Estate Agents - renting

[crewmeal]

I'll be back in July/August for 5 weeks and to be honest can't wait to be here. My personal circumstances put me in a position where I would like to spend more of my time in Luxor as I intend to retire in the next 12 months. During these 5 weeks I would like to rent an apartment. So can anyone point me in the direction of a decent agent that won't rip me off and who allow my friends (both Arabic and European) to visit. I understand that some landlords will not allow Egyptians to visit which is fair enough. (Presumably for obvious reasons).

I would prefer The West Bank, it's much quieter. I understand many of you are already living there. Could you enlighten me on your experiences, pros and cons of life on The West Bank. I've looked at some apartments on this site but they don't give too much away.

Thanks in advance.

[Horus]

I suggest that you PM Keefy yourself as he will be able to give you better advice and information.

[carrie]

Excellent idea Crewmeal to rent, you may have been here many many times but if you stay in an hotel you really don't get an idea what it's like to actually live here. Renting even if just for 5 weeks will give you a better idea of what you would like in a flat when and if you do decide to live here. Also the location you would like. Do you want to be within walking distance of the shops and ferry or out in the sticks?
I have rented both on the east bank and the west, never thought I would move to the west bank but the east has gotten so much busier so much more traffic that I am very glad to have made the leap and come over this side.
What I would do if I was you is book a cheap hotel over this side for 3 nights and put the word out that you are looking for a flat believe me you will be inundated with offers. See as many as you can, ask the price, for a long term rental and short say one month. July and August are the hottest time of the year, when I decided that I would like to live here I came in June and stayed until September, my thinking if I could put up with the heat at that time of year then I could make it.
Lots of good luck, keep your wits about you.

[newcastle]

I'll be back in July/August for 5 weeks and to be honest can't wait to be here. My personal circumstances put me in a position where I would like to spend more of my time in Luxor...........

Spoken like someone who hasn't taken any notice of MT's dire prognosis.

Very sensible

[DJKeefy]

What I would do if I was you is book a cheap hotel over this side for 3 nights and put the word out that you are looking for a flat believe me you will be inundated with offers. See as many as you can, ask the price, for a long term rental and short say one month.

Not such a good idea, I did that on a few occasions and spent hours in the blazing heat each day for about a month, taken to places I could not believe they could even rent, I wont go much into this but I can tell you it was an horrible experience and wasted virtually all of my booked holiday. I found one myself in the end via looking at pictures on the internet of flats to rent via oasis agency (at that time). The guy who originally took us round the flats found where we had moved to and kept coming to my apartment demanding money from me for him taking me around, back then I was naive and ended up giving him 500LE.

I would avoid apartments that will let you take Egyptians friends around cause they are breaking what the police and most Egyptians class as the moral law code in which you the landlord and your friends could get in to trouble for anything they think is possible of charging you on.

European visitors are not a problem.

[newcastle]

Have you looked at Airbnb? They had a number of West Bank offerings last time I looked.

[Major Thom]

I prefer the clean modern life now I have had my eye's open. Like myself people can make nice comments and regret them later. But being almost 66 I want to enjoy whats left and do things Egypt could not offer me. BAC.......

[crewmeal]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I think I would go with a local agent and view the apartment first before commiting myself.

[Winged Isis]

I have PMed you twice with recommendations for agents and places to stay.

[Major Thom]

What you have to remember is being on the edge of the desert and farming operations, you do have to spend time cleaning. We had 2 hours of cleaning a day to do to keep our place pristine, but we were in the middle of farming operations and at least 500M from an asphalt road. I graveled the road down to our villa in an attempt to stop it, it worked and saved maybe 50%. Because they do not put threasholds at the bottom of doors, and many windows are ill fitting, the dust blows in under the doors and through the window frames. Try locals first but always remember the locals will attempt to get the most out of a European. Just over a year ago our local friend was paying 3000LE a month. The L4U apartments and buildings are always checked before hand to the quality and value for money. I can tell you that the Nile View Hotel, peaceful and on the Banks of the Nile is immaculate, a Belgium lady run it with a tight crew, normally 2 bedroom places but I am sure they have studio's you can book through Booking.com. Lovely pool too. Set in the quiet Country side.

[Dusak]

What you have to remember is being on the edge of the desert and farming operations, you do have to spend time cleaning. We had 2 hours of cleaning a day to do to keep our place pristine, but we were in the middle of farming operations and at least 500M from an asphalt road. I graveled the road down to our villa in an attempt to stop it, it worked and saved maybe 50%. Because they do not put threasholds at the bottom of doors, and many windows are ill fitting, the dust blows in under the doors and through the window frames. Try locals first but always remember the locals will attempt to get the most out of a European. Just over a year ago our local friend was paying 3000LE a month. The L4U apartments and buildings are always checked before hand to the quality and value for money. I can tell you that the Nile View Hotel, peaceful and on the Banks of the Nile is immaculate, a Belgium lady run it with a tight crew, normally 2 bedroom places but I am sure they have studio's you can book through Booking.com. Lovely pool too. Set in the quiet Country side.

The bristle door threshold strips have been available here since I arrived, with friends coming out as I do, yours could of brought you a few rolls of ''P'' section wide gap fill self adhesive drought excluder for all the windows. I keep 95% of dust out of the house this way. After ten years some of the windows need resealing, which I am organizing. No need to be a Dusty Miller.

[carrie]

Bit too late to tell him now Dusak but you would have thought he would have discovered that whilst he was here.

[Who2]

He should have discovered many things whilst here, but with 'eyes wide shut' from the word go little was achieved.
Sad really.....

[Major Thom]

You should not need them D, doors and windows should be fitted better.

[carrie]

Well you should have seen that your villa was built better MT perhaps you should have got the Poles in?

[Major Thom]

No I had proper threasholds put in at both outer doors and all inner doors. The mashrabeya shutters helped prevent the dust and heat from through the windows. But the outside had to be brushed, vaccuum'd and mopped everyday to keep it spotless. I did try bristles at the bottom of the door, but still the dust got through and when you opened the door they left the door sweep on the ceramics.

[newcastle]

No I had proper threasholds put in at both outer doors and all inner doors. The mashrabeya shutters helped prevent the dust and heat from through the windows. But the outside had to be brushed, vaccuum'd and mopped everyday to keep it spotless. I did try bristles at the bottom of the door, but still the dust got through and when you opened the door they left the door sweep on the ceramics.

Probably something to do with Egypt being a country , 95% of which is desert.

You get a lot of sand/dust in the desert. When the wind blows it has an annoying habit of coating everything and seeping through the tiniest of orifices.

It's even been blamed for affecting the brains of some people.......

[Dusak]

With a country such as this one, high summer month temperatures, colder winter months with moisture content the last thing you would want is a perfectly fitting windows and doors, you would never open them after the first winter. Large gaps are crucial to prevent jamming/sticking. Aluminium are far the better option. They now producing UPVC windows, double glazed, here in Luxor, cost around 1,500Le per square meter plus fitting. Its the ''fitting'' that would let the job down going of the fitting of my aluminium ones.

[crewmeal]

I hope there won't be any monkey business on the roof as I read eslewhere

[carrie]

OOOH do tell all