Hi there!
We have just found a flat in Berlin as we are moving there next week. Some general advice: if possible I would try to give longer than three days to look.
My boyfriend filled in applications for a couple but it has been down to the landlord to go through the applications and select who they want, and we weren't picked for one but got the other. But the landlord took quite a few days to decide as he had a few applicants.
If we hadn't got the flat that we did, then Room with a Loo (English speaking service) had sent us details of flats that they had to let on a more short term basis so we could then look for something more permanent once we were there.
We also found that some agents advertised having lots of flats in certain areas then said that they didn't have anything at the moment when he rang.
Good luck with your search!
Germany's English-speaking crowd
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Tips on renting an apartment in Berlin
How to find a place to live, flat hunting advice
Pages: 1 2
The Saturday Berliner Zeitung has the most comprehensive listings.
We found a flat as a 'nachmeiter', taking over someone else's lease, and because the people moving out liked us, they put us at the top of the list.
Otherwise, the first name on the list that passes the credit check should get the flat, although I'm sure landlords ignore this and give the flat to the person with the best credit.
Anyway, there is such a housing glut in Berlin you shouldn't have a problem finding someplace nice and relatively cheap.
We found a flat as a 'nachmeiter', taking over someone else's lease, and because the people moving out liked us, they put us at the top of the list.
Otherwise, the first name on the list that passes the credit check should get the flat, although I'm sure landlords ignore this and give the flat to the person with the best credit.
Anyway, there is such a housing glut in Berlin you shouldn't have a problem finding someplace nice and relatively cheap.
Out of interest, what are the rents like in Berlin right now? Im talking about modern, or at least, fully renovated flats, 2 to 3 room. Not interested in any unrenovierte altbau, no matter how cheap (had enough of that when I used to live in Berlin).
I live in a renovated altbau, wood floors, balcony, 2 rooms at 64 sq meters. We pay just under 400 euro warm.
That's in Teptow a block away from the park and river on a quite side street full of protected buildings. 10 minute walk to the ring s-bahn, or just around the corner from the bus. You can be at Alex in 20 minutes, or walk to Kreuzberg along the river in 10.
When I tell people in the states this, they don't believe me,
That's in Teptow a block away from the park and river on a quite side street full of protected buildings. 10 minute walk to the ring s-bahn, or just around the corner from the bus. You can be at Alex in 20 minutes, or walk to Kreuzberg along the river in 10.
When I tell people in the states this, they don't believe me,
The flat that we got is 95 sqm, 3 rooms and 900 warm, which compared to what we have been paying for a one bedroomed flat in the UK (650 pounds with council tax and all bills on top) is a bargain. However compared to Ami's place it is shockingly expensive!
Your's is 1/3 bigger, though.
What area are you in? Treptow is still a bargin, although in the past year or so it's become more popular.
A similar flat in Seattle would have cost me easily twice as much.
What area are you in? Treptow is still a bargin, although in the past year or so it's become more popular.
A similar flat in Seattle would have cost me easily twice as much.
Its in the dreaded, pretentious Prenzlauer Berg as boyfriend can quickly get to work from there! Which might account for the price hike. And we needed the spare room for family invasions - I think we are going to see more of them when we are there than we have here.
Is Seattle really expensive for the US now? I know many people who would love to move over to the US and Canada (rather than have the language barriers of Europe) for a better quality of life than here.
My old housemate came from Seattle and was horrified at the nasty shared house she had signed up for over the internet. She thought for the price that she was going somewhere nice!
Is Seattle really expensive for the US now? I know many people who would love to move over to the US and Canada (rather than have the language barriers of Europe) for a better quality of life than here.
My old housemate came from Seattle and was horrified at the nasty shared house she had signed up for over the internet. She thought for the price that she was going somewhere nice!
I live in a renovated altbau, wood floors, balcony, 2 rooms at 64 sq meters. We pay just under 400 euro warm. ... When I tell people in the states this, they don't believe me,
They dont believe you in London either. Or pretty well anywhere else in Britain for that matter.
When I first moved to Berlin back in 1990 I paid just 220 DM (about 110 Euros) a month warm for a 2 room flat, first in Friedrichshain, and then in Köpenick. In the mid 90s rents had risen and I was paying 440 Marks, about 600 DM warm for a 2 room in Prenzlauer Berg. Now Im in Frankfurt and pay double that for the same space. Admittedly quality and location much better. And nice not to have grafitti and dogshit outside your front door.
(Thats Frankfurt am Main, not Oder)
we have just returned from a 4 day flat hunt in berlin and we did all the wrong things and went to all the wrong places for 3 days and on the 4th day found something semi-civilized but missed the responsable person to sign the papers.
It was a real nightmare as beginners in berlin we were really lost. My husband starts at the charite in october - probably without us - what i find strange is that the charite offers no relocation service. any tips from anyone would be great as we are now looking at a case of sending my husband flat hunting on his weekends!
atleast we know which areas are safe and where not to go!
Everyone says don not go and pay commision to an estate agent as there are so many empty flats but we get the feeling it would maybe be better?
It was a real nightmare as beginners in berlin we were really lost. My husband starts at the charite in october - probably without us - what i find strange is that the charite offers no relocation service. any tips from anyone would be great as we are now looking at a case of sending my husband flat hunting on his weekends!
atleast we know which areas are safe and where not to go!
Everyone says don not go and pay commision to an estate agent as there are so many empty flats but we get the feeling it would maybe be better?
Buy a copy of the Saturday Berliner Zeitung. This week's edition had 11 pages of ads, sorted by neighourhood.
Relocation service?! It`s - eastern - Berlin, not Los Angeles.
You could also try the weekend edition of Berliner Morgenpost which has a big immobilien section. I think you can also access the apartments to let database pages on the web as well, which makes searching much easier, since you can enter search criteria like number of rooms, maximum rent and of course area.
good luck!
You could also try the weekend edition of Berliner Morgenpost which has a big immobilien section. I think you can also access the apartments to let database pages on the web as well, which makes searching much easier, since you can enter search criteria like number of rooms, maximum rent and of course area.
good luck!
yes for sure it is just berlin and not los angeles but when you have a family and get a job in such a well known hospital as the charite you would just think a little help would be offered - ok not the whole thing but a few tips atleast would have saved alot of stress, after all they want their employees to be able to start fresh and relaxed and not exhausted and stressed!
will try to get hold of the berlin zeitung even though we are far away, maybe the station has it.
One tip for any travelling to berlin - we checked out of our hotel to return home by train and wanted to wait 3 hours at the zoo bahnhof but some one said to go to ostbahnhof instead and it was really great there, new and clean unlike zoo , kids thought they were at an airport!
will try to get hold of the berlin zeitung even though we are far away, maybe the station has it.
One tip for any travelling to berlin - we checked out of our hotel to return home by train and wanted to wait 3 hours at the zoo bahnhof but some one said to go to ostbahnhof instead and it was really great there, new and clean unlike zoo , kids thought they were at an airport!
Try the Beliner Morgenpost online: Berliner Morgenpost / Rent
I agree a large organisation which is staff-intensive like a big hospital in a big city should provide at least some assistance, some clue trails if nothing else. When I moved to Berlin in 1990 things were very different. Lived there 7 years, for 3 years I lived near the Ostbahnhof (Hauptbahnhof as it was called then), just off Karl-Marx-Allee. 100 euros a month for 60 sq m. Those were the days...
For tips on furnished accommodation see the related TT topic: furnished accommodation in Berlin
try http://www.scout24.de as well
Lots of flats here that you can sort by size and price etc
http://www.wg-gesucht.de/wohnungen-in-Berl...ter=1&x=41&y=10
Can i come with you?
http://www.wg-gesucht.de/wohnungen-in-Berl...ter=1&x=41&y=10
Can i come with you?
hi all!
i'm in the us and will be moving to berlin in a month or two; my husband is already there and he should be looking for apartments, but he doesn't speak any german, so i'm going to have to look up ads from here and just give him phone numbers to call.
so, the questions:
- where's the best place to look for ads? i've been told, the berliner morgenpost website? is that it?
- what's Warmwasservers. nicht zentral?
- is the only way to find out if the kitchen is installed to call and ask or is it safe to assume that it isn't if the ad doesn't say anything?
- i've always thought that p-berg was more expensive than k-berg, but now that i'm looking at ads, it seems like prices are about the same, is my impression right? we're kind of on a budget. or are the cost differences visible for shopping and other expenses rather than the actual rent? i hear there's a lot of young families in prenzlauberg, would this be a better neighborhood to move into with a baby?
i'll probably come up with more questions later and ask them here...but i'll be grateful if anyone can answer these!
i'm in the us and will be moving to berlin in a month or two; my husband is already there and he should be looking for apartments, but he doesn't speak any german, so i'm going to have to look up ads from here and just give him phone numbers to call.
so, the questions:
- where's the best place to look for ads? i've been told, the berliner morgenpost website? is that it?
- what's Warmwasservers. nicht zentral?
- is the only way to find out if the kitchen is installed to call and ask or is it safe to assume that it isn't if the ad doesn't say anything?
- i've always thought that p-berg was more expensive than k-berg, but now that i'm looking at ads, it seems like prices are about the same, is my impression right? we're kind of on a budget. or are the cost differences visible for shopping and other expenses rather than the actual rent? i hear there's a lot of young families in prenzlauberg, would this be a better neighborhood to move into with a baby?
i'll probably come up with more questions later and ask them here...but i'll be grateful if anyone can answer these!
hi
have been here in friedrichain for a while and although not the best place it is cheaper than Prenzlauberg you can try the official websites like WBM or besowgo or stadtundland because this is the basic housing companies here also you could find someone who speaks english also here are some tips try zentralheizung means central heating wasserversorgen mean the type of water used this goes under betreibskosten mainly things like streetcleaning rbish collecting and also water supplies this is all figured out by the housing company what you must look for it warmmiete as this is what it is after betreibskosts have been included kaltmiete is normally without betreibskosten also do not go for a staffelmiete as this means the housing company can also increase the rent when they want also you should think about where the area is trendy areas will obviously cost more ie prenzlauer berg,mitte,or parts of friedrichain look for the extra costs as well also some landlords won't take families DON'T ASK
any more questions?
bye
richard
have been here in friedrichain for a while and although not the best place it is cheaper than Prenzlauberg you can try the official websites like WBM or besowgo or stadtundland because this is the basic housing companies here also you could find someone who speaks english also here are some tips try zentralheizung means central heating wasserversorgen mean the type of water used this goes under betreibskosten mainly things like streetcleaning rbish collecting and also water supplies this is all figured out by the housing company what you must look for it warmmiete as this is what it is after betreibskosts have been included kaltmiete is normally without betreibskosten also do not go for a staffelmiete as this means the housing company can also increase the rent when they want also you should think about where the area is trendy areas will obviously cost more ie prenzlauer berg,mitte,or parts of friedrichain look for the extra costs as well also some landlords won't take families DON'T ASK
any more questions?
bye
richard
wasserversorgen mean the type of water used
well that's what i'm trying to figure out, what type would that be? basically my only concern is having hot water around the clock, i lived in berlin for four months two years ago and for some odd reason we had no hot water at night and i want to avoid that.
I found immobilienscout24.de rather useful.
My husband and I are looking for an apartment in berlin with the following specifications: 3 rooms, minimum 75 m2, up to 550 kaltmiete or 690 warmmeite, bathroom with window, no ground floor or dachgeschoss, and preferably with einbaukuche. I dont know if these are impossible standards but we have been looking for months now and its so hard to find one. we have been looking in the schöneberg, charlottenburg, steglitz areas mostly. If anyone knows of any apartments that are free with these specifications or can tell me what the best ways to find an apartment are, i would really appreciate it. thanks.
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hmm...that's seriously a lot to ask for. don't know any apts with those specifications. have you check berlin.craigslist.org or http://www.roomwithaloo.com/ ?
Immoscout is good, and you can also try www.immonet.de.
There are a couple of services out there as well that take a cut if they supply you with the first contact. They include homecompany.de, cominghome.de, and city-mitwohnzentrale.com. In my experience the fees are not always justified by the end result.
Good luck!
There are a couple of services out there as well that take a cut if they supply you with the first contact. They include homecompany.de, cominghome.de, and city-mitwohnzentrale.com. In my experience the fees are not always justified by the end result.
Good luck!
Hi Guys
I'm moving over to Berlin in June and in my research I have discovered the following sights which seem really helpful, even for just getting an idea of what your accommodation costs will be.
http://www.easyroommate.com - I've used the Australian version of this for shared accommodation in Perth has worked really well
http://www.rooms-in-berlin.com - this sight is in english and alot of people allow short term lets - its broken down into boroughs and most places have pics
http://www.zimmervermittlung-berlin-kreuzberg.de/english.htm - short stays in Kruezberg
http://ove.immonet.de/search.do?objecttype...federalstate=11 - the Mieten section has heaps of appartments for rental
http://www.german-courses.com/pdf/schnellnetz.pdf - for those investigating overseas a metro map very handy in getting an idea of area with good public transport. (Took me ages to find this map)
Hope this helps a few people see you in June
Tammy
I'm moving over to Berlin in June and in my research I have discovered the following sights which seem really helpful, even for just getting an idea of what your accommodation costs will be.
http://www.easyroommate.com - I've used the Australian version of this for shared accommodation in Perth has worked really well
http://www.rooms-in-berlin.com - this sight is in english and alot of people allow short term lets - its broken down into boroughs and most places have pics
http://www.zimmervermittlung-berlin-kreuzberg.de/english.htm - short stays in Kruezberg
http://ove.immonet.de/search.do?objecttype...federalstate=11 - the Mieten section has heaps of appartments for rental
http://www.german-courses.com/pdf/schnellnetz.pdf - for those investigating overseas a metro map very handy in getting an idea of area with good public transport. (Took me ages to find this map)
Hope this helps a few people see you in June
Tammy
Hello !
I am new to Toytown. But I am glad to read your comments. Similar to "Mesbah" 's post in 2005, my husband is starting at the Charite in August 07. We also have children and are trying to look for an apartment online before we arrive. As Mesbah said the Charite is not helpful in this way. ImmobilienScout is a GREAT site! But it is a little tricky looking for an apartment as most of the listing are only available immediately. We are still in the states and are not able to travel due to visa constraints. It doesn't look like we would be able to confidently book an apartment from abroad. Is it pretty easy to find an apartment in Berlin in just a matter of weeks? We plan to arrive in July and will have a few weeks before his work starts .
Also which areas do you all recommend? I have heard Treptow, and Pberg so far. What about Pankow, Obershonwiede, or Reinickendorf? I found quite a few listings in those areas.
Any advice is welcome. THanks very much for your time! Tschuss! )
I am new to Toytown. But I am glad to read your comments. Similar to "Mesbah" 's post in 2005, my husband is starting at the Charite in August 07. We also have children and are trying to look for an apartment online before we arrive. As Mesbah said the Charite is not helpful in this way. ImmobilienScout is a GREAT site! But it is a little tricky looking for an apartment as most of the listing are only available immediately. We are still in the states and are not able to travel due to visa constraints. It doesn't look like we would be able to confidently book an apartment from abroad. Is it pretty easy to find an apartment in Berlin in just a matter of weeks? We plan to arrive in July and will have a few weeks before his work starts .
Also which areas do you all recommend? I have heard Treptow, and Pberg so far. What about Pankow, Obershonwiede, or Reinickendorf? I found quite a few listings in those areas.
Any advice is welcome. THanks very much for your time! Tschuss! )
My partner and I are moving to Berlin for June. We have been using the internet to hunt for an affordable small apartment (large bachelor or 1 bedroom). The search has so far born no fruit. We're probably only staying for the summer (3 months), so are looking for short term lease.
does anyone have any opinion on how quickly an apartment can be acquired in Berlin, preferably in Prinzlauer Berg or nearby. I've lived in cities where it's a lottery, and I've lived in cities where the landlords were trolling the streets for tenants.
thanks in advance for any comments,
Robert
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does anyone have any opinion on how quickly an apartment can be acquired in Berlin, preferably in Prinzlauer Berg or nearby. I've lived in cities where it's a lottery, and I've lived in cities where the landlords were trolling the streets for tenants.
thanks in advance for any comments,
Robert
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http://www.mitwohnzentrale.de/ <- have you tried this one already?
It's a site from where you can find apartments an rooms to let, for short terms only, so that might help you further. If you contact me, I could give you the number of a friend who lives in Mitte, in a very nice area and frequently shares her large apartment with guests for an affordable fee (one room only, but lots of space around) - anyway, good luck!
It's a site from where you can find apartments an rooms to let, for short terms only, so that might help you further. If you contact me, I could give you the number of a friend who lives in Mitte, in a very nice area and frequently shares her large apartment with guests for an affordable fee (one room only, but lots of space around) - anyway, good luck!
My general advice is that as long as you are INSIDE the ring-Bahn, you'll be OK. Outside, there are some nice parts but many areas quickly degenerate to Berlin's equivalent of the strip mall and everything becomes very automobile-oriented. Especially all immigrants should steer clear of the East, east of the ring-Bahn (Lichtenberg, etc). Now is peak summer rental season, so most nice furnished sublets have been snapped up. If you're able to deal with unfurnished, you should be fine, but that's often difficult to do for a summer. Many people have rented sight-unseen, but I myself was never willing to do so, and I'm actually viewing a few places for some friends myself right now. I'm willing to help if you want to write me off-line.
Does anyone know of any long term rental agents?
when I trawl the net all I get is serviced apartments which charge by the day, and of the two sites I have managed to find which do longer term rentals, 99% of the apartments are not available for at least 3-4 months (some not until next year, not very helpful if you need somewhere in 3-4 weeks. please help, I hate hotels.
when I trawl the net all I get is serviced apartments which charge by the day, and of the two sites I have managed to find which do longer term rentals, 99% of the apartments are not available for at least 3-4 months (some not until next year, not very helpful if you need somewhere in 3-4 weeks. please help, I hate hotels.
We used http://www.pappenberg.de/
Stephen Pappenberg speaks English and usually has long term rentals.
Stephen Pappenberg speaks English and usually has long term rentals.
Moving to Berlin end of the year, and rather than searching through online ads, we are thinking of using a Makler. Any recommendations on good people in Berlin, in addition to the one post directly above? We are looking for 2-3 br renovated altbau, in a nice green area, specific stadtteil is not so crucial.
thanks for any help!
thanks for any help!
Hello, if you would like to stay in a short term rental while looking around I can recommend the agency we used : www.wohnwitz.com
the minimum rental period is 1 month and you can renew each month at the end. We lived in a furnished altbau for a couple of months while searching for our final place and were very happy with it.
I can not recommend the makler we used because they were useless, same goes for the managing company we have now. They are called Berolina, pls stay away from them (we have been waiting 3 months for our doorbell to be installed, heating does not work, they are not responding to our emails/letters etc...)
good luck!
the minimum rental period is 1 month and you can renew each month at the end. We lived in a furnished altbau for a couple of months while searching for our final place and were very happy with it.
I can not recommend the makler we used because they were useless, same goes for the managing company we have now. They are called Berolina, pls stay away from them (we have been waiting 3 months for our doorbell to be installed, heating does not work, they are not responding to our emails/letters etc...)
good luck!
When we moved here we looked at places on immobilienscout.de and found plenty of places that interested us. Our German was not very good and we called a few places and no one called us back. I asked a German friend to call the realtors that we had contacted and he said that they didn't call us back because no one in the office spoke English. So once I employed a German friend to help me find an apartment it was no problem. Maybe other people on here had better success without German but I don't know how we would have done it without a German to help us.
Good luck and welcome to Berlin!
Ali
Good luck and welcome to Berlin!
Ali
Craigslist scam alert for Berlin apartment rental ad.
I think I should alert you guys here since Craigslist does not have any mechanism to report scammers; and FBI needs you to be an 'actual victim' before you can report anything. Just want to make you aware so you don't be a victim.
I replied to 2 of the craigslist apt rental ad and the email replies clued me in that it's a scam. The name may be different but similar template. The 'Africa Crusade' and vagueness on actual apartment address also are the clues - I google the guy's email and there're posts on craigslist in at least 10 different cities around the world. And the 'wife's email' is on scam alert.
Thanks for your email and it is my gladness to
hearing from you.I am Henry Liop,the owner of
the house you are making enquiry of.Actually I
resided in the house with my family,such as my
wife and my only daugther before and presently we
had packed due to my transfer from my working
place and now situated in the Aurora,Colorado
and presently my house is
still available for rent for Euro600 including
the utilities like hydro,washer and security,it
is furnised.Moreso Now, i went for a Crusade in
the West Africa and i will like you to get in
touch with my wife in the state for more
discussion as She is with the keys and the
document to the house.Pls i want you to note
that,i am a kind and honest man and also i spent
alot on my property that i want to give you for
rent,so i will solicit for your absolute
mentenance of this house and want you to treat
it as your own,is that taken,it is not the money
the main problem but want you to keep it tidy
allthe time so that i will be glad to see it
neat when i came for a check up.i do that once
in a while.I also want you to let me have trust
in you as i always stand on my word.Email my
wife Sarah, on (sa.jon22010@gmail.com) and she
will attends to you better.
Thanks and you are welcome
Regards
I think I should alert you guys here since Craigslist does not have any mechanism to report scammers; and FBI needs you to be an 'actual victim' before you can report anything. Just want to make you aware so you don't be a victim.
I replied to 2 of the craigslist apt rental ad and the email replies clued me in that it's a scam. The name may be different but similar template. The 'Africa Crusade' and vagueness on actual apartment address also are the clues - I google the guy's email and there're posts on craigslist in at least 10 different cities around the world. And the 'wife's email' is on scam alert.
Thanks for your email and it is my gladness to
hearing from you.I am Henry Liop,the owner of
the house you are making enquiry of.Actually I
resided in the house with my family,such as my
wife and my only daugther before and presently we
had packed due to my transfer from my working
place and now situated in the Aurora,Colorado
and presently my house is
still available for rent for Euro600 including
the utilities like hydro,washer and security,it
is furnised.Moreso Now, i went for a Crusade in
the West Africa and i will like you to get in
touch with my wife in the state for more
discussion as She is with the keys and the
document to the house.Pls i want you to note
that,i am a kind and honest man and also i spent
alot on my property that i want to give you for
rent,so i will solicit for your absolute
mentenance of this house and want you to treat
it as your own,is that taken,it is not the money
the main problem but want you to keep it tidy
allthe time so that i will be glad to see it
neat when i came for a check up.i do that once
in a while.I also want you to let me have trust
in you as i always stand on my word.Email my
wife Sarah, on (sa.jon22010@gmail.com) and she
will attends to you better.
Thanks and you are welcome
Regards
These 2 agencies are very responsive and will speak to landlords and pull lists for you without you having to search through the list. And speak/write good English. I have good experience with them.
http://www.city-wohnen.de
http://www.exberliner.com
http://www.city-wohnen.de
http://www.exberliner.com
Check Immonet & Immobilienscout24 as your first stops...they have loads of listings
I know there are many postings on this particular topic, but I've been lurking around Toytown for quite some time now, and decided it was time to post. So, my husband and I (late 20's, no kids) moved to Berlin last week. We will be here for 2 years while he completes his post-doc at the Max Planck Institute in Golm (near Potsdam). Anyway, we just set up our bank account, got cell phones, and registered our temporary address (in Golm). We've been doing A LOT of online searching of apartments at various websites (Immobilien Scout 24, Craigslist, BerlinMorgenpost...etc. ) The hard thing has been setting up appointments---we speak little to no German (we have plans to take lessons ASAP!!). We applied for one apartment (still waiting to hear back) but fumbled our way through the process. I know people have recommended bringing a German-speaking friend along, but we're new and don't want to burden our new acquaintances with our housing problems. I guess what I'm looking for are either some leads on apartments (or agencies) that are available by Nov. 1, and some suggestions/advice for newcomers to Berlin. We love the city so far, and from exploring, we are focusing on the Friedrichshain and Prenzlaur Berg areas --- easily accessible to the Regional Bahn trains for my husband's commute. Thanks for helping a couple of newbies here get settled!! Oh and we hope to meet up with some Toytowners at some point for a beer or two!
[color=gray]Topics merged by admin
[color=gray]Topics merged by admin
Hi and welcome to Berlin. I don't think your friends will consider helping you get your home set up a burden. Most people realise that this can be complicated - even with the language, so I think you should not feel that this is a burden for your German speaking friends/acquaintances - I expect most will be happy to help - especially if there is a nice bottle of single malt Scotch on the table!
For a bottle of single malt I'll find you an apartment.
Take a german along, not just because of the language but they may be more familiar with the rents.
Besides, most everyone likes to look at other properties, they won't mind. Good Luck.
Take a german along, not just because of the language but they may be more familiar with the rents.
Besides, most everyone likes to look at other properties, they won't mind. Good Luck.
German friends helped me enormously during my search for somewhere to live. When I had to visit the Notar to have the sale agreement read out to me, one of them translated. That was essential, as legal German is every bit as complicated as legal English (Hereinafter referred to as the aforementioned)
Don't be surprised about the behaviour of the "Makler" (estate agent) - they're often money-grabbing idiots as far as I can see. Better still, if you can find a place that's "Provisionsfrei" you can cut them out of the picture altogether.
Don't be surprised about the behaviour of the "Makler" (estate agent) - they're often money-grabbing idiots as far as I can see. Better still, if you can find a place that's "Provisionsfrei" you can cut them out of the picture altogether.
Finding an apartment in Friedrichshain or Prenzlauer Berg is hard for everyone... maybe - if you haven't already - try also the sites for students (studenten-wg.de wg-gesucht.de - they have also offers for flats and most of them speak proper english!). and of course, be quick.
Hi Guys,
Guess I panicked a little too soon...we actually found and secured a flat yesterday in Friedrichshain! One of our other concerns was avoiding provisions, which we were able to do with this one. Thanks to all who offered suggestions! It's nice to know there are people out there who have been through the same thing. Now comes the task of finding furniture....has anyone ever had furniture delivered by Ikea? We will need at least a bed, couch, and table from there (or are there better places to shop for furniture?). Trying to decide if it's worth it to have it delivered, or if we should rent a truck/van. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Guess I panicked a little too soon...we actually found and secured a flat yesterday in Friedrichshain! One of our other concerns was avoiding provisions, which we were able to do with this one. Thanks to all who offered suggestions! It's nice to know there are people out there who have been through the same thing. Now comes the task of finding furniture....has anyone ever had furniture delivered by Ikea? We will need at least a bed, couch, and table from there (or are there better places to shop for furniture?). Trying to decide if it's worth it to have it delivered, or if we should rent a truck/van. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Hi Guys,
Guess I panicked a little too soon...we actually found and secured a flat yesterday in Friedrichshain! One of our other concerns was avoiding provisions, which we were able to do with this one. Thanks to all who offered suggestions! It's nice to know there are people out there who have been through the same thing. Now comes the task of finding furniture...has anyone ever had furniture delivered by Ikea? We will need at least a bed, couch, and table from there (or are there better places to shop for furniture?). Trying to decide if it's worth it to have it delivered, or if we should rent a truck/van. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Guess I panicked a little too soon...we actually found and secured a flat yesterday in Friedrichshain! One of our other concerns was avoiding provisions, which we were able to do with this one. Thanks to all who offered suggestions! It's nice to know there are people out there who have been through the same thing. Now comes the task of finding furniture...has anyone ever had furniture delivered by Ikea? We will need at least a bed, couch, and table from there (or are there better places to shop for furniture?). Trying to decide if it's worth it to have it delivered, or if we should rent a truck/van. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
IKEA will deliver (and construct - useful if the stuff has hundreds of mysterious bolts and hinges).
I also got a really nice matching sideboard, dining table/chairs and glass-door cabinet from:
http://www.sam-berlin.de/
Again, they'll deliver and build.
Not far from IKEA at Tempelhof is
http://www.moebel-kraft.de/berlin.html
- got a comfortable sofa-bed from them as well as outdoor chairs and table for the balcony.
Hi,
We are moving to Berlin as I will start a job there on 1 Jan. Our plan is to go to Berlin for a quick visit in early December to find temporary furnished accommodation starting 1 Jan. We will stay in this temporary accommodation couple of months to get to know the city properly and decide where we want to live long-term.
I see that many of you have used agencies helping you to find short-term furnished accommodation. Can I ask how much these agencies usually charge (if anything)? I am aware of the 2 to 3 x months deposit, but do the agencies charge extra costs for helping you find a place? And any specific ones you can recommend? Ideally we would live the first few months rather central or in or around p'berg/f'hain area.
Any other advice?
Thanks loads,
R
We are moving to Berlin as I will start a job there on 1 Jan. Our plan is to go to Berlin for a quick visit in early December to find temporary furnished accommodation starting 1 Jan. We will stay in this temporary accommodation couple of months to get to know the city properly and decide where we want to live long-term.
I see that many of you have used agencies helping you to find short-term furnished accommodation. Can I ask how much these agencies usually charge (if anything)? I am aware of the 2 to 3 x months deposit, but do the agencies charge extra costs for helping you find a place? And any specific ones you can recommend? Ideally we would live the first few months rather central or in or around p'berg/f'hain area.
Any other advice?
Thanks loads,
R
Hi!
That's exactly what we did in February when we moved to Berlin. We rented a small and cheap furnished apartment (you can find many options if you google Craig List Berlin and choose "Wohnung" - the ads are 99% in English) for February and March and then we started looking for a permanent one on www.immobilienscout24.de The website is in German, but with a dictionary and some common sense anyone can manage. The main problem was to get all the documents needed for the applications. Most agencies and landlords require a lot of papers (copy of passport, copy of work contract, letters of reference from previous landlords, even a bank statement in some cases). We began to be more successful once we started to make it very clear to the agent that we had only been in Germany for a couple of weeks and needed an apartment for at least 2 years...then they kind of softed down and asked for way less documentation. Attitude also changed when instead of listing myself as 'unemployed' (my husband works) I started listing myself as 'hausfrau' (house wife)...
We finally found a nice apartment, without "provision", through an agency that I feel like recommending (Helma Steib Immobilien www.hsi-vermietung.de : they speak English and handle expats. from what I understand, they manage properties, so they rent entire buildings out, and there is currentlya vacancy in the one we live in). Good luck with your search!
IKEA
We initially wanted to buy furniture and then rent a truck through the Ikea (they rent truck through Hertz for a reasonable hourly fee), so that we could drop by our temporary apartment, pick up some of the heaviest staff and bring it all to the new place. The VERY NICE Ikea ladies who were at the car desk REFUSED to rent us a truck because we did not have a german passport and a german driving license. We told them that we are part of the EU and do not need anything like that to live and drive in Germany, but they were really rude and did not want to listen. We used a private moving company and found it great, by the way. This was at Ikea Spandau. Things are different at Ikea Tempelhof, where more people speak English and are generally friendly. We used the Ikea delivery and found it fast and reasonably priced.
That's exactly what we did in February when we moved to Berlin. We rented a small and cheap furnished apartment (you can find many options if you google Craig List Berlin and choose "Wohnung" - the ads are 99% in English) for February and March and then we started looking for a permanent one on www.immobilienscout24.de The website is in German, but with a dictionary and some common sense anyone can manage. The main problem was to get all the documents needed for the applications. Most agencies and landlords require a lot of papers (copy of passport, copy of work contract, letters of reference from previous landlords, even a bank statement in some cases). We began to be more successful once we started to make it very clear to the agent that we had only been in Germany for a couple of weeks and needed an apartment for at least 2 years...then they kind of softed down and asked for way less documentation. Attitude also changed when instead of listing myself as 'unemployed' (my husband works) I started listing myself as 'hausfrau' (house wife)...
We finally found a nice apartment, without "provision", through an agency that I feel like recommending (Helma Steib Immobilien www.hsi-vermietung.de : they speak English and handle expats. from what I understand, they manage properties, so they rent entire buildings out, and there is currentlya vacancy in the one we live in). Good luck with your search!
IKEA
We initially wanted to buy furniture and then rent a truck through the Ikea (they rent truck through Hertz for a reasonable hourly fee), so that we could drop by our temporary apartment, pick up some of the heaviest staff and bring it all to the new place. The VERY NICE Ikea ladies who were at the car desk REFUSED to rent us a truck because we did not have a german passport and a german driving license. We told them that we are part of the EU and do not need anything like that to live and drive in Germany, but they were really rude and did not want to listen. We used a private moving company and found it great, by the way. This was at Ikea Spandau. Things are different at Ikea Tempelhof, where more people speak English and are generally friendly. We used the Ikea delivery and found it fast and reasonably priced.
I know there are many postings on this particular topic, but I've been lurking around Toytown for quite some time now, and decided it was time to post. So, my husband and I (late 20's, no kids) moved to Berlin last week. We will be here for 2 years while he completes his post-doc at the Max Planck Institute in Golm (near Potsdam). Anyway, we just set up our bank account, got cell phones, and registered our temporary address (in Golm). We've been doing A LOT of online searching of apartments at various websites (Immobilien Scout 24, Craigslist, BerlinMorgenpost...etc. ) The hard thing has been setting up appointments---we speak little to no German (we have plans to take lessons ASAP!!). We applied for one apartment (still waiting to hear back) but fumbled our way through the process. I know people have recommended bringing a German-speaking friend along, but we're new and don't want to burden our new acquaintances with our housing problems. I guess what I'm looking for are either some leads on apartments (or agencies) that are available by Nov. 1, and some suggestions/advice for newcomers to Berlin. We love the city so far, and from exploring, we are focusing on the Friedrichshain and Prenzlaur Berg areas --- easily accessible to the Regional Bahn trains for my husband's commute. Thanks for helping a couple of newbies here get settled!! Oh and we hope to meet up with some Toytowners at some point for a beer or two!
[color=gray]Topics merged by admin
[color=gray]Topics merged by admin
I can understand how you guys feel. My husband and I (early 30s, no kids, here for my husband's post doc at the TU Berlin) went through the same process last March. We were successful without bringing along a German friend (we had NO German friends...) and with my poor German. At the beginning we were very frustrated and were almost ready to settle for soemthing we really didn't like. I think that things began to change when we started making it very clear to the agent that we were new to Berlin and Germany but wanted to stay long term. They started asking us less documents and maybe seriously considering our applications (after our first appointment, we were sure our application would have gone straight to the bin!!!). I can recommend the agent who finally got us an apartment (they speak English, have centrally located apartments and most of the building managers also speak English): www.hsi-vermietung.de (maybe make an appointment with them or see the ads on their website). There is currently vacancy in our building. I don't know what you guys are looking for, if you have a particular area in mind...anyway, good luck!!!
Just wanted to ask here: If you sign a rental contract for a flat in Berlin, how early can you then move out again? I.e. if you sign up for a year, but for some reason need to move elsewhere earlier than that, can you normally leave with 3 month notice or so?
Or is there maybe a minimum stay? (My old flat in the UK could be left with 2 month notice, but this could only be done after the first 6 month of the rental period).
Thanks in advance for any advice on this..
Or is there maybe a minimum stay? (My old flat in the UK could be left with 2 month notice, but this could only be done after the first 6 month of the rental period).
Thanks in advance for any advice on this..
Hi folks,
I'm new on this site, discovered it the other day & I must say it's been a brilliant find!
I'm seriously planning a move to Berlin with my girlfriend late in 2009, I'm researching as many areas for apartments as possible, but I'm curious what Spandau is like to live? only spent one afternoon there last Christmas and seemed nice.
I'm looking for a fairly large place with 4 rooms and Spandau seems to be really inexpensive. we don't really care about trendy places, although P Berg would be real nice! but a 2 room there is nearly the same price for a 4 room in Spandau.
Does anyone recommend it?
Thanks.
I'm new on this site, discovered it the other day & I must say it's been a brilliant find!
I'm seriously planning a move to Berlin with my girlfriend late in 2009, I'm researching as many areas for apartments as possible, but I'm curious what Spandau is like to live? only spent one afternoon there last Christmas and seemed nice.
I'm looking for a fairly large place with 4 rooms and Spandau seems to be really inexpensive. we don't really care about trendy places, although P Berg would be real nice! but a 2 room there is nearly the same price for a 4 room in Spandau.
Does anyone recommend it?
Thanks.
Spandau is really big and there are many different areas. The worst is maybe that it's relatively far away from the city center, so it is recommendable to stay close to a S-Bahn station, which is only possible in the heart of Spandau - and many of the inexpensive app. offers are somewhere else, so look carefully for the adress (there are also really ugly plattenbau areas in Spandau or areas where it is really difficult to get away with public transport). In the area around the S-Bahnhof Spandau (or U-Bahnhof Zitadelle Spandau) you will find also all you need for the daily life. The abilities to go out in the evening are very limited, but the proximity to the river Havel (and nature in general) is very nice. So - I definitely would not recommend it if you tend to go out often in the evening for dancing and drinking but otherwise it can be ok especially if you like to stroll around watery areas.
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