Apartment survey and valuation services

Hey everyone,
First of all, sorry if these questions have already been answered - I've had a scout around the forum and I can't find any similar topics. My partner and I have found our perfect apartment in Schoeneberg and we are hoping to purchase it if everything works out. It will be our first property purchase and I was hoping to get some advise from those with more experience. Thank you in advance for any help you can give!!
- The apartment we'd like to buy is in an 'alt bau' and although I'm sure it's sound, we would like to have a survey done on the place. I know that this isn't as customary in Germany as it is in England, and I'm struggling to find any information about companies or individuals who offer this service. Does anyone have any recommendations?
- The apartment is on the ground floor and, although it's facing into the courtyard as opposed to the street, we'd like to get shutters installed before we arrive. Again, does anyone have any recommendations / information about good companies who provide this service? Something else which is tricky to find online...
- And finally.. what are peoples' experiences in getting the necessary health insurance to prove that you are self-sufficient, without employment by a German organisation? My partner and I are both students and will be continuing our studies in Germany, but registered still with our UK university. Has anyone found problems in a similar situation?
Thanks a lot, everyone. This forum is an invaluable resource and we hope to join in with your meet-ups when we finally arrive
Finn

1. Contact the local town hall, I think they have a list of approved surveyors.
2. No idea, sorry.
3. You should find some useful information here: Health insurance - Germany.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Kay - thanks so much for this advice. I didn't realise Toytown had these wikis, but they're a fantastic resource!

Hey everyone!
I first posted this message ages ago asking for advice, and thought I would follow up on it, rather than starting a new thread. I wanted to introduce myself and say what a great resource this is - I've been lurking for the last few months getting all kinds of info and it's been immensely valuable. My best buddy and I are moving to Berlin in a few weeks time, and we couldn't be more excited. We'll be moving to Schoeneberg and we're really hoping to meet up with as many of you lot as possible. Seems like there are lots of regular meets, so hopefully we can join you on those soon. Also, I was wondering if there were many 'movie nights' organised via here - we both love going to the cinema and it would be great to find other movie fans with whom we can catch a few flicks! Anyway, I look forward to becoming a more active Toytown member! Have a good weekend everyone,
Finn