Today being a day of rest...we decided to do just that. At least for the first part of the day. Then we picked up a copy of the 'Saturday Sun' and the Brampton Guardian newspapers.
After going through the rentals and making some calls, we ended up seeing three houses today.
The first was nice, the second and third.........the less said the better.
When looking for houses, I have come to the conclusion that the people placing the ads are either blind or delusional. They call it a perfect family home. But then when you go and see it, it may have three bedrooms, but just one bathroom in the middle of the hallway and space for either a dining table or sofa set. Take your pick. Either you eat on the sofa or your guests' sit at the dining table. In India, we have cupboards with shelves, but here they have a closet with one rod across for you to hang your clothes. If you need shelves, you have to buy them and install it yourself.
Info: In Canada you can rent an apartment or a condo. Condo's are mostly owned by companies, are furnished and not bigger than a two bedroom. They are also expensive and work out to about 1800 dollars plus. You can also rent townhouses, which are small and narrow houses, attached on both sides with other similar houses. Semi-detached and detached houses are bigger and have larger garages and lawns.
Town houses, semi detached and detached homes are anywhere from 1200 plus dollars and you have to add utilities. Utilities includes gas, electricity and some times cable t.v. Most homes have gas pipes for the stove and the heating system. Some have electric stoves. For Indian cooking, the gas stoves are better, but the majority of homes have the electric ones. Some rents includes the utilities and most do not. So make sure you know what you are paying for in the rent.
Also, don't get too excited when you see pictures of houses. In many cases, you are looking at an Ad for only the upper level or basement. If you want the entire house, make sure it includes the basement. Some houses have people renting the basement separately but sharing the laundry space. So look at the small print and don't be scared to ask questions.
If you have kids, don't take a house where some one else lives in the basement. These houses are made of cardboard and you can hear every single foot step in the house.
Again, the landlord will look at your credit report before he will sign a lease. So make sure you start working on your credit first thing after coming into the country.
It is 8.30pm now and we are all set for dinner.
So catch you tomorrow. We're looking at one house in the morning and a few in the evening. Will keep you posted.
No comments:
Post a Comment