We are looking for an apartment to move in as soon as possible. We have been looking all then time, everyday calling then visiting. We got offered somewhere then told no longer can have it. I am just so sick of it now and I want somewhere to live! I am still in the UK while my partner is looking. We have put that on the application, we just don't seem to be getting anywhere. I just want some advice really what sort of things do you need to write, or is there somewhere specific to look other than homegate. Any advice please.

Where are you looking? Try outside the large cities, or the outer suburbs.
However, having a B-permit is almost essential... When applying for an appartment, send in a whole bunch of paperwork upfront: copies of permit, employment contract, proof of financial means etc. Search the forum for more tips on how to get chosen out of the dozens of applicants... Good luck and don't get desperate!

I got a temporary flat through

http://www.lodge-finder.ch/

The lady who helped me is called Jennifer, she speaks English, and shes really helpful. She got me a temporary place over the internet while I was abroad, so I only had to stay in a hotel for 3 days.

I just got a place, it belonged to an expat, who really pushed the deal in my favour, though i had to call the agency everyday, I scanned and faxed documents the same day, really had to chase hard.

But keep looking, it took me about 3 weeks to find something, you should probably take a temporary place, and then look for a long term one.

good luck!

hi Janice,

been there! You might find some helpful tips in this thread:

Flats in Zurich or ...lack of them

good luck!

Actually from the tone of your note it kind of sounds like you are looking in Geneva. Am I right?

Hi Janice,
I experienced exactly your frustration. I found a job but then had to live in a B & B for a month while looking for an apartment. I found mine in the local Amtsblatt (sold at kiosks for SFR1, comes out every Friday in our area). I am renting directly from the owner, which I found cheaper and simpler. I also found the agents rather hostile when I spoke English but more accommodating when I tried out my rusty swiss. My advise is to just keep trying, look further afield than you are maybe. And pray. Good luck!

it would help to know in which area you are looking for a flat, i got two 3.5 room ( 2 bedroom) to let in our house........

We are a couple my partner is there already we are looking in zone 11, 9, 10 and also in affoltern and horgan something easy to commute to zurich eth honnggerberg and near zurich billoweg stop. We are looking for something like two bedrooms and doesn' t have to be massive just ok. If anyone hears of anything.

Your profile says you are a teacher. I wonder what grade you would give your own posts?

EF is a great site and people here will line up to help you, but only on the condition that you help us help you... otherwise, it's Free Beer city.

In terms of your specific needs, as has been written many times on these pages, it helps to:

• be patient (it took us 6 months to find something that fills 80% of our needs)
• be here (no chance we would have got that or anything else from overseas)
• be flexible (forget the "Kreis 2 near the lake" nonsense and go with "Zurich and surrounding area")
• speak German (or try, or hire someone who does)
• have jobs and working permits (or else, well, why are we talking?)
• have a reasonable budget (and tell us what it is...)
• read the local papers and the internet every day (NZZ and Tages Anzeiger are both online)
• etc. (which basically means "it's a bloody nightmare trying to find a flat in this city and you are going to be way more frustrated than you are now before it's over so get used to it and keep smiling).

Good luck.

If your looking for temp accomodation its usual that the minimum period is around 12 months. Any less and the rental property agents are not really interested. Also you can only normally get out of a Swiss property contract after every quarter so March/June etc so this is when most people move. Have you tried www.homegate.ch or alternative if you do a search on Goolge for relocation companies. We were in a similar position to you and once we employed a relocation company we got lots of help and lots of appointments to look at great properties. You have to pay a fee but its worth it and they advise with all the legals etc. Hope this helps

I have nothing concrete to offer, but some advice: The Bus 80 goes directly to ETH Hönggerberg and passes a lot of "not so posh" but quiet and nice residential areas in and around Zurich Altstetten. It is way easier to get an apartment there than for example in Horgen or Höngg.

As I live myself close to "Lindenplatz" (and quite some other regulars on this forums as well...), I can assure you that it is a practical and nice area to live in while being a bit cheaper and easier available than other parts of the city.

Good luck with your search!

Oh the other thing is you need to consider schools carefully if you have kids when deciding on location.

Hi,

I had a similar dillema before I managed to settle down. I hope that it might be of help if you contact relocation agent that helped me in the past. If you you find them a bit sluggish just push it a bit and they will sort it out for you. Here is the link: http://www.relocations.com/ Good luck with your quest

Rgds,

Jacek

Thanks for the advice i will look into the area. 6 months is not an option i have to move to zurich in the next few weeks as i too will start a job for August! Panic is setting in, it just seems to be impossible to find anywhere!

Janice try http://www.touchdown-reloc.ch/ they were great. However, a word of caution; you need to be precise about what your looking for i.e. location, new or old, distance from train station, country or lake view, number of rooms etc and more important you need to know how much you want to pay. Rent is expensive I Switzerland and not like UK i.e. I pay 3800 francs a month but apartment is great. Additionally, you can't mess these people about if they think your not sure about your requirements then they won't help. It's simple they want a quick turn around because thats how they make money. So in summary think carefully about your wish list and write it down clearly and you will get the help. I used Chrissie at touchdown she was fantastic, went shopping, schools and lots of apartments etc.

This is not true throughout Switzerland. It is certainly not so in Vaud & Geneva.

According to my wife our contract allows us to give 3 months notice to end the contract in October. If by July that notice has not been given we are contracted for a further 6 months from October 2008 til April 2009 and have to give notice in January 2009 etc. is this a common sort of thing. I have also been told that we could actually leave the property before April 2009 if we do not give notice in July provide we can find someone to take up the property via a sub contract or sub letting. We maybe in an unusual situation as a relative of my wife was a former colleague of our landlord and so things may have been done uniquely for us.

to me tying tenants into long notice periods does not help the market, helps the landlord maybe

Why would you refer someone to a company that you have complained about? If you are going to recommend someone, it ought to be someone you were pleased with, not someone who you have complained about on more than one occasion on this forum but when asked to name the firm you wouldn't and now you are giving them a referral? Why on earth would you do so? At one point we read that you were still arguing with the relocation company about the additional costs above the estimate for the electrical work to install your internet connection.

http://www.englishforum.ch/adverts-homes/19044-wanted-4-5-5-5-house-apartment-within-20kms-lenzburg.html#post181152

Usually you should be able to find a new tenant to take over your lease and then you are free to go.

You have not told the OP what you paid for these services. Don't you think this might be relevant? Relocation firms in general are not paid a fee by the apartment owner or agency for finding a tenant. It is the tenant/client who pays a fee. Perhaps the OP is on a limited budget and cannot afford to buy a "relocation package" which is what most of the firms in the Zurich area offer. I am sure these services were not provided to you for free so your post would be more helpful if you proviced the OP with an idea of the costs she might expect to pay.