Helsinki:Where to rent a flat?How much for the rent/expenses

Teris · Post by **Teris** » Sat May 16, 2009 8:17 pm

Hallo everybody!

I am a 35 years old man who just got a job in Helsinki starting in a couple of months and as such I will need to move there coming from Greece, where I currently live and work. My job will be in the center of Helsinki. I would like to find a nice 1 bedroom flat, not less than 45-50m2, with a parking space (I am thinking of getting my car from Greece). As I like to live in a peaceful neighborhood, I think I would prefer the flat to be outside the center of Helsinki but within a reasonable distance so that I can be using public transportation to get to the job (I would consider reasonable a 30 minutes trip using bus/tram/metro to get to the center of Helsinki and prefer not to get any longer than this).

A. In which area you recommend I should search for a flat?
Espoo and Vantaa seem to be close enough. Which of them (or any other) is the most nice to live in (mainly in terms of surrounding with green parks, nice houses, easy access to public transportation, safety).
B. Is the amount of 1000€/month reasonable to expect for the rent considering the standards I set?
I am single (with no kids) expecting to have a “cautious” (expenses wise) life style(e.g eating mainly at home, going out to restaurants/cafes/cinemas etc. not very often). I will however get some trips around Finland by my car to enjoy the beautiful landscapes and skiing opportunities, as these are among my very favorite hobbies.
C. Is the amount of 2000-2500€/month reasonable to expect for my total living expenses?

I would really appreciate any feedback.

Thank you all!

**Sponsor:**

dampa · Post by **dampa** » Sat May 16, 2009 9:03 pm

Try here

Teris · Post by **Teris** » Sun May 17, 2009 2:03 am

Thank you dampa!
Although much information in the site you indicate is not in English, you helped me to see what flats one can get on any range of money.

It would be very helpful if someone could provide me some more feedback especially for my questions A and C.

dampa · Post by **dampa** » Sun May 17, 2009 3:09 am

Maybe u dont need to pollute the forum with multiple threads/posts

Espoo and Vantaa are both nice cities, the final decision depends on where you are willing to stay. To question C, depending on what you buy and how you spend but that amount should be enough for you monthly.

Using vuokraovi, you can search for rental apartments in any city you want in Finland. Espoo and Vantaa inclusive

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Sun May 17, 2009 8:16 am

Well first figure out where your work is. Then figure out how you get back and forth with public transport. Sometimes if you get onto the "wrong side" you get endless frustration. And if you prefer the train you get some options, if you take the bus you get more options, but then you need to learn to read schedules very good.

If you work in the smack centre, for example the place where I live at in West Vantaa is about as close as some N Helsinki suburbs... say even Haaga or Munkkiniemi get you something with 1000... it sort of depends what amenities you want around. Sometimes "closer" is "farther"...

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Sun May 17, 2009 8:17 am

Teris wrote: Although much information in the site you indicate is not in English

This is Greece you know, thats why its all written in Greek.

Teris · Post by **Teris** » Sun May 17, 2009 1:28 pm

Thank you all. Indeed your posts are very helpful to me.

Dear dampa, I understand that different people read different groups of this forum. I issued my query in another group as well, as I was not sure which is the most suitable for my questions. The feedback I received today there by Rip is really valuable to me (viewtopic.php?f=21&t=37834).
I would be glad if a forum administrator could provide me instructions on which is the most suitable group for my enquiries and how to close the second thread (any of the two running that is considered “pollution”).
dampa, I apology for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your useful information.

Bavarian · Post by **Bavarian** » Sun May 17, 2009 6:21 pm

Pursuivant wrote:Well first figure out where your work is. Then figure out how you get back and forth with public transport. Sometimes if you get onto the "wrong side" you get endless frustration. And if you prefer the train you get some options, if you take the bus you get more options, but then you need to learn to read schedules very good.

The Helsinki/Espoo/Vantaa transportation authority has a good line search site, with a link to a journey (by public transport) planner.

umit · Post by **umit** » Sun May 17, 2009 9:36 pm

Hi Teris!

A) I would recommend you to have a look at Lauttasaari (an island between Helsinki and Espoo). It meets all your requirements

(mainly in terms of surrounding with green parks, nice houses, easy access to public transportation, safety)

Except nice houses

Most of the apartment blocks are from 50s or 60s, which seem to be built by architects without esthetic concerns... But, the insides of these ugly blocks are suprisingly comfortable! Quality of the material and labor can be seen even in the small details. The only disappointing part of the flat would be the bathroom. When I was searching flat I was shocked by the bathrooms!

B) Yes, it's reasonable for non-furnished apartment. But if you can increase it by 200 euro you would get alot better options.

C) According to your living standards, it's more than enough!

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