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This is epecially for Debbie (or anyone else) who was advising Kimberley about an affordable apt recently. Is it true abt the dryer? What about if we were to rent a house or bungalow? Will the l/lord provide this? Or can we buy washers and dryers like 10kg load in Cairo, and do houses come with american sized cooker/oven? When we were stationed in Indonesia and because there were lots of expats, all the above were standard (surprise) and common and I am hoping it'll be the same in Cairo. Will houses also come with AC/Heaters too? Cos I read it can also get cold in Cairo? Pls advise. Thanks again Debbie
Posts: 17 | From: MALAYSIA | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by meiying: This is epecially for Debbie (or anyone else) who was advising Kimberley about an affordable apt recently. Is it true abt the dryer? What about if we were to rent a house or bungalow? Will the l/lord provide this? Or can we buy washers and dryers like 10kg load in Cairo, and do houses come with american sized cooker/oven? When we were stationed in Indonesia and because there were lots of expats, all the above were standard (surprise) and common and I am hoping it'll be the same in Cairo. Will houses also come with AC/Heaters too? Cos I read it can also get cold in Cairo? Pls advise. Thanks again Debbie
it is freezing cold right now Posts: 785 | From: Cairo, Egypt | Registered: Aug 2004
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Really? Even daytime huh? How cold though? So there must be heaters in the houses? And how long does this last? And can you help answer my first questions which I posted to Debbie but whoever can answer, I'd appreciate this. Thanks alot.
Posts: 17 | From: MALAYSIA | Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
It's about 8°C at the moment, it gets warmer when the sun comes up but in the mornings and at night it's really chilly.
Egyptian houses have no central heating, meying, if you get an apartment in the range you seem to be looking for it will most likely have A/C that you can use as a heater. But it would me more advisable to just buy a few electric radiators, they heat better than the A/C, are not as noisy and are not expensive.
However - it's only a few months of the year that it becomes chilly in Cairo, so I don't really understand why you're so keen on getting a dryer ... usually you just hang the laundry outside and it's dry in no time ...
[This message has been edited by Dalia (edited 11 February 2005).]
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TQ Dalia - that's something to think about. No, using a dryer and drying in the sun has alot of difference - the clothes come out soft (esp if you use the bounce sheets) as opposed to the latter whereby clothes esp towels are hard and bristly. Then again, it's one's preference. So, can one buy a dryer in Cairo? Plssss tell!!
Posts: 17 | From: MALAYSIA | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by meiying: TQ Dalia - that's something to think about. No, using a dryer and drying in the sun has alot of difference - the clothes come out soft (esp if you use the bounce sheets) as opposed to the latter whereby clothes esp towels are hard and bristly. Then again, it's one's preference. So, can one buy a dryer in Cairo? Plssss tell!!
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MEIYING.... There are hundreds of laundries in Cairo... I wash the small stuff in my (non-automatic) machine and put the big stuff in the laundry.... its cheap!!!
Posts: 4238 | From: USA | Registered: Jul 2004
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You mean laundrette Samia? Well that's a practical idea too - yeah you're right. No sense having so much laundry in the house .Thanks alot.
Posts: 17 | From: MALAYSIA | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by meiying: You mean laundrette Samia? Well that's a practical idea too - yeah you're right. No sense having so much laundry in the house .Thanks alot.
Besides you can meet other expats this way.
Personally I have a washer but no dryer in the condo. Lots of people don't want something heat inducing like a dryer in the house anyway. And another thing thats nice is the washer models are overwhelmingly front loading.
Posts: 5744 | From: Minneapolis, Mn USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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Yes,dryers are available. I've known two expats in my time here to have them that didn't work for the American embassy. If you are an American embassy employee, you probably can request a flat that comes with one..... your housing allowance probably will pay for it. If you aren't American embassy staff though, you need to have a pretty good job to pay the electric bill you will have from your dryer, AND you will need a flat big enough to put a dryer in it. If you want to live in Egypt and you don't have a job that pays your unlimited electric bill, and you don't happen to live in a flat big enough with a space for your dryer, you learn to live without "Downy Soft" clothes. You will learn to deal with it. Really. The rest of us have.
But HEY - GREAT for you if you do have a really good job like that and a big flat! Tell us when the housewarming party is... I want an invite..... I'll bring my laundry.
If you are looking for a dryer then you can buy them at GE at the Obour. They are expensive. If you buying a dryer just so you can have soft cloth with sheets, go and buy softener and use it with your washing machine, and this what I do.
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TQ you all for your replies and help. But 1st Debbie -you keep saying flat - aren't there houses for rent? I also have 2 dogs - I'm sure they won't be allowed in flats? How big is the biggest flat available in Cairo? Can one not get a house? Yes Karim, I also use softener and downy/bounce because just the former alone and drying in the sun won't help but as I said earlier, perhaps one can make adjustments..we'll see...oh well when in rome!! And yes, If we do make it there, I would love to have you guys and meet you..p.s my husband and I can cook well too!! And this again would be a sore topic if I mentioned another thing..so just to get you going and bitching, where we were last time, I'd courier most of my foodstuff/herbs etc to myself!! Hey, if you want to have friends over and feed them well, you have to be authentic right? You can't just make do and feed them rubbish. So this again I've to check out when there to see what is /is not available!! Yes again to other Qs - housing and utilities are to be paid by company; its the norm wherever we're relocated.Thanks guys..
Posts: 17 | From: MALAYSIA | Registered: Feb 2005
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Yes, there are houses, but they call them villas here. As long as you have a big housing allowance you can get a 7 bedroom villa with a swimming pool. There are smaller ones too with fenced yards(they call a yard, a garden here).
I have seen many foreigners rent ground floor flats though with a "garden" when they've had dogs. Knew a family with 2 German Shepherds, and another with a Golden Retriever that all lived in flats while they were here. You get used to walking your dogs I guess. In fact there are two dogs living on the ground floor of my flat building as of recently.
As for getting your herbs and cooking ingredients go... you are coming from the Far East...right? There is a BIG community of women from Thailand, Indonesia and whereever else living in Maadi that all cook and manage to get their stuff somehow. You might want to involve yourself with them after you move here to find out how they get it.
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Thanks Debbie. How big are some apts? Gosh, villa sounds sooo big and 7 rooms? I need only 4 + 1 probably for a live in maid. But that's all too soon for now...we have not confirmed anything yet but can I get some help and advise from you as and when we are more sure? Sure would appreciate this.
Posts: 17 | From: MALAYSIA | Registered: Feb 2005
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There are flats and villas of all sizes. Not all live-in maids get their own room either. There might be a small closet area you can designate to her for her belongings. That would be the Egyptian way of doing it. Most foreigners that I know do not have live-ins. They usually live away as I think the live-ins would not normally speak English. They tend to be young girls from the country that need a place to live. If you want a more sophisticated maid that will know some English, she probably will either be a little better off than those girls or Phillipino, and have her own place. Not that there aren't Phillipino's that might need a place to live, but while I've been here I'm just saying I've never known anyone that had a live-in other than Egyptians.
Posts: 3246 | From: Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt | Registered: Mar 2001
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Wow!! I pay 1le for everything except jeans which are 2!! 4 for a shirt?? I'm glad I'm a female!!!
Posts: 4238 | From: USA | Registered: Jul 2004
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