Best Tips for Apartment Hunting?

[Tancrede Pouyat]

Hey,

After watching Leo's videos on game, I've decided to move to a new city. I've already visited and applied for a few places but, as it's a big city, there are always loads of applicants. The apartment I live in right now is my first and it's in a much smaller city with really low demand so I pretty much have no experience.

Do y'all have any tips?

[Lyubov]

First off, congrats on the moving plans. Where you live is actually super important for building the life you want to live. 

I’ve lived in a few flats in the center of the city, lived with parents, rented a house, lived alone and with roomies. Here are some tips.

I would recommend getting on Facebook or social media and finding a room in a flat with roommates you can tell you have a lot in common with. Don’t rent a room in a house with a grandma or people you clearly don’t have the same type of lifestyle as. If you want to meet women try to find other male roommates who seem like they like to party or hang out. It’s a great way to meet new people in your new city and make friends. Don’t make the mistake of renting a room with people who aren’t into the same stuff as you or just totally different altogether.
 

Also this way you can get a better place to stay as well. It’s gonna be expensive renting a one bedroom in the center of the city. It will be cheaper if you have roommates. Once you feel you are established in the city you can look for your own flat. 
 

also finally

1) good price 

2) good location 

3) good quality 

you can only pick 2 

[meow_meow]

I've rented two one room (studio type) appartements and now I'm in a hunt for a new one like you.

To be honest in my experience - unless you've got the money to rent out the best/luxury apartements then it's pretty much a gamble.
It's a gamble in a sense that you can't predict how are your neighbours going to be, you cant predict attitude of your landlord / roommates.

It's often a numbers game, in a sense that you go renting numerous apartements untill you finally get the one thats right for you.

[Tancrede Pouyat]

6 hours ago, Lyubov said:

I would recommend getting on Facebook or social media and finding a room in a flat with roommates you can tell you have a lot in common with. Don’t rent a room in a house with a grandma or people you clearly don’t have the same type of lifestyle as. If you want to meet women try to find other male roommates who seem like they like to party or hang out. It’s a great way to meet new people in your new city and make friends. Don’t make the mistake of renting a room with people who aren’t into the same stuff as you or just totally different altogether.

Ok interesting. So far I've actually only been visiting apartments just for myself. TBH I don't really want to live with roommates, I just really reaaaally like living by myself, there's a lot of freedom in that. Also I don't really believe I need to rely on roommates to make friends in that city.

6 hours ago, Lyubov said:

Also this way you can get a better place to stay as well. It’s gonna be expensive renting a one bedroom in the center of the city. It will be cheaper if you have roommates. Once you feel you are established in the city you can look for your own flat. 

Money's no issue here for me. I've found the apartments in the city center aren't that much more expensive than the one I live in right now. My salary's pretty high and real estate is just quite expensive regardless in Switzerland, especially in the "arc lémanique" (which is pretty much anywhere that's close enough to lake Leman).

6 hours ago, Lyubov said:

1) good price 

2) good location 

3) good quality 

you can only pick 2 

Yeah I've noticed that. Good location is critical for me but I'd be okay giving up either price or quality.

Also I'm not actually really moving that far. I work for a bank whose HQ is halfway between Geneva and Lausanne, right now I live in the same city as the HQ but I'm moving to Lausanne, it's just a 30-minute train ride (plus however much public transport to get to the Lausanne train station, depends where I exactly end up living).

1 hour ago, meow_meow said:

I've rented two one room (studio type) appartements and now I'm in a hunt for a new one like you.

To be honest in my experience - unless you've got the money to rent out the best/luxury apartements then it's pretty much a gamble.
It's a gamble in a sense that you can't predict how are your neighbours going to be, you cant predict attitude of your landlord / roommates.

It's often a numbers game, in a sense that you go renting numerous apartements untill you finally get the one thats right for you.

Yeaaah I guess I'll see where I end up and if it's a good fit when I live in it.

[Arcangelo]

Never rent an apt if the owner lives near.

[Preety_India]

Look for a place that makes your transportation and commute easier.