Expat advice for condo rental or purchase in Makati, Manila

One thing I had problems with when moving to Manila (Philippines) was finding out about renting a condo in Makati. So here is a simple guide/tips for expats to make finding condos in Makati easier.......

1. Check the map and our condo list page- if you can walk to your place of work that is worth a million bucks! Traffic is a nightmare in Manila, and walking for just a few blocks is a great advantage, and its good excersise too. On the other hand it rains a lot here so using taxis is often needed.

2. Get a hotel for a few days first in Makati. Don't buy or lease from abroad, wait until you are here. Then you should visit condos in person, they will have a leasing/selling office and they will show you a selection of the units they have available. The leasing offices work on commission so will ask you to offer a high price, start lower than they suggest always.

3. Cut out the middle man. Estate agents and anyone else trying to offer you a place will want a cut, as in number 2 its best to find a few places in the area you want and visit in person. As soon as I landed in Manila my taxi driver offered to find me a place- it was 1 block from my hotel and I wanted to view it anyway, I had the good sense to tell him thanks but no thanks.

4. Bargain hard! There are too many condo units available and being built right now in Makati- this is a great time for you. New build's (places that aren't yet ready) and older properties are dying for customers, so feel free to play them off against each other and wait for the perfect price. It's common practice to offer an amount then wait for a reply- so why not start low.

5. Don't worry. We have never heard of bad stories from people being ripped off, just deal with the condo's official leasing/selling office and you will be fine. For new builds just be wise- pick reputable companies only. Foreigners often seem suspicious and its not well founded- I wouldn't be suprised if one of the new builds here fails in the current climate but projects of this size are almost always safe.

6. Don't ignore agents either, there are some that will offer various units and give good advice. Use your own instinct and if you find one that is willing to serve you right i.e. find you the perfect place for your needs, then it maybe worth spending that little extra to save time. If you find someone that will scout all the available properties for you then you should snap them up and be generous- easier said than to find though.

7. Don't rush. I found my Makati condo immediatley- it was the 2nd I viewed but that may not be the case for everyone, I've heard of better offers closer to where I would like to be (Greenbelt), but I found a quality place and am happy with it. Concentrate on the little things like security, comfort, how well furnished the unit is and bear all this in mind. Plus being too close to Greenbelt will be a money eater- instead of buying 50 peso alcohol you will find yourself paying 1000 pesos. Instead of buying a cheap local meal for 100 you will be tempted to go to Greenbelt and pay 1500, which will seriously make a dent in your funds over time. There are some great mid-range options like the balcony gastropub Makati

Find more information on the Living in Makati City page