Apartment or House for a Family of 3

Last activity 17 June 2015 by umairbz

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umairbzActive member15 June 2015 11:13:40

Hello All,

My friend is planning to move to Norway and she will be looking for a house or apartment in Oslo.

Her budget for a 2 bed apartment or house rent is around 13,000 per month. Is that a sufficient budget to find a good or reasonable house in a good neighborhood?

I have seen varied answers where some people have been able to find accommodation within this budget whereas other people recommend a budget of 15,000 to find a good place for a family of 3 (husband/wife/1 year old kid).

It'd be great if you could comment.

Thank you!

ECSNorway Expert15 June 2015 11:47:51

1557

depends on what you define as "good" neighborhood. In the "good" neighborhood where I live (Frogner/Majorstua) that's not gonna happen unless they're happy living in a tiny place. But, it's easy to browse the rental ads here:

http://www.finn.no/finn/realestate/lett … E_TO=13000

this is filtering to show everything in Oslo from 10-13k.

Depending on where they're working, it might make sense to live further out. Drammen, for example, has frequent trains to Oslo and housing costs are much lower. See here:

http://www.finn.no/finn/realestate/lett … E_TO=13000

one thing to be aware of: a 2 room apartment in Norway is usually a one bedroom apartment, so you should be looking at 3 room places if you want two bedrooms.

umairbzActive member15 June 2015 12:13:46

Thank you ECS.

Really appreciate the hint regarding two rooms and three rooms places.

She has been offered a job in Fornebu so I am assuming it would make sense to live in Oslo.

Is there any area you would recommend for people working in Fornebu?

Also just to confirm, I have read that a 2-3 months rent is to be submitted in advance. Is that advance refundable when you leave the property? Or is it a fixed expense?

Thanks again.

ECSNorway Expert15 June 2015 12:36:44

1557

The three months of rent should be held in a separate account and is a security deposit that you will get back as long as the apartment is still in good working order when you move out.

My friend who works in Fornebu actually lives near me in Frogner, which as I previously mentioned will not be easy if that's the budget/room requirement. I recommend looking at nsb.no and ruter.no to get an idea of the transportation options available in the area. Knowing what kind of commute is considered acceptable is an important early step in the hunt for housing.

umairbzActive member15 June 2015 13:04:01

Thanks a bunch. You've been a great help.

fornightSerial expat17 June 2015 05:45:41

395

If your friend is working in a reputable company, sometimes the landlord will waive the deposit with a letter of guarrantee from the employer of the tenant. Mine did. Your friend needs to check with her HR

umairbzActive member17 June 2015 06:04:46

Thank you for the advice Fornight. Appreciated.

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