Michael had been planning this move for 15 years.

Not months. Not a year or two. Fifteen years of watching, researching, and waiting for the right moment to finally leave the States and build the life he had been dreaming about.

In November he got on a call with us. A few months later he was standing on the 31st floor balcony of his new BGC condo with a glass of wine looking out at the mountains and the Manila skyline.

Here is what happened in between. And there is a lesson inside it for anyone planning to make this move.

Michael needed a pet friendly building, a real balcony, AC inverter, and enough space to actually live comfortably. After multiple viewings our relocation specialist found him a 60 square meter one bedroom unit at Park Triangle in BGC. King size bed, full kitchen, washer and dryer, brand new gym, lap pool, and views stretching all the way to the mountains.

The landlord's asking price was 85,000 pesos per month. Roughly $1,500 USD.

After our relocation specialist negotiated on Michael's behalf the final price was 65,000 pesos. Roughly $1,100 USD.

That is $400 saved every single month. Over a one year lease that is $4,800 saved simply by having someone in his corner who knew the market and knew how to negotiate without triggering the foreigner markup.

Michael said it best. You are basically paying for yourself.

He was right.

Most landlords in the Philippines require two months advance rent plus two months security deposit before you get the keys. In Michael's case that was 265,000 pesos upfront.

And many landlords will ask you to pay that in cash. Even knowing you are a foreigner who just landed without a local bank account.

We solved it by having Michael transfer the funds to our local Philippine bank account and we paid the landlord directly in pesos. No backpack full of cash required.

That kind of problem solving only happens when you have someone on the ground you actually trust.

The online property sites in the Philippines are not showing you market rate. They are showing you the foreigner rate. The difference between what locals pay and what uninformed foreigners pay on a single BGC rental can be $200 to $600 per month. Over a year that is $2,400 to $7,200 out of your pocket simply because you had no one negotiating for you.

Michael saved $4,800. That is more weekends island hopping. More of the life he moved here to live.

If you want the same experience, from finding the right unit to negotiating the lease to setting up your bank account, visa, and healthcare, we handle all of it for you.

Click here to start your move to the Philippines the right way

Travel Well,

Evan Lorezca

The Savvy Expat