Moving to Finland - lots of questions :)

[sinikala]

Most of the questions have been answered well enough - with the exception of the answers about language; the basics of Finnish are actually pretty easy to learn.

Before arriving in Finland (and I'd suggest ASAP) get on play.com / amazon.co.uk and order yourself a couple of beginner audio CDs - I got hold of the Berlitz and Hodder & Stoughton offerings (though 12 years ago they were casettes!). I listened to them in the car in England on the way to and from work, for a month before arriving here (about 30 hours of listening - meaning I went through each one about 10 - 15 times).

That was enough to teach me the basics, numbers, tell the time, days of the week, nouns, how to order in a restaurant, which I could do from day 1.
It's progressing beyong the basics that's challenging, that's where the 30 hours of professional tuition will come in handy.

If you did German GCSE / O-level that will make life a lot easier - all signs and packaging are in both Finnish and Swedish. If you don't know the Finnish but can decipher the Swedish, it helps you learn the Finnish word.

And amongst the natives, fluency isn't necessary, nor is it expected. What they like to see is that you are willing / trying to learn. That goes down far better than "I'm only here for 2 years, it's not worth the effort".

[Rip]

There are no rates/taxes as such here, it's a completely different system to, eg the UK. Municipal tax is deducted from your salary, so it's based on what you earn - nothing to do with how big your house is or whether you rent/buy.

Well, we have the "kiinteistövero" (real estate tax) too, although it is likely relatively small for your primary residence compared to the municipal tax a working person pays.

[Pursuivant]

Yes, but thats paid by "owner of land" an not the tenant

[tizlit]

As previously someone commented, dogs will not be a problem in renting an apartment in Finland, some dogowners keep their pets even in small 2 room homes. Everyone seems to have a dog, at least one, if not more.

As for looking for home in August, most owners are on holiday in their summer cottages, so not so favourable time.
Why not place an ad yourself, people do speak English you know, and see what results it brings. Being a newcomer, would recommend renting an apartment, instead of a house, as things here rather complicated. Make sure it is an open contract, instead of an agreed time frame. Your heating (for hot water you pay often between 15-20 E per person per month extra), is included in the rent.

www.asuntoilmoitukset.com
oikotie.fi

The location, as pointed out in other posts, is important, and easy transportation is crucial. You do not want to stand in 20 below zero waiting for a bus... If you have a car, better.

[onkko]

Your heating (for hot water you pay often between 15-20 E per person per month extra), is included in the rent.

Heating is normally in rent but its better to check that, it can be in electricity bill if there is direct electric heating etc. And you dont pay hot water, you pay all water so you cant opt out it by "i dont need hot water"

[Wish Fairy]

Welcome to Finland! I can't answer all of your questions, but I will try to help you a bit

Dogs: I think they will be fine in the cold weather - I have seen people walking Chihuahuas in -15C! The cold sounds bad on paper, but in Helsinki area it will always be somewhat tolerable if your dog is at least a bit furry House-wise, it seems much more common for Finns to have pets, so I imagine that landlords are more relaxed about it than in the UK. I live in an apartment block full of people renting and I always seem to be stepping over small dogs in the hallway...

Heating costs: I think that almost certainly these will be less than in the UK. If you live in an apartment, it's most likely that that you will be part of a communal heating system. So, you will pay a set amount every month (maybe for a big apartment ~€30+), but you will have all your heating and hot water sorted. Not only that, but your house will actually stay warm due to double-double glazed windows and good insulation (unlike UK!). In my opinion, this is the best thing about living in Finland!

House-hunting: I would definitely do this through a Finn, because the system here is a little bit different from the UK. Someone mentioned in this thread that people are reluctant to rent to foreigners... there may be some truth in this, perhaps through a fear of dealing with non-Finns (language and culture wise). I found that people's attitude changed if I attended viewings with a Finnish work-colleague, who could somehow vouch that I was trustworthy and responsible member of society (I work at a university and look really young, so they just assume I'm a student). It is useful to learn how to make your job-title in Finnish for this reason People say that August is the worst time for househunting, but this is mainly because it is when the students learn when they have been accepted to university. So this will be less of a problem if you are looking for something in a non-student area.

Learning Finnish: You don't need it, and you won't learn enough in 30 hours to construct a basic sentence. Most people speak English and all foreigners can get by without it. BUT. I HIGHLY recommend attending classes. They are hard and a bit boring, but understanding just small pieces of Finnish on a sign, or catching the gist of a conversation will make life here much easier. I didn't learn any for my first six months and I felt so alienated from society, I was a bit miserable. Now I take classes, and understanding just small things on a sign or on a tannoy or in a shop makes life much better, and I can tell that Finns really appreciate it when you make an effort to try out a few words here and there!

Anyway, a bit long winded but I hope that some of what I have said helps. And good luck with your move

Great thanks - this was really useful.

The dog is quite fluffy coated collie - I think he will be fine I was just worried about his feet LoL
We will be able to sort the house rental via the company, and I'll make sure we have someone finnish with us (the agent will probably sort all this out)
I realise I don't need it and hat 30 hours won't even scrape the ice of any language, but you're right, understanding a little can go a long way

[Lillfixa]

More and more dogs can be seen wearing nice and warm footwear in order to keep their paws from freezing. Many people do these themselves and doggies don't seem to mind.

Here are few examples:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZhJrrPoxXFs/TQzx9JeloRI/AAAAAAAAA-c/5DdyfJOVa0w/s1600/riiarellatossuisssa.jpg

http://i637.photobucket.com/albums/uu99/niinn-/SAM_1372.jpg

[dave071061]

Generally the booties used on dogs are partly to keep their feet warm but also to protect them from the Salt/Grit used on the paths and to stop the build up of ice between the paw pads which can get very uncomfortable for them.

Our dogs are bearded collies and they are fine in the cold, at about -15 we start to put coats on them (They are shaved to a short coat) and at -20 we shorten their walks, but that is because below that I can´t handle too long out side

[Wish Fairy]

Thanks for all the info. Since last time I posted I discovered some more information

- actually renting with a dog cuts our options down by around 80% in terms of suitable housing
- dog boots are common (my dog will be hating that, lol)
- transporting the dog by plane from UK to Finland looks complicated, but safe (and the price is incredibly ££££)
- I definitely think it will be worth doing the language training if only to meet people. I also agree with the poster who said, it's better to learn, even if only a few words. After days on the internet, I've at least started to understand some key phrases

[baxbale]

I am a Gambian by nationality at the age of 20 and I have a Finnish girlfriend whom I have been dating for seven months, and we want to get marry in Gambia in December 2013, and she will like me to move to finland in january 2014 after our marriage with a tourist visa, would I be able to get the tourist visa for 30 days visit to visit her family members there..

[Kutittaa]

You would have to apply for one and see if you get it. None of us can know for sure. If you are marrying and you have eventual plans to try and live in Finland you should marry and apply for a residence permit in Gambia, at your closest Finnish embassy. Rather than wait for a tourist visa.

You must really like each other if you are discussing marriage after just 7 months.

I think you should come back in a few years seeing as your plans are so far off.