Housing costs

Ambler

Hello! I'm getting a bit spooked by the forums on housing costs. My husband and I will be moving to Chennai in October. I'll be on a grant to do teacher education and development, and while my grant will certainly be generous by Indian terms, I doubt it will extend to more than 30,000 INR per month for rent (and I was actually hoping for less). I'm still waiting on which university will be my host institution, but based on what I've been reading here it seems like an apartment in the the areas of Aylwarpet/Mylapore would suit us (couple, no children). My grant paperwork is currently being drawn up and if I know that rents are much higher than I expeced I might be able to get an increase in my living allowance. Thanks for any help/advice that can be offered.

Nick-H

You can still manage very nicely on a rental budget of 30,000.

Even in that area you could probably find something small and pokey for 10,000, and, even within the same area, not all streets are posh and expensive. Chennai is one of those cities where mansions and slums get all mixed up!

I heard that the top floor of a newly-built house in the street I used to live in there has been rented out for 27,000. It has three bedrooms.

It is a lovely area to live in. Yes prices are rising all the time. Rents as a return on the capital value of the property were low even before land prices exploded; they had to catch up, and are still rising.

__________________
.


Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

pravman

30k seems to be the going rent for a 3br/3bath *unfurnished* (about 1800sqft) apartment in the Mylapore/Alwarpet/RA Puram areas. Amenities should include a Lift, Covered car parking, Backup generator and 24hr security.

Rents were a bit of a shock for us when we moved back to Chennai after living for many years in Manhattan!

Ambler

Great info, as always. Thanks very much! I'm quite relieved. One more question: how does one get the Eicher Chennai map outside of India? The two on-line shops I've found that carry it seem to cancel my order as soon as they realize the book is being shipped out of India, despite the claim to ship worldwide!

Nick-H

You can buy them here. Had my first one desptched to London ok. The postage cost more than the book, but it was still worth it

Rockyp44

Keep in mind buying appliances and furniture for an unfurnished flat. Check for construction going on nearby, bus/rickshaw noise, shade, etc. Also if you can see the place/street right after it rains you will see if you end up w/a temporary moat to cross. It hasn't rained much yet, though.

Ambler

Are there flats for rent that are furnished, or are all/most rentals unfurnished? We were not planning on bringing any funiture with us from Thailand (and we don't have much, having lived in furnished housing for the past six years) but perhaps we should reconsider.

I finally managed (after a great deal of wrangling with my credit card company who freaked out about an online purchase from India, even though I've been living in SE Asia for 6 years )to order the Eicher Chennai map! I'm eagerly awaiting it's delivery so I can get a better handle on where things are located.

Nick-H

Usually they are unfurnished, but there are exceptions.

Ambler

Ok, thanks for the heads up that most flats are unfurnished. What about appliances? Will unfurnished flats come with a refrigerator, stove/cooker? And do ovens come standard with most cookers, or are they only burners? In the US "unfurnished" means no furniture, but kitchen appliances are normally provided.

Once again, thanks for the info!

I have a feeling once we arrive in Chennai I'll be hunting for the posts about stores that sell decent used furniture...

pravman

Unlike in the US, appliances are usually not part of a furnished or even unfurnished apartment.
Our 'furnished' apartment had beds, sofa with coffee table, dining table & chairs, computer desks but no refrigerator nor cooking stove/range.

Rockyp44

The Yellow Pages is a want ads only newspaper on Thurs. and Sat. (I believe). Lots of used items there, and housekeeping agencies (but the Overseas Women's group is best for that & also has used items for sale).

There is a craigslist.com for Chennai, but looks like no one is hip to it yet...