Last updated on March 13th, 2015 at 04:21 pm
We have been on the road for 3 weeks now and the day before yesterday we moved into our longest rental yet. We found a longer term rental in Barranquilla and I am so glad we will be in one place for longer than 4 or 5 days. We decided to move from Cartagena, north along the coast, to find a rental in Barranquilla for a couple of reasons: It is expensive to rent for less than 6 months in Cartagena and groceries cost a lot more. Food prices were a lot like Canada in Boca Grande and that just didn’t work with our budget.
As far as looking for a rental in Cartagena we knew we would do better, cost wise, and we would try to find one while on the ground. Everything we found online is geared to vacationers which, you guessed it, is expensive. Another challenge is the divide in income levels is really wide, rich or poor with next to nothing in the middle. We just didn’t have the time, money or connections needed to find a suitable place in the middle income areas there.
We reached out to a travel blogger from Toronto, Will from I Will Travel, and he recommended a visit to Barranquilla. Will is working on a permanent move to Barranquilla and was in the city searching for a place as well. We found out it is really inexpensive ($19000 COP about $11 CDN each) to travel, very comfortably, from Cartagena to Barranquilla. The cost of a rental in Barranquilla and living expenses are much cheaper as well, so when our Airbnb stay was over in Cartagena we hopped in a shuttle van and arrived in Barranquilla an hour and a half later.
We had booked our first 4 days with another Air BnB rental in Barranquilla and planned to get on the on the street looking for a longer term place, collecting numbers to call almost immediately. Will, being very familiar with Barranquilla, recommended good areas to look and offered to help us talk with potential landlords.
We walked,
And walked
And walked
Up one street and down another collecting many phone numbers from signs posted in apartment windows. Will generously helped us with the calling but nothing seemed come together. So as our Airbnb reservation was coming to an end, feeling a tad bit panicked, we went back to the internet. I started to scour travel blogs and came across some great advice for finding longer term rentals on Travel with Benders blog. The post took me back online, looking in places I hadn’t checked before and back to some I had used in the past, and then we found it.
In the place we were sure it wouldn’t be. We managed to secure a rental for almost a month in the area we wanted for a price we could live with and we found it online! The a-ha’s for me were, yes, looking for a place on the ground you do have a chance of getting a better price for renting but most places for lease want 6 months to a year for a rental commitment and they don’t come furnished.It also is very beneficial to have a working grasp on the language of country you are looking in. We don’t speak Spanish well and that made our looking a lot more frustrating.
And, yes, there are monthly rentals to be found at good prices on vacation rental sites like Flipkey, VRBO, Holiday Lettings and Airbnb. Organic searches online can also lead to finding a rental in the city you are looking in and ultimately is how we found our furnished rental.
And last and maybe most important, ask for help from people. Try and get recommendations from locals you have met and search internet and contact travel bloggers to find out how they find rentals. There is so much helpful advice available on travel blogs for finding accommodation anywhere in the world.
I have always got help from travelers whenever I reached out with a question. We will be moving on next month and will need to find another furnished rental for a month or 2. Do you have any advice for finding budget friendly rentals when traveling? Please leave your ideas in the comments.
Adonis Villanueva
Hi Tracey,
Thanks for the post. I’m currently in the same situation as you now. I’m looking at AirBnB and the prices seem very inflated. Do you have any local contacts you can recommend?
Cheers,
Adonis
Tracey
Hey Adonis, here is a link to the fantastic Airbnb apartment we rented in Barranquilla https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/2203647?s=BPno90vw. Nazley, the host is absolutely incredible and her place is worth every penny; great location, really nice accommodation, and a terrific host.
Chip
Olx.com is a good source for finding an apt, and yes, there are some that are furnished.
Phillip James Rogers
I want a two bedroom or three, with two baths unfurnished. I need this apartment for the first of next month, please is there someone who can help me.??
Phillip James Rogers
I can pay as much as 700.000 a month for rent.
Laurel
Would you mind giving me some information on the rental place you found? I’m looking for a rental in Barranquilla but everything I have found is $1000 USD monthly. I’m afraid to get ripped off by conducting an organic search.
Tracey
Hi Laurel, the lovely lady we rented from isn’t renting her place anymore. Have you tried searching Airbnb Sublets? Organic searches make me nervous too. We rented an Airbnb apartment for a week in Barranquilla while we looked for a longer term rental. Airbnb hosts can be a great help looking for a permanent place. If you looking to rent long term, I highly recommend staying in an Airbnb for a couple of weeks so you can get out and investigate areas your are interested in renting in. We only stayed at an Airbnb for a week and literally found hundreds of places in the area we liked. Our problem was our lack of Spanish and the fact we needed a furnished apartment. If we had had another week in an Airbnb we would have had time to organize a rental that way, I know it. I wish I could help you more, I have reached out to a friend in Barranquilla to see if he has any connections with rental agents. If I hear back from him I will let you know.
Laurel
Thanks! 🙂 I’m sure something will turn up soon. I’ll try searching on Airbnb.
Phillip James Rogers
I live in Pereira. I want to move to the Bueno Vista area of Barranquilla. I am a retired school teacher from Arizona. I love this city and being near the water is a big plus. I am looking for an two bedroom unfurnished apartment. If you can help me out I would appreciate it. If you know of any realitors who can help me please give them my email address. Once I have a contact then I will send them my phone number. Thank you and have a wonderful day.
Tracey
Hello Phillip, I have reached out to a friend I have in Barranquilla for a realtor contact recommendation. I will contact you when I hear from him. When we were in Barranquilla we needed a furnished apartment, they were hard to come by but there were many options for unfurnished apartments in the Buena Vista area when we were there. I feel confident, even without the help of a realtor you would have success finding a great apartment to suit your needs.
Phillip James Rogers
I want a unfurnished apartment. Please email me so we can talk. 1050phillipjames@gmail.com I want an apartment for the first of Agusto, I want it in the buena vista neighborhood
Phillip James Rogers
I now need it for the 3rd of September, can someone help me. I need a two or three bedroom apartment. email me please. 1050phillipjames@gmail.com
Sarah Somewhere
Yes, I think it is always hard in the beginning, but once you cut your teeth on your first rental experience I am sure things will flow easier from there. I think it also takes time to figure out what you actually want, too, so I am sure you will learn a lot from this place about what you could do with or without. Happy ex-patting! 🙂
Tracey
It was hard Sarah! We really need to get a better grasp on Spanish, that would have helped a lot. We are trying to figure out our next move and I am glad we know how tough it can be. You are so right about working to find out what you really want or need in a rental. This stay will be very educational.
Patti
Your rental looks so nice – glad you found a place in which you can feel comfortable and enjoy life! I imagine you will continue to learn as you move forward and I look forward to reading!
Tracey
We are learning things everyday Patti. People in Colombia are so welcoming and helpful. We have received some great advice for places to visit, prices to pay and inexpensive ways to travel so booking our next place should be easier.