Job Discussion Forums

[odguedeni]

hey everyone! could anybody tell me how/where to start searching for a flat? i'm going to be in istanbul this coming academic year and i've been offered a 35 sq m studio in cihangir for �400/m. is that reasonable? is there an english-based website to look for accommodation? ideally, i'd like to be near taksim, if that's not too naive...or somewhere in boyoglu close enough to my dolapdere campus.

thank you so much to whoever can give me any advice

[jamessmart50]

That sounds like a lot of money. Having just gone through the painful process of getting a place to live, I can tell you that your cheapest bet is probably just to come down here, shack up in a hotel for a week, and look at the adverts in the Kitabevi Alman on Istiklal, or in the French consulate on the corner of Istiklal and Taksim, look in the newspaper, or just try to find something by word of mouth.

If you just want a flat quickly, you should ask someone at your place of work to take you down to the Estate Agents (Emlak) - they'll show you round lots of places, but they charge about one months rent as commission - but you can sometimes haggle.

Try to avoid paying in Euros or dollars if at all possible, I get the impression this is what greedy landlords ask for if they think they can ring in some foreigners at premium prices. Remember the YTL seems to be continually dropping in value. If you're getting paid in YTL, you really want to be paying your rent in the same currency.

Best of luck. You're going to need it pal!

[jamessmart50]

Oh, and try the classifieds on mymerhaba.com or craigslist.com

[odguedeni]

thank you 4 your advice jamessmart50. i appreciate it. i'll c what i can do...

[thrifty]

[dmb]

I've said before but the best thing to do is decide on the area and pound the streets.