My husband and I are moving to Zurich in October. My husband is German, he will be working for a big IT company. I am French, and I am planning to start taking intensive German lessons while I will be looking for a job.
We have been looking for an apartment for more than 10 days, and sent hundreds of requests for viewings but we had only one reply so far! And it didn't work out. Looking for an apartment in Zurich seems very complex and challenging....! I would like to know what are the rules? What was your experience when you first arrived in Zurich? Do you have any leads that you could share with me? Thank you in advance!
Start early, look at a lot of places (look in the surrounding villages- many have lower taxes and rents ), and be prepared for some disappointments. Look up open viewings and you might want to look for a relocation agent to help you.
Yes, I definitely suggest starting your search as early as possible. It took my husband and I eight months to finally find a new place (though I was being very picky ).
Maybe you've already searched these sites, but here are two of the more popular sites to search:
I agree with the above post that you might want to consider moving just outside of central Zurich (especially if you like quiet surroundings). The rent is usually lower there, and you often get more space for your money. The public transport system here is VERY efficient.
Our experience with homegate was not very positive. Most of our written request didn't work, so I would say: call the contact, show up for scheduled visitations and be quick in submitting the application. And, like someone else said, be prepared for disappointment
We chose a temporary rental in our first weeks in Zurich.
Took me six months to find good apartment in Zurich. Show up for viewings, apply immediately and provide more information than they ask for on the application. Every visitation has at least 20-40 people so you have to move quickly and be persistant.
Hello everyone, thank you so much for your help! It looks like it wont be easy, We were leaving in Dublin, and it was very easy to find appartements, so this is something new for us! I will keep you updated! thank you again!
THe other thing I would add is try to find a place that is not advertised on homegate as you will stand a better chance. Look for contacts in big organisations as they often advertise internally. Post your interest here on English forum with what you are looking for etc.
With your application itself, you will need to apply as if you are applying for a job, cover letter, pictures, CVs, bank statement, references, letter of recommendation from current employer, work contact, work permits, etc. Get an online/electronic copy together for fast and quick applications.
Also, just a tip, it doesnt cost anything to apply, but if you are successful before you ask for the contract, be careful as some agencies charge you a fee if you ask for the contract and then do not take the apartment.
We recently moved here and had the help of a relocation agent who was great. She found us our apartment and she helped us settle in for 3 months. I can truly recommend the services.
Thank you Mica, not sure if that's supposed to sheer me up though, ha ha ha! I start looking for forums and websites for expats, and things are moving. We keep fingers crossed!
If it’s a big firm, the HR department often help staff find a place they can rent for a few months while they sort themselves out with more permanent accommodaiton. Have you talked with his HR department about this? My husband had a couple of apartments for the 3 months before our move here that the company helped him find. They also helped with getting the bank accounts set up and registering with the commune when we finally found a house to rent.
Dear Rimhen I am french too and looking for an appartement in Zurich
It is very hard we sent like 20 applications without any succes
I can advise you if you visit something, send the application very quickly and yes, it is better to call on homegate, because with the formular they will never answer you...
I have to agree with some of the other posts, both www.immoscout24.ch and www.home.ch are pretty good but like any website, the advertisements are only as good as the people (landlords) who post them.
The trick, as mentioned, is getting an appointment, showing up on time, doing the paperwork and being "selected". All of which can be a total crap shoot. Sometimes the owner won't bother to show up and the current tennant will show you the place and just take your application. Keep in mind the tennant is motivated to move out, so they'll tell you what a great place it is even if it's right over a train station.
While there are lots of places available, there are not so many with good locations, features or reasonably priced.The good ones go quickly and the crappy ones, well...they're still vacant aren't they!
To give yourself some time to look around, you can probably find a small furnished studio or single room while you're looking around the area. But in the Zurich area expect to pay between 2,000 / 3,000-CHF per month. Even "cheap" hotels are just as expensive and remember you still need to eat and do laundry so check for little ammenities like a fridge in the room and access to a washing machine where ever you end up.
If you have a car, you could look for a temporary place in Konstanz and drive over to Zurich (about an hour) until you find the place you want since Germany is way cheaper. If you go this route, don't forget your passport and Swiss autobahn vignette!
Hi, yes, looking for a place can be challenging and frustrating. But you only need one positive response, so don't give up. Homegate is a good place to check for ads. We are moving. Private Message me if you are interested in details.