Expat Diaries: Underrated Ways To Find An Apartment Abroad (Apartment Tour + Costs )
Here’s what I’ve learned so far:
One of the most challenging aspects of moving to a new country, new city or new town is finding the perfect place to call home.
Most of us travelers usually start out by living in Airbnbs while we figure out our long-term living situation, that doesn’t involve extra taxes and exorbitant cleaning fees.
Don’t get me wrong, Airbnbs are super convenient, and I use them every time I find myself in a new country or new city.
However, when it comes to finding my “temporary-long term” home, I’ve always found them on……
Yup, Facebook!
“But who’s even on Facebook these days” — I’m sure you’re wondering.
Well, a lot of people and helpful groups!
Somehow, over the years, Facebook has uniquely evolved into a community space, providing a platform for various groups, including travel groups.
Almost all countries have expat, travel and real estate pages on Facebook.
Facebook groups
I’m currently in Cuenca, a city in Ecuador, and here are a few examples of the facebook pages that exist, dedicated to the city.
Facebook groups have been a tremendous resource for me when it comes to finding real estate agents, apartments, knowing the best restaurants to eat at, and finding helpful information on how to get from the airport to my destination during a curfew.
There are so many genuinely helpful people in some of these groups. But of course, you can never be too diligent when it comes to looking out for scams and scammers.
If you’re planning on moving to a new country, or are in a new country, go on facebook and search….
“Expats in ……..” [country of your choice] or,
“Travelers in …..” [country of your choice]
It’s a great way to get an inside scoop of the place, ask questions and find what you need.
Facebook marketplace
Facebook marketplace is also an underrated aspect of facebook where you can go to see what’s on sale, and/or for rent within the area.
I’ve noticed that when it comes to searching for apartments here, a good amount of the postings are usually from real estate agents looking to market their listings.
Here is also an example of local realtors sharing their listings via. Facebook Groups
Talk to people
Walk around and talk to people.
Ask around.
Walk into a store, restaurant, strike a conversation with the people who work there and ask them if they know people renting etc.
You might be surprised by the doors that open to you in the process.
Obviously, be smart! Don’t be naive! Don’t get taken advantage of!
Hold this in balance with the fact that there are also so many good people out there in the world who are more than willing to help you.
Someone recently told me — “We all have our angels”
