International Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Int'l apartment hunting: things you wish you had asked...
Hi all. We're off to Paris next week in search of a furnished apartment to rent for a year (moving in January). We're taking all the usual things into consideration: proximity to metro stops/public transport, grocery-shopping, safety, whether the rent includes water/heat, etc. A lot of our criteria are pretty similar to apartment-hunting in NYC, except for the furnished part and the fact that it would be a limited lease.
Is there anything you wish you had asked before entering your international lease? Other considerations I should have? TIA!
Re: Int'l apartment hunting: things you wish you had asked...
Is there central heat?
Is there a washer? Dare a say a dryer? The combo is crap form what I hear.
Ask about curtains.
Are there play groups in the area for you and your daughter?
Bio
Forget about play groups. Your daughter is almost 4 I see so she will go to pre-school full time (it's free). She will go from 8:30am to 11:30am then a 2-hour lunch break and again from 1:30pm to 4:30pm.
What areas of Paris are you considering? What's your style? Avoid the 18th and 19th arrondissements.
Hello there! I don't think you've commented on my Paris-related posts before. I was stressing about the school thing a few weeks ago, but am feeling a little more zen now on that front. We're still considering the public maternelle, but will also be looking at some private bilingual (and in one case, quadlingual???) schools in Paris for DD.
Apt.-wise, we're looking at the 6th, 7th & 8th for convenience getting to DH's job (16th) and proximity to other friends/sights/etc. We'll only be there a year, so would like to be in the center of things and able to walk most places with DD.
Any specific thoughts? If you have the secret to getting a French broker to be more responsive, I'd love it!
I don't know how things are in France, and if you're looking for a furnished apt it should be a given, but I would still ask about the kitchen and light fixtures. In Germany they are not included with apartments (not even bare bulbs as lights), In the furnished apartments I've had they have been, but still, I'm paranoid like that.
I also think this is a typically southern German thing, but ask whether you will have any responsibilities in the building. Each apartment in my building has to clean the hallway and stairwell once every 4 weeks (there are 4 apts to a floor), and in the winter the snow duty rotates so we've got to shovel and salt every 16th time it snows (4 floors x 4 apts). Other things are taken care of by the building manager.
And I definitely second the washer/dryer question, although to be honest the dryer probably shouldn't be a deal breaker or you might be looking forever.
I'd ask about security as well. What appliances are included specifically?
Plan to bring or buy your own bedding. In fact, both moves I found it easier to buy a set of bedding when we got there. Even for a year it'll be nicer quality and if you buy at home not only do you need to ship it and wait for its arrival but there is a good chance the sheets won't fit.
It was already mentioned but I definitely made a mistake with our first flat here. I had no idea that so many places don't have central heat. That was a cold, cold winter. Two winters actually since we hate moving so much we stayed there longer than we should have.
If at all possible, I'd ask to see an inventory beforehand so you can know exactly what is included. I was bemused with our current flat that was theoretically furnished but had no furniture in the kitchen at all. Never would have thought to check that either!
BFP Apr 2012, EDD Dec 19 2012 * twin h/b at 6wk, 9wk scan * Baby A lost at 12wks, Baby B was my rainbow born at 36wks
Make sure you ask who pays for maintenance!
Our covers major things like AC, leaks, and whatnot. But we have to cover minor things.
We rented a furnished flat when we first moved here. Luckily it included everything except for towels. We had an inventory list from the landlord and went over everything before moving in and the day we moved out.
Ask how much notice you have to give before moving out, when to expect your security deposit back, for our furnished, we had to give one month, but we didn't sign a year lease, it was month to month.
Definitely check out the neighbourhood at various hours, check the noise level, traffic, nearby construction etc... Check for mold moisture in the apartment and if the windows are double paned.
Good luck apartment hunting!