Over the past six months or so I’ve been working on a new project: my website and restarting my blog. It has been a process, and I’ve been learning a lot along the way.
This new project also corresponds with a big change in my personal life. After having lived in the same one bedroom apartment in Ñuñoa for 7 years, I moved to a new place!
As is almost always the case, there is a story behind the change. I moved into my previous apartment in February 2011, and at the time it was the perfect apartment for me: 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom in a quiet and residential neighborhood. It was a bit small and didn’t have a balcony, but considering I was only pay $180.000 per month I couldn’t complain. On the positive side, I had an amazing view of the Estadio Nacional and could open my windows to hear concerts that were playing.
It was a tight fit, but I had friends over to play video games, battle it out playing Settlers of Catan, cook, and just catch up over coffee. The building also had a barbecue area and multipurpose room where barbecues and potluck dinners took place over the years. I was also able to teach classes in the living room/kitchen area of my apartment, and having students come to me was very convenient.
I went on living there, and I noticed that I was never contacted about an increase in rent. I did get an email from the owner in November 2016 asking to meet and talk, but he never followed through with the plans when I suggested days and times.
Then it happened.
One day in November 2017 I asked the building staff if I had any mail, and I had a certified letter from Chile Express terminating my rental contract. It stated I needed to leave by December 10th, which gave me 2 months from the date of the letter.
As you can imagine, I freaked out right away. The building staff at my old building are all wonderful, and the one time it was something incredibly important they just happened to drop the ball. Talking with students of mine that are lawyers as well as a bilingual real estate agent that I know, they gave me the advice of writing to the owner of the apartment explaining the difficulty of complying with the date to move out due to the short notice and also my financial plans for the following six months which included international travel based on paying my current rent. They also suggested asking if he was planning on selling the apartment, needed to move in, or if there was any way to stay.
In the end the owner needed to raise the rent, but we were unable to come to an agreement. It wasn’t in my plans to move, but given the timing I thought I would have more choices of apartments moving in January rather than trying to find something upon my return to Santiago in March. (In Chile housing laws are heavily in favor of tenants. I could have legally stayed in the apartment for 6 months from the date of the letter terminating the contract, which would have been until April.)
I started cleaning through my things and packing shortly before the new year with the goal of moving out by January 25th. My rent was due the 25th of each month, and on January 31st I was leaving for a monthlong trip, so I had that deadline to meet.
After viewing a few apartments in Ñuñoa, I settled on the one I’m currently living in. The process of getting the apartment was relatively easy, as I was able to show my income through boletas (electronic invoices) and they did not require an aval (co-signer) for the contract. It also helped that I had my Chilean ID card and permanent residency, and having Chilean credit cards and bank accounts means that they were able to see that I didn’t have a negative credit report.
I signed the contract and got the keys on January 18th, and with the help of friends and students I began the process of moving. I’m not terribly efficient when it comes to moving; I prefer to move things bit by bit rather than all at once. I think that it helps me adjust to the transition. The last step came when I moved out the last of my furniture with a moving company on the 25th, when it came down to the last minute after spending over a week trying to get the salvoconducto (official permission to move my furniture) from the owner.
The new apartment is still in Ñuñoa, only about 5 blocks from my previous apartment. It’s quieter and noticeably bigger. The two things I love most about it, however, are the big kitchen counter (perfect for playing Settlers of Catan) and the large balcony. I’ve never had a balcony before, and the fact that I can sit outside with a cup of tea or share a meal with a friend there is such a nice touch.
Looking back at my previous apartment, I have such fond memories of the time I spent there. At the time that I got the apartment I didn’t have a co-signer, or bank account, and I barely made enough money to qualify. (At that time, you needed to earn three times what the rent was in order to be approved as a possible tenant. I don’t know if that qualification has changed or not). They were hesitant to give me the apartment, but offering two months of security deposit (instead of the standard one month) they agreed. Here was what it looked like:
I have to admit that at first I didn’t want to move. I was scared about the unknown, but it’s all working out. My first apartment marked an important time in my life in Chile, but now I’m moving on to even better things.
Thanks for reading and I hope you’ll continue reading about my new adventures.
