How much cash should remain after buying a Buenos Aires condo?

Part of me wants to reserve most of the remaining cash for repairs; another part thinks the emergency fund should be untouchable. I am considering a two-bedroom Buenos Aires condo at roughly ARS 960,400,000 and expect to retain about ARS 36,260,000 once the deposit and estimated purchase costs are paid.

The regular payment appears manageable, but the first year is less predictable. Moving expenses, the first mortgage payment and essential furniture will arrive quickly, while an inspection could identify work that cannot wait.

How would you set priorities before the inspection findings are known? My current thought is to protect a core emergency amount first, budget only for essential moving and furnishing, and use the balance for immediate repairs. I am willing to choose a less expensive property if that is the only way to avoid committing nearly all available cash at completion.

I would protect the emergency fund first and treat furniture as optional. Before deciding what is available for repairs, subtract moving costs, the first mortgage payment, initial service charges and any insurance excess you might have to cover. Anything left can become the repair fund. A bed, table and basic appliances matter; filling every room does not.

The missing fact is the building itself. Have you seen the current service charges and asked whether any major communal work is expected? A sound unit can still bring a large first-year bill through the condo building. I would also want the inspection findings before assigning exact amounts to furniture versus repairs.

ARS 36,260,000 is only a fairly thin remainder relative to the purchase price. That does not automatically make the purchase unsafe, but I would not call all of it a usable buffer. How many months of essential household spending does it represent for you, excluding any renovation plans?

One caveat to the “emergency fund first” approach: some inspection items cannot be postponed without making later damage more expensive. I would separate urgent defects from cosmetic work before ring-fencing every peso. Plumbing, electrical or water-entry concerns belong in a different category from paint, wardrobes and nicer furniture.

I agree about separating urgent and cosmetic work, but I would not assume an ordinary inspection issue justifies shrinking the personal emergency reserve. If the report identifies a costly essential repair, the better response may be renegotiating, choosing a cheaper condo or walking away—not buying at the limit and hoping the remaining cash covers it.

Make a simple first-year list before committing: closing items not yet paid, moving, first mortgage payment, service charges, insurance excess, essential inspection repairs, and several months of core living expenses. Put furniture last and price only what is needed to move in. Then test the same list against a slightly cheaper property. If that version leaves a meaningfully stronger reserve, it answers whether ARS 960,400,000 is genuinely comfortable rather than merely affordable on paper.