Re: Heading to Geneva in Jan - hello!
Post 8
Hi Clare,
As far as finding a place in Geneva, it is pretty tough. I moved here a year and a half ago, found it difficult and I was already in Switzerland. It's just that there isn't any recession here, and there are more people coming over than flats becoming available. Here are a few pointers:
1. Do not, under any circumstances, send money to a person/agency without having physically visited the place. I know you are not here, but there are scams out there targeting people like you (such as through classifieds for example).
2.Renting a sublet flat is a good idea, as was suggested by a poster above. It's difficult to find a flat, so people dont give theirs up unless they are leaving permenantely and so often sublet.
3. You may wish to live in nearby France, especially if you have use of a car. By and large, it's a little cheaper but also a little further away. Administratively, I'm not sure what it does to taxes and stuff, but you will get a different work permit (G permit if you live in France, B permit usually if you live in Switzerland, unless you are part of an international org, in which case they have their own permits).
4. sites like www.anibis.ch have classifieds advertising flats. I think it is a good bet for subletting or flat sharing. For a place of your own it's less interesting, as the good ones go immediately. If it's been posted for a while and still isnt taken, it's usually no good.
5. Relocation agencies, like the one above, are the best bet to find something. However you will need some administrative papers to apply for a flat, and it can take time anyways, which is why I think subletting or flasharing is better at first. I found my current flat through such an agency. They charged me on result, and I paid one month's rent of the flat they found for me. The ting is, there are so many people looking, that estate agents know that when they put something online they will within the day have to sift through loads of applications from random people just to see if they have the required paperwork to apply for a flat. So it is much easier for them to just speak to one or 2 relocation agencies when something becomes available, so they know they're getting proper applications. The flat I found I was the first person to see, immediately said yes and my relocation agency handed them a copy of my paperwork, it was a done deal.
Hope this helps!
