Anyone? Any ideas about who can help me find an apartment? Does this sort of thing exist in Switzerland? I have been on all the sites for 3 months and nothing. How do you people find a decent place to live in Zurich?
elizabeth

I would look under "relocation" firms. A friend of mine
used one and said that they are expensive and not
much help.

www.homegate.ch is an apartment find in case
you didn't already know about this.

I used a relocation firm when I arrived in Switzerland and it was a huge help. My company paid for it, so you might not want to pay the fee (normally about a month and 1/2 rent), but I was able to get a REALLY nice flat that was never listed on homegate.

The problem with finding an apartment in Zurich is that when something is listed on homegate TONS of people show up, and if you don't speak Swiss German, normally you are moved down the list. For example, an apartment I looked at before my search firm began had 150 applicants. There are exceptions, but when you have a relocation agency, they know how to deal with the management companies and they make your life a lot easier (not to mention that they drive you to each apartment).

R

I have been on Homegate for about 18 hrs every day for 3 months.
I think a lot of relocation firms just go on homegate to find apartments and still charge you a huge fee.

Well, my husband's firm paid a relocation company but they placed us in a flat that is not fit for normal people. So, from what you are saying I gather we have no chance? Especially since I've been actively searching for 3 months?

Where are you looking? What are your requirements?

I found an apt within 1 month.

1 month? I certainly need your tips!
I am looking for somewhere near a train line to Uster (my husband's office is in Volketswil), furnished or unfurnished about 70sqm - not bigger than 100. Not a complete XXXhole, because we are just too old for that, and we are willing to spend up to 3000 a month.
Is this too picky?
thanks for replying

you can also try www.anibis.ch and www.comparis.ch as general seach sites; anibis is in French only and you can either select "immoblier" or in the rechercher option, you can type in the town you want to live in - bear in mind though that this site also does buying and selling, so unless you are specific, you will get a broad search. Comparis is in english and pretty much brings together homegate, immostreet and other seach sites.

My partner and I found our apartment through anibis after three months of searching (although the apartment was later advertised on homegate). We were quite specific in terms of what we wanted though, but other friends have got theirs in less time than this. You need to be quick.. when you see something advertised, ring up immediately, otherwise you risk losing out.

We also registered with an agency, but they did diddly squat for us.

Make sure that you have all the necessary paperwork for the agency; ie letter re employment/contract, permit/letter from canton issuing permit, letter from the office de poursuites may be required; each agency may ask for slightly different things. we missed out on one great apartment because we were a day late in returning a copy of a document!

Good luck

Are you calling them by phone, or trying to contact them
by the form on homegate.ch?

I found that only by calling them will you get any kind
of response. Are you speaking to them in German?

I call them and use the form on Homegate. I don't speak German so I speak to them in English. I've seen some of the places but none of them were very good.

We actually have the opposite experience with Homegate ...... We are in the process of giving up our apartment and putting it on Homegate has kept us pretty busy with a constant stream of people coming to see the place . It is a pity that your experience has not been good .... I wish you the best of luck .

www.mata-dienst.ch

its on of those agencies trying to arrange flats for their clients.
it works that way: sign in, pay 50CHF service fee and tell them your specs about your flat. where, size, maximum price.
the have called me two times a day with flats not advertised online.
BUT youll battle with all of their clients as well with same specs, so its not that you alone will be in the slot. and of course the landlords will check you out. biggest bonkers bit: 70% of the netto rent has to be given as charge.

the advantage is: maybe not so many people will come along spotting like they do at online advertised places...try your luck...

Oh, homegate has been wonderful. It's the lack of apartments that troubles me. thanks for the wishes!
elizabeth

It must help quite a bit that I speak German.

I looked at the S-bahn lines that went to my
place of work, and I searched in the towns
along this S-bahn line until I found a decent
one.

I would also look under "Relocation Zürich" in Google.

On the other hand , I have seen a bunch of apartments advertised on this forum ..... Not sure if you have seen them as well ....

I used a firm in Kloten called Office Pool. I highly recommend them, as they did a very good job for me. It was 2.5 years ago, and apartments seem to be even harder to find.


If you want more information, pls send me a PM. But you should be able to find all that you need here: www.officepool.ch

Maguy Christinger was my agent.

Good luck.

fduvall

I was also only successful once I went to Mata Dienst. I agree that paying the money was painful, but much less painful than living as we did before we paid them (in one small room with shared bathroom and kitchen) and also less painful than standing in a queue of 80 people to see yet another lousy flat we had no hope of getting.

Our other advantage to using Mata Dienst was that we got a fully furnished flat - major bonus for us since we're only here for a short time.