My network of family and friends have been wonderful in finding most of my accommodations thus far. Someone knows someone, who either has a property, or a friend with a property, so I start there. Plus, as I'm in a location for a while, I make wonderful friends, who also connect me with great property options; so that too falls under utilizing my network of friends.
If I don't have a connection through my personal network, then I search on local Facebook groups for expats, as they have tons of rental properties posted all the time. In addition, I search through Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com.
I find fully furnished condos that include electricity, trash, water, gas, and most importantly WiFi. I have learned that I prefer accommodations with access to a washer and dryer, and if I'm renting, I will pay a bit more for this convenience. I don't mind sending my laundry out to a local laundromat. I actually love how everything comes back folded and packaged up. Plus, the service is has been super cheap. It's the convenience factor that I have found to be something that I prefer. I like to wash smaller loads of laundry more frequently. But it's not a deal breaker.
Some of the places even include a weekly house cleaner! I was in Mexico for almost 6 months, and lived in 5 different condos of which 3 were arranged from my network, and 2 were booked on Airbnb. Thus far in Ecuador, I have stayed at my cousin's house and she connected me with the house and pet sitting opportunities, which are paid! So not only am I avoiding rent at this point, the compensation I receive for my sitting services covers food and taxi's for longer than the duration of the sitting gigs. This works out perfectly because I will be going to Belize next, and it will be high-season; meaning, my rent will be high compared to different times of the year.
How do I use Facebook Groups to find accommodations?
When I'm in the research stage of a village/town/city that I think I want to visit, I complete several searches on FB using key words of the town name and "expat" in different combinations. It doesn't take long to find a few groups, of which I try and read through posts before joining. And I also join groups in order from more group members to least. If the group is private, I can't read the discussion posts until I am an approved member. But once I'm in the group, I search within the group for rentals. Often there are real estate agents that post listings, so I'll dig through them, maybe reply to a few, and send private messages.
In the case of my 2.5 month rental in Playa Del Carmen, I found the listing on Aribnb. I was able to post the listing in a local group and asked those that lived there full time, if the general area was a good one and if it met my needs (walking distance to grocery store, market, restaurants, and the beach). Thankfully I received a number of replies saying that not only was the area great, but people could vouch for the building itself being top notch; and it was.
Paid House Sitting Gigs
Believe it or not, but it’s possible to find paid house and pet sitting gigs. So far, my family has been the facilitators of finding such gigs when I let them know where I plan to travel next, and they reach out to their network of friends and family. However, once I sit in an area, my name and number gets shared quickly in the community and the next opportunity presents itself. I truly enjoy living in people’s homes as they are truly welcoming. I get to snuggle with their fur babies and raid their pantries. Plus, I can get $15-$20 per day for my services. Bonus!
Where have I stayed?
Here's a few places that I have stayed or booked for the future. This list will be updated as I travel.
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