Moving from California to Quito

Dear Vynonjon,

Welcome to the Ecuador forums of expat.com ...

For those who can afford it, the Quicentro district is a high-class, relatively safe area with easy public-transit access (when safe) to Mariscal and its delights.  The distance to parts of Mariscal is walkable as well.

1.  Furniture -- easily replaced in Quito.  Not so easy or inexpensive to ship heavy pieces.  When in doubt about any furniture item, leave it behind.

2.  Appliances -- also can be replaced.  Large items like a stove or a dishwasher from the USA will be out of warranty and parts for repairs may be unavailable.  Shipping costs will make large items not worth the trouble.

I do as many Ecuadorian families do with regard to a stove.  They don't buy one.  They use a two-ring cooking device that sits on a countertop.  For special occasions, they farm out the cooking of a turkey to a neighborhood service or a family with high-end cooking capabilities, namely a stove.

As for washer and dryer, you will probably find it makes sense to use a fluff 'n fold service around the corner as I have done in El Centro for my sheets, towels and clothing since 2013.

Now the most important sentence of this post....

Rent, don't buy during your first year in Ecuador.

cccmedia

Thank you so much for your knowledge. I will use your wisdom to get rid of all possible. Yes, the area that I purchased the per- construction condo is very safe and lively. The condo is Sensé and scheduled to be finished around the end of April 2022.

vynonjon wrote:

I am thinking to move to Quito within a year.  New condo is under construction near Qui Centro.

There is a plentiful supply of quite new condos near Quicentro.  Buy an existing unit in a finished complex .. or else get ready for the unpleasant surprises that often present in the first year of a new complex.

The fact that a project is under construction is not a guarantee that the condo units will be ready for occupancy any time soon.  It can take years to complete a project, especially when a quasi-government agency has to take over ownership mid-project.  It happened to yours truly in Quito.

cccmedia

Thanks. I will open the other options, too. Do you have a good institution for Language. I am planning to attend classes to master my Spanish

OK, I see from the latest post that you have already committed to buying the condo.

Expect delays, especially in the covid era.  I bought my pre-construction condo in 2005 and it finally became available for possession and occupancy eight years later. 

For our members other than the OP, don't buy in pre-construction unless you have money to burn.

cccmedia

vynonjon wrote:

Do you have a good institution for Language. I am planning to attend classes to master my Spanish.

You may be able to find some recommendations on existing threads by using the search function accessible at the Ecuador forum welcome page.

In 2013-2015 I used a different method to build on my old high-school español.  It involved watching a real-time hour or more of TV every day, searching the language subtitles with a dictionary or wordreference.com for any phrase or word I didn't understand.  The programs were all recorded via DVR and the method involved a lot of video pausing during playback.

cccmedia

Wow. Lucky, I had a very good agent to deal with. And the construction company is very reliable. Yes, I do expect delay because of COVID. I may need a lots of your help as the times goes.

I sold or donated virtually all my things before coming to Ecuador full time. I moved with  just a few suitcases.  I thought it would be more fun to start all over and get new stuff.

You can easily get global appliance brands like Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, Electrolux, GE. Or regional appliance brands include Indurama, Mabe, Teka, DiPiu.  A lot of online shopping, which was pretty much ignored here for twenty years, suddenly popped up in the last six months.

Lots of people get their furniture made by local artisans for prices less than what you pay for mass-market furniture in the US. As an example, my wife had a sofa custom made to her exact measurements for about $500-$600

Thank you so much for information. I will use it wisely