Starting to make plans...

I have been reading a lot of threads here..so much information, comments, and useful information! While our plan is to come to Dumaguete with a "want to stay" vs. "gotta go" decision made after staying for about 6 months, if I may...I'd like comments, recommendations from all of you as to our plan thus far...so please, feel free to share.

Of course, there is no substitute for being there and seeing what we see, but this is what we are thinking right now...

Looking at the map, reading threads here...it seems like we might like the Valencia area for a temp/perm home...at least it would be a good place to start out.

We are leaning towards an apartment rather than a house to rent as it would not require yard maintenance and therefore give us more time to check out Negros. I have found a couple of apartments on the internet that might suit us, but I won't post them here. If anyone might be able to give us an honest opinion based on knowledge of these locations, please email me or PM me and I'll send you the ads...Maybe you know of them and can give me a heads up or tell me to run like hell!

We know we will make a permanent home in the Phils, so we are thinking of renting an unfurnished apartment and going ahead any buying all we need to furnish it. ( The only caveat may be that we rent a furnished apartment when we first arrive so that we have time to look around a choose a better apartment that would suit us long term).

I'm a biker, so a motorcycle is a mandatory item for me. I am known to ride for days, even weeks....so a scooter/small cc bike is out of the question. No interstates here, no high speed travel, so the 1500 - 1900cc bikes of America are a waste of money, IMHO so I'm looking for a 400cc - 750cc bike. Many of you might say that even that size isn't needed, but I have no intention of just riding to the grocery store and back. A casual afternoon ride for me is usually at least 200km. A weekend ride will require at least 3 islands of territory. If anyone knows of one for sale, I prefer Honda Shadow Slasher 400 or a Honda Shadow Spirit 750.

Also planning on buying a Suzuki Multicab truck. Sometimes, things just need to be hauled and a car is not the tool for that, so a small, cheap truck is the way to go.

Some questions...

How is internet in Valencia? What speed is available? What is the best service provider?

How about Cable TV? Would satellite be a better choice?

Is there really any need for a landline phone in our home?

For a standard apartment with bedroom only A/C, two people in the household, what could we expect to pay for electricity?

My wife prefers cooking our meals rather than going out to eat so also, what might we expect for gas usage and cost?

Perhaps your replies or comment may create more questions, but I'll leave it here for now...

Thanks for your input/help!

 

the best plan is to have no plan at all

 

Regarding Landline

I have been here two years without a landline. I do not believe there is a need. If you are coming from the US, I would recommend a Majic Jack, which I think is about $20 USD a year for phone calls to most places in the US. The first year is free included in the $39.95 price. (these prices are two years old and may have gone up)
The good part is that you get to pick a phone number and can pick your own area code. This allows those in the US to also call you with out tolls (for free). This also allows give those pesty people you do not want to know where you are the impression you have not moved from the US. If you are not from the US this advice may not apply.

 

I can only answer some of your questions and offer my opinions ..

First of all Valencia. I've only been there once and it looked like a nice place but the road to Valencia was so rough (wash board) that I wouldn't live there even if I had free rent. No offense to the Valencia folks.
I'm still on my first bottle of propane because I've only been here 2 months and don't cook much. If I remember was about the same price as the US. With regular cooking I'd guess maybe a month or so, maybe more.
I'm in Dumaguete and have never used my air con .. Electricity is about 1000p per month for me.
Cable here sux in my opinion and I don't know anything about satellite.
I only used my land line in the US for dsl and don't have one here .. I don't miss it.
Like you I came here with plans to stay and nothing has changed since I arrived. I love it here and more every day. I was in PI in May to visit and saw at least parts of Samar, Manila, Laguna, and Davao. Dumaguete is way better than those places imo. All depends on what you like though.

 

I would stay in the Duma area very nice here...Valencia is a little out of the way especially if your from the U S you want to have some convience's...Where I live is nice very close to the Beach and there is very nice apartments here for rent with a outstanding landlady 1 is a smaller one 2 bedrooms... furnished at 16,000P and the other available now is a 2 story 3 bedroom unfurnished at 18000P...Very close to a resort (walk) with xlnt food swimming pool (No upkeep for you) and karaoke bar and Billards..It's located close to Restobar called Mia's in an area called Agan-An..The Apartment complex is called Rodora Homes.Just down the street from Mia's.....This is just an answer not trying to advertise just help you out some... the Police station is located here........I really like it here and there is a lot of ex pats in the area which makes it nice also...Some of the guys and dolls on this website we know each other form this area...

 

I totally agree to disagree with the post above, Agan-An is close to Dumaguete, but extremely remote from any convenience. you run into troubles to catch a ride most of the day as there are simply none going there. So if your wife wants to cook and need some small ingredients, be prepared to have a very late meal. This area is not suitable for anyone who has no own vehicle. Walked 2 times from Mias around 6:30 pm to the highway (25 minutes) to catch a trike, never returned , too remote, too inconvenient.

However if you and your wife are self-driving and have their own vehicle it is in a quiet area.

Otherwise you are faster at Robinson mall and back (or Super Lee) from Valencia than from Agan-An and Sibulan as you don't need to cross the whole City two times.

I just had a look around, depending on your preferences and Budget there are really 50 easy to find 2-3 bedroom apartments in Dumaguete's more quiet areas for 12k - 20k. I was looking around for house and garden and found in St. Louis village five 2-4 bedroom houses with small garden between 15k and 25k. From there everything is in 5 to 10 minutes, yet it is still a very quiet area.

Come gere, stay a week or 2 at florentina homes or something like that and go exploring. You know what you need to be convenient, you will find something which is close to your daily needs and demands.

 

I am a newby too,and thank you all for being so informative, and thank you Black Abbot. I am looking for an apartment , and am eager to find "really 50 easy to find 2-3 bedroom apartments in Dumaguete's more quiet areas for 12k - 20k".I can t seem to get the right search terms on my computer . Any pointers. Thanks .

 

I would point you to your feet and the ground, you will never find them sitting at your computer. BA's advice "Come here, stay a week or 2 at florentina homes or something like that and go exploring" is sound advice.

 

Try searching o 'Sulit", 'Ayos Dito" and "Adpost". They all have multiple listings for apartments and houses. Use 'apartment for rent Dumaguete" or "Valencia" or "Sibulan" in their search engine.

 

I'm sure you are excited to get here and starting your new journey. When we are looking forward to something like this, be it a move for good or just a vacation, we tend to do a lot of planning and research. It's a way for us to live the journey while we are still stuck in our soon to be old lives. It's a more active form of daydreaming.

I suppose it doesn't hurt do to your research and planning (your daydreaming) but as others have mentioned, it's best to figure all that out when you get here. Talk to other foreigners when you get here. Try moving around a bit so you can get a feel for different places. The Philippines isn't an easy nut to crack from the internet outside the country. Businesses here could give a rats @ss about ecommerce or building a web presence. Nobody uses the internet for anything more than Facebook or internet games. You'll have to figure things out the old fashioned way.