Apartment in andheri west?

Hi guys,we live in delhi and shall be relocating to mumbai in a couple of months as my husband is switching jobs.His office is in Andheri west so we need a place as close as possible.I have a business of my own and shall have to start afresh whereever we live so that is not an issue.We have a car of our own and have our own furniture.We are looking for a place with a modular kitchen if possible and nice bathrooms.Please let me know the approx rent for a 2 bhk.We pay 16+ 3 k now.(that's rent and maintanence).Thanks so much.

We understand that rents are higher in mumbai than in delhi and are looking for something in the 25 to 30 k bracket.

Average to nice 1BHKs are 25k and up, so you'd need to stretch to 35k-ish for a nice 2BHK. You might luck out and get something for 30K but prepare to hunt a lot. Lots of brokers in Andheri West have taken to demanding a ridiculous two months' rent as commission, be warned.

Hey thank you so much for the heads up!We had just found out about the rates of 2bhks from various real estate sites and your info confirmed it for us.Hopefully we'l have enough time to look around pretty well before we move.

Just thought to mention that the workplace is at Irla,any other places that any of you could recommend looking at for a flat?The rates for andheri west seem a bit out of budget for us.We'v heard a lot about mumbai traffic and want someplace that does not take hours to reach.The closer it is to Irla,the better.thanks again.

Stick close to Irla, that's my advice. Even if you pay more, you won't lose time commuting. There are bazaars, shops, schools etc close by and, my impression is, Andheri West is generally a rather nice neighbourhood in mumbai standards. We've just moved to mumbai, made some mistakes. The main one was that we wanted the appartment quick and cheap - this only got us discouraged and we set on a half-satisfactory deal.
So take your time and see for yourself!

As to the comission, you can always bargain to 1,5 months rent (maybe less if you have the patience). I believe the brokers know that a two month worth is ridiculous.

P.S. A question from myself - do they ever clean the appartments before renting them out? I was really surprised at how much grease and dirt I had to get rid of...

well, having stayed in Andheri west for most of my life, i am glad when i see others also echo my sentiments - "Andheri West is generally a very nice neighbourhood"

Its a bit crowded though, and the traffic is really bad, thanks to the metro rail construction. but hopefully its all for a better future

I think the standard brokerage is 1 month's rent though..some brokers do ask for 1.5 or 2, but clarify it right in the beginning that 1 month is what you will pay and no more.

sweta358 - most of Andheri-West is going to be similarly expensive, so i suggest stay close to Irla, and save on previous commute time. you will soon realize that a few thousand is worth the time saved and frustration avoided. there are quite a few residential societies all the way up to Juhu circle from irla, so i am sure you will find something there..

marianna666 - you can insist that the owner do a basic round of cleaning before renting..they may or may not agree, but always worth a try.

sweta358, I would think most of Vile Parle West / Irla / JVPD, which would be more expensive than most parts of Andheri West. You may want to consider Vile Parle East, which might be slightly more affordable. If you have to stick with Andheri West, try and get something on Juhu-Versova Link Road or the southern parts of Four/Seven Bungalows, both closer to Irla than, say, Lokhandwala, Yari Road etc.

I'm currently staying at Andheri west
If you are looking for a flat then I think you should look around Versova area. IF you have a car, it wont be very hard to travel and you can also set up your business there as it has pretty good exposure to youngsters and working professionals. Also, the area will be a little away from the hustle bustle of mumbai. Quieter and peaceful area to stay. Rates will be a little high but not unaffordable