  My tendency would be to find a place like MM's, so as not to burden myself with buying / selling all the household things you'd need.
In the end, I just purchased a place.... and now I have to go through all the hassle of furnishing it, but, my plans are for long range relocation, so then it's kinda fun to outfit the place, as it's yours.  So, in my case I rented a short term apartment to allow me a month to try to get my place set up.
You're a sharp guy, you'll figure something out that works for you.
Good Luck in your journey.
Neil

amyf wrote:

Unfurnished means no fridge or stove usually.

Thanks, Amy. That's what I understood, but it's good to have it confirmed. It makes furnishing a place (and moving) even more of a hassle and expense.

ZenSPIKE wrote:

So, that presents the problem of what you do until you can locate that ideal rental, and my advise would be a hostel. That way you could have a place to crash to do you search, and once you find a place, you can book.

Thanks, Neil. That's pretty much what I did here in the Philippines. They have things called 'apartelles' here -- roughly equivalent to Residence Inn or such places in the US: small studio apartments run like hotels. I stayed in a regular hotel for a few days, found an apartelle in a neighborhood I liked, and stayed there for a month while I looked around for a longer-term place.

I had figured I'd probably do something similar in Quito, and I've seen a few places offering short-term rentals. Prices tend to be higher, of course, but for a month or two that doesn't matter much.

ZenSPIKE wrote:

In the end, I just purchased a place.... and now I have to go through all the hassle of furnishing it, but, my plans are for long range relocation, so then it's kinda fun to outfit the place ...

I understand. We all have different goals. I don't want to buy, but if I stayed for a year or two and was convinced Ecuador was IT for me, then I might buy.

But I sort of like the idea of wandering from country to country. Quetzaltenango, Guatemala and Oaxaca, Mexico have possibilities as my next stop after Ecuador (though I wish they'd quit shooting at each other in those countries).

Bob

Also notice that sometimes, when you read furnished maybe is just and old fridge, stove and microwave, and old bed and one sofa.

Take a look on the place is very important. Also, you can add some furniture to your place looking for used ones, there's many adds in Gringo Tree and the newspapers.

Vinny

Bob,

Most of the apartments for rent here in Quito are not advertised on the internet.  Furnished apartments do exist on the higher end of your price range.  You will find here in Ecuador it is better to search for signs on the side of the building and call the numbers than it is to shop online for an apartment.

Mike

vinny66 wrote:

Also notice that sometimes, when you read furnished maybe is just and old fridge, stove and microwave, and old bed and one sofa.

Take a look on the place is very important. Also, you can add some furniture to your place looking for used ones, there's many adds in Gringo Tree and the newspapers.

Thanks, Vinny. It is amazing how landlords can exaggerate what they're offering, isn't it? That's something that's pretty much universal, of course.

If I buy used furniture/appliances, how easy is it to get delivery, or to rent a truck to get it delivered? (I suspect the answer will be -- 'It depends').

Themiddleoftheworld wrote:

Most of the apartments for rent here in Quito are not advertised on the internet.  Furnished apartments do exist on the higher end of your price range.  You will find here in Ecuador it is better to search for signs on the side of the building and call the numbers than it is to shop online for an apartment.

Thanks, Mike. It seems to be true pretty much everywhere in developing countries that the best way to find apartments is to pick out a good neighborhood and then just wander the streets.

But for now, the internet is all I have.

When you say "the higher end of your price range" -- I take it you're saying I should budget $400-$450 for rent. Is that about right?

Bob