Finding housing abroad over the internet is usually a bad idea
There really isn’t any element to moving to a foreign country that is as important as the housing once you are there, so it’s natural that most of us obsess over it and feel the urge to confirm something before we even arrive. Having gone through this many times myself, I’m now convinced that locking in housing before you arrive is almost always a mistake.
Doing advanced research on the internet is wise, although in some cases it might be giving you misinformation that you can’t verify on your own. The biggest problem is that you’ll usually think that rentals are insanely expensive in your new city, even when they aren’t.
Most online listings are way overpriced
It’s more than a little ironic that if you Google a phrase like “cheap Madrid apartments” that the results will be an endless list of agencies that charge about twice the local rate for flats. There are enough people who get tricked by this problem that it’s a very profitable business to be listed high in those search results. These companies pay a lot for it, and then pass the cost on to their unfortunate customers.
Even if you use Craigslist or a similar free classifieds site, there’s a very good chance that the listings are dominated by similar agencies, if not the exact same ones. If a bargain apartment does get listed, then it’s sure to be snapped up almost instantly by someone who can look at it and then hand over a deposit right away. As someone looking from abroad, your choices will be the overpriced ones that aren’t moving.
I once found an apartment in Amsterdam for rent on Craigslist while I was still living in New York City. I paid the first month by a bank deposit to the girl renting it, which is scary enough because scams involving fake rentals are fairly common. When I arrived in Amsterdam to get the keys I discovered that the apartment was about one kilometer outside the city center, in a very quiet and boring neighborhood that I didn’t really care for. Fortunately, I only had to stay one month. This leads to the other main problem.
The downside to renting from abroad is huge
Unless you are moving to Detroit or into a small town that is losing population, you will be going to a place where the housing market is competitive. In other words, there are always people looking for bargains and to move to a better place or a cheaper place. So if it’s really a good deal, it will be taken quickly by someone already there.
With that in mind, it’s easy to realize that places that are advertised on the internet and are available to people who can’t see them in person, are always going to be flawed. They will usually be way overpriced, but they can also have other major problems. Maybe they overlook a noisy highway that isn’t visible from the photos, or the street is lined with prostitutes every night. Unless you are there to see it (and hear it) for yourself, there’s no way to know that the place is even close to what you are being told.
Research online but wait until you arrive for the best deals
As someone who has been moving around for nearly 3 years now, this is a situation I face often, and I can’t help but try to do as much research as possible online. But this experience has confirmed that finding good places is actually relatively easy once you arrive, or at least the chances of getting a good deal skyrocket.
My own strategy is to book into an affordable and centrally located hotel in the city at first, hopefully one that you can stay in for a week or more. Once there, I start trying to make friends and asking locals for availability and strategies. I’ve also discovered that going in person to a rental agency will usually lead to drastically overpriced apartments, but at least you can see them before you lock in.
I’d say that those days, or even a week or more, in a hotel will easily pay for themselves by getting a fair price on an apartment that I like with a good location. So tempting as it may be, it’s important to gamble a bit when apartment hunting, and it usually pays off in spades.