What is it like to live as an expat in Denmark? In this interview, Daniel, a software engineer from beautiful and sunny Portugal, shares his experience about living in Vejle, Southern Denmark. Hopefully his story will be a great source of inspiration to you all. Enjoy the read!

What is your name?

Daniel Luis.

Where are you from?

I’m originally from Portugal.

What company do you work for? What is your position?

I’m a Senior Application Developer at LEGO.

Outside of work, what are your passions?

Traveling, sports, and cooking.

What made you decide to relocate to Denmark?

I was looking for a more challenging position in a good company that would also ensure good work-life balance. Denmark is considered the happiest country in the world and it’s also known for a great work-life balance, so it was a perfect match.

How long have you been living in Denmark?

Two and a half years now. I moved here in November 2015.

How did you search for a job in Denmark? Any tips for those seeking similar work?

I was suggested for this job, but usually LinkedIn is a good starting point.

How long did it take for you (as an EU citizen) to actually move after accepting the job offer?

Three months.

What are the best things about living and working in Denmark? What impressed you the most?

The work-life balance is great, but there were a few things I didn’t know about that made me even more impressed. Things like safety, low crime-rate, cleanliness, and social security make sure you are welcomed.

What has been the most helpful thing in adapting to your new home abroad?

Making new friends. Moving alone to a country where you know no one is a big challenge and establishing new friendships is extremely helpful.

What city do you live in? How do you find life (cost of living, housing) there?

I live in Vejle, a town in the southeast of the Jutland Peninsula. Housing is super expensive compared to the pricing of apartments in Portugal. Generally speaking, the cost of living in Vejle is ok and balanced with wages.

Vejle, Southern Denmark. Image source: Climate-Data.org

According to Numbeo, the average cost of rent for a one-bedroom apartment in downtown Vejle is €700. Is that true?

Yes, the prices shown on Numbeo are quite accurate. For instance, it is possible to rent a 3-room apartment (2 bedrooms + a living room) near the city center for approx. 7,000 kr (~ €900). If it is a 2-room apartment, the prices start at approx. 5000 kr (~ €650).

Can you name a couple of websites that can help in finding an apartment in Denmark?

BoligPortal and LokalBolig are the two popular sites.

If you had to define public transport in Denmark in two words, what would they be?

On-time and reliable. However, a monthly pass is rather expensive.

What is the average software developer salary in Denmark?

That is quite relative, depends on which IT area, experience, where in Denmark, etc… but the union’s website usually has this information available so that is the best source.

Do you have any advice for tech people considering relocating to Denmark?

Companies in Denmark represent a great choice for IT people as they offer a great working culture and conditions as well as challenges. You won’t feel like an IT guy working in a basement away from the stakeholders. Here, you feel IT and business go hand-in-hand for working towards a goal.

Would you like to move your career abroad too? Click here to view software developer jobs currently available.

The post Expat Advice: Moving from Portugal to Denmark first appeared on Relocate.me.

This post was originally published by @ejaypcanaria.

It’s almost a year now since I flew here in Singapore. It’s a bit silly to admit but it was my first trip overseas and my first time to ride a plane, yikes! Actually, I was able to board a plane when I was in kindergarten, but it didn’t take off.

It was early January of this year. I packed my bag, went to the airport and ride a plane to Singapore. This is not a vacation nor a business trip. I will be working as a Software Engineer in the Lion City. I joined TradeGecko — an awesome startup founded in this very country. It was a very exciting moment for me.

First thing I need to do is to find a place to stay prior to actually moving here. I did a search at the popular room hunting websites in SG like EasyRoomMate, 99.co, and RoomsDB. I wanted something close to CBD as I don’t like a long commute to work. Obviously, the closer the place is to CBD, the more expensive it is. Rent, in general, is very expensive here.

With help from my cousin who has been working here, I was finally able to find a good place through PinoySG. It’s just four train stations away from work plus a couple of minutes of walking — not bad.

This is where I live

View from my window

Say hi to my roommates

When I’m not reading or writing (codes) in my room, I’m most probably playing with these guys. Otherwise, I’m out for a gym or a grocery. That is my kind of weekend in here.

Transportation in Singapore is very efficient. Primary transportation is by train, bus or cab. You can almost go everywhere using the train. I think that’s the safest and cheapest way to not get lost if you don’t have a map or the gothere.sg app.

A reloadable card, used for public transportations. You can easily get one at the 711 store

Buses are predictable. You can download an app like MyTransport to know how much time it will take for a certain bus to arrive at a certain bus station. Taxis are everywhere though it’s a bit expensive. You can always use GrabTaxi if you need a cab.

The train station near my place

Yup, buses here are Mercedes-Benz

Almost always, you need to walk for at least five mins to get to the train or bus station (at least in my case). This is a tropical country hence you will find your self sweating under the mighty sun. It’s a good thing for your health as an exercise, but I kinda miss the Tricycle in the Philippines. It’s a cheap and convenient way of replacing the walking part. But no, I don’t miss this kind of thing back home:

The dreaded EDSA road. Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Food is everywhere and from everywhere. From local delights, Indian cuisine, Filipino food, Italian, Mexican you name it — foods from all over the world. You can easily find them here. Most likely, you have a Hawker Centerbeside your building or across the road. So far, my favorite local delight is the ever famous Singapore Chicken Rice.

Ironically this is from a food stall called Hong Kong Street

Grocery stores and small shops are easily accessible too. Shopping malls are everywhere — almost always there are malls near or inside the MRT station. Everything is just interconnected. One thing that you will find very expensive here aside from rent are products like alcohol and tobacco. The price is more than double than the usual price in other countries. That for sure will lower your alcohol and cigarette consumptions than usual.

Overall, I would say living in Singapore is easy but expensive. Well, that’s a compromise. Almost everything is provided — efficient transportation, good housing, a plethora of food choices, and security. You have peace of mind while walking back home very late at night. There’s good diversity as well. It’s true that Singapore is a melting pot. It is such an overwhelming experience for me to meet a lot of people from all over the world in one country. It is such a privilege to live here.

The ideal place for me is the one in which it is most natural to live as a foreigner — Italo Calvino

The post Life As An Expat In Singapore first appeared on Relocate.me.

This post was originally published by @filipeabreu.

Getting a job in Germany may be a great idea, especially if you are into the tech industry like me. It is not a hard thing to achieve, specifically if you have some experience and a university degree. I have been working in Berlin as a web developer since April 2017, and I will share my experience working here so far. I found some blog posts, articles, and even videos about living in Germany, especially Berlin, but I felt it still lacked some information. I will try to get more deep into the details. Note that this post will mostly be related to working in the IT sector and about my personal experience here.

About Germany

Aerial view of Berlin skyline with famous TV tower and Spree river (Photo: canadastock/Shutterstock)

Germany is a great country to live in. It provides a great quality of life, with great social security, educational, and health systems. Also, the German economy is very strong, being nowadays the strongest economy in Europe and the fourth strongest economy in the world. Yet, you may find some differences in public governance here, especially if you are from more liberal countries like the USA (I’m from Brazil).

The German government is very serious about social politics, providing quality health care and education, as well as subsidizing public transport, among other things. But, for that, people pay a lot of taxes. Health insurance is collected from your salary, so each person pays a different value, but everybody gets the same health services. This is a solidarity model that is present in every aspect of German politics. I won’t go into details about tax calculations, as you can calculate using this calculator.

But one thing to note is that if you are married and your partner does not have income in Germany, you pay less taxes, and if you also have children, you pay even less. Choose the right tax category in the calculator above if you fit into those categories. Also, your health insurance covers your partner and children as well. Among other things, education is free in Germany, even universities. Some university courses are even in English, focusing on foreign students.

Another thing to note is that in Germany, and overall in Europe, you will find that social and economic gap is much lower than in other countries. While in Brazil, as a skilled worker in tech, you can get paid 8 to 10 times what a regular blue collar worker is getting paid, in Germany you will probably be earning 2 or 3 times what the regular worker is getting. While everybody is able to sustain a decent lifestyle and the smaller social and economic gap leads to fewer crimes and violence, my purchasing power is actually less than I had in Brazil. Germans living in big cities often live in small apartments (30–50 square meters kitchenettes) and don’t have a car, instead rely on public transportation or ride a bike (like me!).

Taken that, Germans often value quality of life more than economic success. Companies will not put pressure on your shoulders or give you unachievable goals. If you are staying late, your boss will even ask you why and tell you to go home. Germans believe that work is better done if it’s enjoyable, and I agree! Yet salaries in Germany are often a bit lower than in other countries, like the UK, especially in Berlin (overall salaries in Hamburg, Munich, and Frankfurt are often higher than in Berlin).

Still, you will find people all over the world moving to Germany to work. I even have two colleagues from the USA that chose Germany as their new home. The German government and labour policies are very open to foreigners, especially if you are a highly skilled worker.

German Efficiency

Germans are often known and praised for their efficiency. As I have to agree that mostly things work better here (for example, trains and people are often on time), this efficiency happens as a result of very strict rules and people following this rules strictly. That even means that German rules are even more important than social empathy. Germans are not confortable on bending the rules, as this would imply that their rules don’t work. So instead of applying a work around, the rules should be changed, but that would require following the protocols of rule changing. Even than, sometimes German eficiency fails. We have several delayed constructions, like the Schönefeld airport in Berlin or the Elbphilarmonie in Hamburg (this was finally delivered with a 5 year delay and at 10 times the budgeted costs).

So, don’t try to get smart here (take note Brazilians!), things can get worst for you. But if you follow the rules, everything works just fine. Just be patient and follow all the required protocols. For example, in traffic people are very polite, drivers stop on each red light and respect pedestrians and cyclists very much. But if you try to cross the street in the red light, possibly you will get run over by a car, drivers won’t stop for you in this case. You can get also earn a ticket and get strange looks, especially if there are children around (don’t be a bad example).

Every step you make living in Germany is filled with bureaucracy, which you must follow step by step. For everything here, especially public services, you will need to make an appointment. The problem is that you can only get free appointments slots within one month ahead. Also, there are often several forms that you must fill, sign and send the original forms by post. Digitalization is still not very trusted here. That also means that most places don’t accept credit or debit cards, most restaurants and cafes only operate on money. Another interesting thing in Germany is that people often have insurances for everything, as if you mess around you can end up having to pay huge amounts of money. So, get a liability and a residence insurance as soon as you arrive.

About Berlin

Most tech jobs and startups in Germany are concentrated in Berlin, but still, you can find tech companies in Hamburg, Munich and Frankfurt, as well as in other smaller cities. So if you are considering a tech job in Germany, most probably you will find one in Berlin.

Urban city life with famous Reichstag building in the background, Berlin (Photo: canadastock/Shutterstock)

Berlin is the capital and largest city in Germany. There are around 3.5 million people living here. People are living spread all over the city, so you don’t have a large concentration of people and jammed traffic. The city is filled with parks and green areas all over, and there are beautiful canals where you can have a nice walk or even a boat trip. There are cozy cafes all over the city, especially in neighborhoods like Prenzlauer Berg (my favourite!), Mitte and Schönenberg, and the biergartens are very busy during summer.

About Berlin weather, the summertime is great! You actually can get around 25°C temperatures and sunny weather to enjoy a day in the park. You will often find people having barbecues and bare naked sunbathing in parks and lakes during summer. Days lasts for very long, getting dark after 9h30 PM. Summer weather lasts for around 2 to 3 months, then it’s back on being gray, cold and rainy. You will probably get more rain than snow in Berlin. And during winter you will get dark, depressing days, getting dark as early as 4 PM, as opposed to the long days of summer.

Berlin is one of the most culturally active cities in the world. The city has 175 museums, 140 theaters, 300 cinemas, 4650 restaurants, around 900 bars and 190 night clubs. You will find a show or event on any day of the year, many of them as open-air events in parks. During the 1st of May, there is a massive party and events all over the city, especially in Kreuzberg area, characterized by leftist and social movements and manifestations. It’s a city that you can find anything to do, for any taste, at any time. You can’t ever get bored in Berlin.

Konzerthaus Berlin on the Gendarmenmarkt square (Photo: meunierd/Shutterstock)

Yet, Berlin is not a regular European city. You can even hear Germans saying that Berlin is not really Germany. Berlin is truly unique and has its own characteristics, but not everything is for the best. I myself find the city to be very dirty and sometimes even messy. There are a lot of constructions happening in old buildings, blocking the sidewalk, all over the city. The U-Bahn stations are in bad shape, although they work very well. You will find homeless people and often people begging for money inside the U-Bahn trains and stations. Also, Berlin is under constant renovation, with a lot of constructions happening, especially in the Friedrichshain area. Note that the city was divided into two less than 30 years ago and the differences between east (soviet) and west (capitalist) Berlin are still notable.

Rent prices in Berlin are rising every day. It is still cheaper than other cities in Europe like London or Paris, and even other German cities like Munich, but the super cheap rent prices days in Berlin are over now. You will be paying around €600–800 monthly for a single room apartment.

One thing to note when searching for apartments in Berlin is that they count all rooms, not only bedrooms. So a one-room apartment has only a single room (consider it a living room or bedroom), often with a kitchen inside too. A two-room apartment often has a living room with a kitchen plus a bedroom. There are still some apartments with a separated kitchen. Another thing to note is that most buildings are old, but with a renovated apartment. The city is filled with old buildings with 5 floors at most, without elevators or automatic doors. Rarely there are new buildings, that count with elevators, mostly in Mitte, Litchenberg or Friedrichshain, but are overall more expensive. And you won’t find buildings with a doorman, which is very common in Brazil. Also, if you are planning on owning a car, note that old buildings do not count with a garage, so you will have to rent a parking space on the street. Even new buildings with a garage, the parking space is rented separately, which costs around €60-90.

Finding an apartment in Berlin is also becoming harder every day. You will have a lot of competition, it looks like getting a job. Often when visiting an apartment for rent, you will find 10-20 other people also visiting at the same time. I heard stories of lines with over 100 people to visit an apartment. You will have to provide work contracts, proof of income, and documents proving that you don’t have any unpaid debts (the so-called SCHUFA). That’s why so many people often share apartments or rent rooms in other people apartments. This is possibly the best option you get when arriving, but note that these room rentals are often temporary, sometimes even less than a month.

Overall Berlin is a great city to live, but it has it’s problems too. It is an always changing city, culturally active, filled with green areas and much fun. It is a big city, with a lot of people, and if you are seeking a calmer and more settled atmosphere, maybe you won’t find it here in Berlin. Finally, the city has a lot of immigrants and welcomes expats, with a lot of people speaking English at most any restaurant or shop.

Conclusion

This was my personal experience on working in Berlin so far. Many of my opinions reflect my personal taste and feeling about Germany and Berlin. If you want to know more details about my personal experience or any tips on how to get a job here, please connect with me on LinkedIn or Xing and send me a message there! I will be more than happy to help you out!

Note: I wrote another post on how you can find a tech job in Europe and especially Berlin. If you think Berlin is for you I recommend you check it out!

The post So, I heard you want a job in Germany… first appeared on Relocate.me.

This post was originally published on relocateme.eu.

Short Bio

Michele Bertasi, extremely passionate software engineer with years of C++ development experience, moved from Italy to the Netherlands in May 2016. Initially joined Bright Computing as a Software Developer, Michele is now leading its TPSI team (Third-Party Software Integration).

Could you tell us about your journey back in Italy and why did you consider relocation?

I was a software developer, of course, and I was working in the industrial automation field. I didn’t think about relocating, at first, I was only considering changing my job because I needed a new opportunity for me. Having done a few interviews in Verona and other cities in Italy, I found that there was nothing satisfying — all other jobs were similar to the one I’ve already had or even worse. So, I didn’t find enough opportunities for me. The relocation was a chance to change my field and improve my skills.

How did you find out about opening with relocation?

I had many contacts via Linkedin and Daria from RelocateMe contacted me at the right moment. That was only the reason.

In the beginning, she has encouraged me to read about the country and the company. Daria, basically, convinced me to do an interview and helped me to be focused on it, to try it. I was skeptical in the beginning, but in the end, I thought: ‘Just try and see what will happen’.

Daria has assured me that RelocateMe has many contacts in Amsterdam and that they have successfully relocated other people there, so I thought maybe I could also get some help. Because when you move abroad, you know nothing basically. You haven’t visited the country, you don’t know what the life would be, accommodation, etc. She has brought out people that could help me and answer my questions. So, it was useful.

If you could go back in time 1 year, would you change anything?

I think my experience in Italy was necessary to get my position here. When opportunities come, you have to take them. In the end, I can’t ask for more than that.

If you could give 3 pieces of advice for software developers, who are doubtful about relocation or general career advice?

First of all, think about what do you have on: if you are happy with your job, there is no point in relocating, if not, then think why. Such issues as management or career opportunities can be resolved, as there are much more opportunities for software developers in this kind of countries.

Think about relocation itself and its consequences, you have to start a new life. That’s real, and it’s not a joke: you have to start from scratch again with many other things. My girlfriend couldn’t come, I had to search for a new football team and friends, so my life is a little bit more difficult. However, from the work point of view, everything went smoothly and the relocation was really easy. Especially for me, as I am a European: the only thing I had to think about is about relocating. Also, the sooner you start, the better, cause the later you start, the harder is the process.

What kind of skills and qualities are the companies looking for in software developers, in your opinion?

I think that companies are always looking for people who have done many things, prove to be flexible about their abilities and the way they work. They also need people, who are able to work in a team — this is a very very important skill.

In my case, the best skill I had was that I knew C++ very well and this is not a common skill. So I would advise if you have a very special skill, you have to develop it. Also, I’ve never stopped learning, and it’s very nice to see a person, who always looks to improve herself/himself. This way companies are more comfortable hiring people if the person is going to the company not to ditch, but to learn, even if they are already good… that is a good skill/quality of character to have.

What was the hardest part of the relocation process?

The hardest part was not having family and friends around. In the end, you will get used to that, it’s just that the very first moments that are really bad. Apart from that, everything else was really smooth.

The best part was that I was lucky to find an apartment easily because housing in Amsterdam is really crazy. The guy has helped me with housing, it was really good and it helped me a lot. That’s a mandatory thing to have if you are willing to relocate and you don’t want to end up in a crap apartment or in another city.

How do you find the Netherlands? How did the expectations compare to reality?

I didn’t know much about the Netherlands, apart from people, who came on vacation to Italy. I found it very nice. It’s quite different from Italy, especially from the surfaces point of view and the weather. The weather really sucks, but for the rest, it’s a very beautiful country. Services are nice, people are nice, they’re very open to other people and this is something we miss in Italy. Amsterdam is an international hub. Things have changed for the better.

Another good reason to come to the Netherlands: there are so many conferences, meetups, etc. I had opportunities to go to some of them: Dutch C++ group and Software Circus were especially remarkable. It’s very nice to meet people who do the same as you and to know what’s happening in your field. Also, I went also to other meetups for non-nerds, just to meet new people and have some fun together, what helps very much if you are looking for new friends.

What did you find interesting about the Netherlands?

One interesting thing is that all Dutch people speak good English. So, you may have a hard time learning Dutch, because it’s not mandatory to survive and the Dutch switch to English easily, if you see that you are struggling. So, it’s not that easy to learn Dutch there.

During the summer, when it’s good weather many people go to the public parks to play, listen to music and dance, have barbecues. It’s very busy and nice. You have the feeling that people know how to party here.

How did you find life in the new company? What are the perks of working in the Bright Computing?

Bright Computing is expanding, so I have more opportunities in the company, but the best part is that if my expectations didn’t match, there are plenty of other companies here. I am happy with my company, my colleagues are nice, my boss is nice. So, for now, I am happy with the company.

I love being part of a very international team. We have a company outing twice a year, go out, organize meetups and share various activities sometimes. However, everything depends on the type of the company.

We went on a mountain bike trip to the dunes of Zandvoort a few weeks ago. It rained a lot and some people felt down and had a hard time with the dunes. I couldn’t imagine it would be so hard, but nonetheless, it was so funny and uniting. After the biking, we had a barbecue with a lot of drinks. Everybody was relaxed and even drunk with the atmosphere of freedom and delight. It was not easy to come back home with the bike at the end, but those were such a great moments to share together.

How has Amsterdam affected you? Does it inspire you?

It has expanded my horizons. My path was quite narrow in Italy, and here, I have the opportunity to expand my specialty, my field. Many companies are narrow, except for the biggest but Bright Computing is touching many things, adds lots of variety, lots of things to do in my career.

What kind of periodicals do you read to keep your skills updated? A piece of advice for our followers?

Following news and the right people on Twitter is very important. They can point out interesting stuff, and you will expand your network. The result is not immediate, but noticeable.

Blogs can be useful too. I read C++ blogs (like Herb Sutter and Andrzej Krzemieński) because it’s my specialty and a great variety of others, like Brian Krebs for Software Security, This week in rust for Rust and famous Diary of the Reverse Engineer, I have written an article for.

I also do many courses on Coursera, that are interesting for me. For example, I followed Software and Hardware Security, etc. Stanford Online, Yale online, Coursera are excellent starting points to reach a better understanding of more complicated topics, and they are free.

The things I have pointed out to you are not specific to what I am doing now, I am expanding on it. Even if you’re varying your job, your skills improve, but you can always expand more if you want — that’s my advice. IT moves really, really fast, faster than any field. The more you can learn the better for you. And that’s it. The more, the best. Even if the company develops your skills, it doesn’t matter that you can’t develop it furthermore, if you want. This is the best advice I could give you: develop yourself cause nobody will teach you after school.

The post How To Move To Amsterdam And Expand The Horizons Of Your Dreams? first appeared on Relocate.me.

Quick Background

Before moving to Sydney, I had studied Media/Marketing at Nottingham Trent University. After (unsuccessfully) pursuing a career in the Media/Marketing space I decided to relocate to Australia for a while as the global financial crisis hadn’t really affected the country and there seemed to be a lot more opportunity here.

How long have you been living in Australia?

In April 2018 I’ll have been in Australia for 6 years!

How did you search for a job in Australia? Any tips for those seeking similar work?

Some of the local job boards such as SEEK, Indeed, Gumtree, etc. are a good starting point for more generalist role. However, if you’re relocating with an in-demand skill (Software Engineer, Data Scientist, Growth Marketer) I would recommend connecting with local Talent Acquisition Specialists.

What was the visa process like?

I initially applied for a Working Holiday Visa which can be done online. It probably took me about an hour all up, and was approved within 24 hours so it was a great turnaround. From there and once I’d moved, I received sponsorship where I was working and have now obtained permanent residency. The process for me was about five years but that’s because I changed around. One pathway you can take is if you’re on a 457 visa and you’ve been working full-time for two years, you should be eligible to apply for permanent residency.

Current laws are that you can apply for permanent citizenship within 12 months from receiving permanent residency. However they’re always subjective to change.

How long did it take for you to actually move after accepting the job offer?

When I relocated to Sydney I hadn’t secured an actual job yet, however since becoming Head of Talent at finder I’ve placed people in roles who’ve relocated from overseas. This has taken, on average, between 3-6 months roughly depending on circumstances. This is where tools like Relocate.me really help to give you a broad overview of what it’s like to move and show you the opportunities in the market you’re exploring.

Finder Team in Sydney, Australia

If you could travel back in time, would you change anything?

I’d influence the Australian government not to make some of the recent changes to 457 visas locally!

What are the best things about living in Australia?

The people, the culture, the work-life balance, the ever-evolving tech landscape, the weather, the growing economy, the nature, I could go on for ever.

New Year 2016. Sydney, Australia

What have been some of the most challenging moments so far?

In my role as Head of Talent at finder it’s challenging to deal with the sheer volume of hires and the incredible amount of growth we are experiencing! We’re growing globally so there are new challenges every day which is great.

And the most memorable one?

My engagement in Amsterdam last June 

Getting engaged in Amsterdam

According to Numbeo, the average cost of rent for a one-bedroom apartment in downtown Sydney is A$ 2,700. Is it true?

Sydney is a massive city and because of our great public transport system, people don’t worry about living too close to the Central Business District (CBD). It’s extremely rare for people to live right in the city center, because it’s expensive but also because it’s not a necessity. Also, who would want to live in the city when you’ve got the beaches and the coast?!

Bronte Beach in Sydney, Australia (Photo: Dan Breckwoldt/Shutterstock)

Housing is great here but buying a property, for example, is fairly tough with the market growth over the past decade.

Can you name a couple of websites that can help in finding an apartment in Australia and Sydney specifically?

Domain and realestate.com.au are two of the most major platforms Aussies use to find properties for rent or for sale, but I know a lot of expats also use Flatmate Finders and find it helpful too.

Cost of living in Sydney compared to your home city

I’m from Birmingham but the most fair comparison is probably between Sydney and London; the cost of living is relatively similar between the two places, especially if you’re based quite close to the city. There are so many factors that can influence the costs of food and housing in both places, but it is quite similar. The closer you are to the city center the more expensive it gets.

A few words about public transport in Sydney. Is it essential to have a car?

Public transport here is great, we’re currently having a tram-line installed through the town centre of Sydney which will improve these even further. Transportation can be cheap if you want it to be — our Opal card system on public transport (trains, buses and ferries) provides a discount after 8 trips, so that’s good. Also everything is pretty interconnected by public transport so there’s always a way to get around. Most city workers commute to work by public transport — the traffic can be bad sometimes at peak hour. The upcoming tramline will help with that as well.

Sydney City Highway (Photo: Taras Vyshnya/Shutterstock)

I’d say you probably can get by without a car but most locals do have one. They’re more useful if you’re planning on heading away or to the coast.

Do you have any advice for people considering job relocation to Australia?

Do it! The more you know about the country and city you want to move to, the less stressful your relocation will be. I suggest you check out this article to learn more about moving to Australia. Here’s another useful link where you can find out more about health insurance, especially OVHC (Overseas Visitors Heath Cover).

The post Expat Advice: Moving From The UK to Australia first appeared on Relocate.me.

By Kyle Asaff

Two years ago, I made it my absolute goal to follow my dream to move, live, and work in San Francisco as a Software Engineer. In 2015, I was a new graduate living on the east coast of Canada; now, I am working my first (and dream) job in San Francisco, California. It feels amazing to say after a ton of hard work, I was able to do it. I thought I would share my story and hopefully inspire those who are trying to live out their dreams.

San Francisco skyline (Photo: IM_photo/Shutterstock)

Quick Background

I graduated May 2015 with a Bachelor’s of Computer Science Degree and a 3.3 GPA. I worked three co-op jobs (internships) in pursuit of my degree: two as a Systems Administrator and one as a Web Developer at a Canadian IT Company — all in my home town.

Developing My Dream

When I found out that I was going to be working as a Web Developer for my third co-op work term, I was so excited. My first two work terms as a Systems Administrator didn’t include coding, so I was excited to work my final work term as a developer with a company I could work for when I graduated. A couple of months into my work term, my excitement faded. I lived, went to school, and worked in my hometown (where I had lived my whole life), and things felt repetitive. The work term was a success by most measures, but I wasn’t happy; everything felt stagnant and I felt complacent. After my work term, I returned to school as a senior with the mindset that this is just how it’s going to be when I graduate.

During my fourth year, I met a student in ones of my classes who created an app which at the time had over 50,000 users. He mentioned that he was going to do a work term in San Francisco. We started chatting about the tech industry, opportunities, culture, weather, and everything else that makes the Bay Area such a desirable place to live — I was legitimately excited for him. His experiences made me wonder, could I possibly find a job in California and move there when I graduated? I always thought of myself as an average computer science student and never considered doing something as big as moving across the continent to another country. Just the idea of relocating all the way from the east coast of Canada to California was the first time I felt excitement in a very long time.

I remember hearing a quote at the time which stuck with me:

“You only live once and you have all eternity to be dead. Why not live doing something that you like, even if you never make it, at least trying to achieve something that you like, versus doing something you don’t like and just going through the comfort zone of society.”

From that point on I set out to make that thought a reality. It became my dream and I made it my absolute goal to move to San Francisco when I graduated to experience life, and something new, in a city far from home.

The Process

The process started well before I began applying for jobs. I taught myself new programming languages and technologies, hoping to make myself more marketable as a new graduate. I was interested in developing web applications so I focused on that. In my spare time, I taught myself JavaScript and dedicated my whole summer to making a Google Chrome App called Forum Buddy, which now sits around 1000 users. I returned to school in September for my final semester and continued to fill my Github with side projects including technologies, languages, and frameworks that I never learned in school or used before such as Scala, Ruby, JavaScript, jQuery, Angular, Bootstrap, Less, Ruby on Rails, and more.

By January, I officially completed my degree requirements and was set to graduate in May. During this time I shifted my focus from side projects to studying algorithms, practicing interview questions, and applying for jobs. Sending job application became a full time job. I spent 6-8 hours a day writing cover letters, applying for job postings, responding to emails, and studying for interviews. I kept a spreadsheet of every job I applied for. I used the spreadsheet to keep track of my applications and used it as motivation.

The first interview I had was with Google. The week leading up to the interview I didn’t leave my house. I studied “Cracking the Coding Interview” for over a week straight, doing practicing problems and algorithms all in preparation for that single interview.

“Googleplex,” Google headquarters in Mountain View, California (Photo: MariaX/Shutterstock)

When it came time for the interview itself, I cracked under the pressure. It was a coding phone interview and I didn’t code a sufficient algorithm in time (looking back now, after all my studying, I feel I could have passed, had it not been for the pressure).

I continued to apply for jobs through every available outlet, including company websites, LinkedIn, Indeed, and everything else in between. I even made a Hired.com profile and passed their coding test, but ultimately was not accepted, because of non-sufficient work experience. I eventually started using Hacker News for job postings, which lead to some great responses. Through Hacker News I was usually able to email an engineer or hiring manager directly, which resulted in personalized responses. In total, during the first six months of 2015, from January to June, I applied for 305 positions and interviewed at 21 companies, all in California.

Downtown streets of San Francisco, California (Photo: Alex Cimbal/Shutterstock)

A lot of companies (especially startups) have their own unique interview process — to go into detail about all of them would make this post a thousand times longer than it already is. By June, I had received two offers from two different companies, both in San Francisco. Both offers came in around the same time and were from funded startups.

The first offer was bad; I was excited to finally receive an offer but I knew I would have to reject it, which gave me a ton of anxiety. I had what I was working so hard for right in front of me but I knew I couldn’t accept it and I wasn’t sure if I was going to get another (or better) opportunity. 10 days later I received another offer. This second offer was much better and was everything I was hoping for. I negotiated a bit, thought about it for a day, and then accepted it. With that, a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. I set out to do something I wasn’t even sure was possible, and I did it. All the doubts in my head were erased and in that instance and I felt a sense of accomplishment that I have never felt before; it was pure bliss and I couldn’t have been happier.

Relocating

I accepted my offer late July with a start date of early September. This gave me plenty of time to plan my move, find a place to stay, and prepare for my new job over 3000 miles away from home. I was able to find a place online within an apartment complex, which made things easier.

The visa process was fairly seamless. As a Canadian, you are eligible for TN status to work in the United States as long as you have a university degree and a job offer under the current NAFTA agreement. My company had a lawyer draft up some paperwork to bring on the day of my flight to help smooth out the process. Everything went well, I went through security at the point of entry and told the border agent I was applying for TN status. I gave the agent my paperwork I had prepared and went in the back room for a quick interview before my flight. After my interview, the border agent stamped my passport giving me TN status for three years and I was sent on my way.

The oldest mechanical public transport in San Francisco (Photo: Lorcel/Shutterstock)

I landed in San Francisco a week before my start date which gave me some time to settle in. It was a little rough starting out (I had nothing besides what I could stuff into two suitcases) but after a couple months I was back on my feet, and I haven’t looked back since. I have lived in San Francisco for over two years now and looking back, I know I made the right decision. The excitement, drive, and ambition that I felt fading my senior year was back and I couldn’t be happier.

That is my story. I truly believe that you can accomplish anything in life as long as you have drive and a strong work ethic. It feels very surreal to accomplish something you originally never thought was possible. My advice to anyone trying to follow their dreams or who wants to move on from their current situation is this: dream big, work hard, be ambitious, and no matter the circumstances, never quit.

Author

Kyle Asaff
Software Engineer
LinkedIn • Twitter • Github

The post How I Landed My Dream Job in San Francisco as a Canadian New Grad first appeared on Relocate.me.

Short Bio

What made you decide to relocate to Spain? How long have you been here?

I was in a mood to create or join some startup and — by chance, being in Barcelona, Spain — I decided to check what’s going on in the city in terms of startup job positions. After checking AngelList I found a pretty interesting project, I met with a founder on the next day and after a short talk was invited to work for the company. I moved to Spain in two months, and I’ve been living here for 2.5 years already.

Is it hard to find a tech job in Barcelona? Any tips for those seeking similar work?

Tech people are in very high demand in Spain. I don’t have any particular stats, and honestly, I know only startup scene in the city. But there are about 1200 startups here, and everybody has open tech positions. Being in a role of technical leader in a startup, I always had open job positions for all the possible directions: front-end, back-end, mobile, infrastructure and DevOps, data engineers, internships.

Almost all technical job positions in Barcelona can be found on JobFluent. Also, it’s worth checking AngelList and Linkedin.

What is the average software developer salary in Barcelona?

The salaries are not very high in Spain. €2000-2500 NET per month is a good income for a developer here. But it highly depends on the company. And for sure it’s compensated with relatively cheap European life and perfect climate.

What was the visa process like?

The best way to move to Spain is to get a work permit as a High Qualified Worker. The company who is inviting you should apply to get it. From applicant side, there should be a high school diploma with appropriate education, good CV with relevant experience and salary suggested by the employer not less than 36,000 euro annually gross. First, a residency authorisation should be received. Then with the authorisation applicant should apply for a visa, National ID for Foreigner and card of residency. Usually, such permit is given for two years and not linked to the employer.

How long did it take for you to actually move after accepting the job offer?

I moved to Spain very quickly, but I moved with a tourist visa and made all the process of receiving my residency already in Spain. It’s absolutely legal. But being in Spain with a tourist visa means you can not officially work. You can resolve that problem in different ways. You need to immediately apply for your residency after arriving, and after a month or two, you are already able to work.

If you could travel back a year in time, would you change anything?

I don’t think so.

What are the best things about living in Spain?

Amazing climate, good food, nice people.

What have been some of the most challenging moments so far?

Almost nothing. I lived in other countries. Moving to Spain and especially Barcelona is pretty easy. For sure you need to speak at least English.

Is it hard to find an apartment for rent in Barcelona?

It’s getting harder and harder over the years. Barcelona is full of tourists and foreign professionals. The best source of available apartments is Idealista where you need to call directly to agents and schedule your visits to see the places. With the help of somebody Spanish speaking, it’s possible to check maybe 10-15 apartments in 3 days and chose what you want. To rent a full apartment for a long period, you will need to have a working contract and proof of salary from your bank to show to the agent.

Life in Barcelona

Living in Barcelona, you don’t need a car. Public transport is great. Recently I switched to driving a scooter, and that is a very good option for Barcelona. Renting a room in Barcelona starts from €300 per month, renting a good apartment (2 bedrooms) — from €1000. Plus €300 for utilities. Most likely you will start with using Airbnb room. Add €1000 per person monthly, and you are living very comfortable life in the city.

Do you have any advice for people considering relocation to Spain?

Before moving anywhere try to live in that city for a month. You will be in love with Barcelona. If you are an engineer, there are plenty of jobs here.

The post Expat Advice: Moving From Russia to Spain first appeared on Relocate.me.

What made you decide to relocate to Canada? How long have you been here?

I am lucky to have grown up in an era of disruption. Whether it was Apple or Facebook from the USA or BlackBerry from Canada, these new companies were changing the way business worked. However, it really made me think that what was so special about the culture of North America that all the leading tech companies were coming from the region. And when I got accepted for an international internship in Canada, I decided to come see it for myself. It was more than 5 and a half years ago, and I still surprise myself with the innovative companies and people that I meet here on a daily basis.

How did you search for a job in Canada? Any tips for those seeking similar work?

I was a part of AIESEC, a leading student organization. It was this organization which helped me secure an internship in Canada.

There are many ways to find work in Canada. Apart from AIESEC, one can also check out Canada.ca. They have a lot of information if you are looking to get work. Always remember, Canada is a very welcoming country especially if you are talented in your field and are really passionate about it.

What was the visa process like? What type of visa did you apply for?

Overall, the visa process took me two months or three. As to the visa type, I applied for the W2 worker visa. To obtain it, you should provide your education history, a job offer letter, CAQ, Labour Market Opinion number (now called LMIA — Labour Market Impact Assessment). As I remember, the visa cost me about 170–200 CAD.

Did you have to apply for another type of visa to keep on working in Canada after the internship?

It was for the same kind of work permit but with extended dates.

If you could travel back in time, would you change anything?

I have had many adventures in Canada. From learning to speak in French to failing miserably in alpine skiing. Each experience has only made me feel more alive. I wouldn’t want to change any of it.

What are the best things about living and working in Canada?

There are all kinds of jobs and companies. If you want a normal 9–5 corporate job or want to work with an innovative startup, there is something for everyone. Quality of life is very good. Irrespective of your background and your country of origin, you will always feel at home.

What have been some of the most challenging moments so far?

The winter 

According to Numbeo, the average cost of rent for a one-bedroom apartment in downtown Toronto is C$1,708. Is it true?

Yes. The rents have increased in the last few years. While Toronto and Vancouver stay on the expensive side, Montreal, Calgary, and Edmonton have decent rental rates considering the salaries in those cities.

Can you name a couple of websites that can help in finding an apartment in Canada and Toronto specifically?

Kijiji.ca and Realtor.ca are the two popular sites.

Is it affordable to buy a flat in Toronto?

This depends on a lot of factors:

1. Do you have money for downpayment already?
2. Do you have a permanent job? A lot of jobs in Canada are contractual. If you are self-employed, it’s a bit tricky (not impossible) to get a mortgage approval.
3. The real estate in Toronto is a bit unpredictable right now. The government is bringing a lot of changes to control the price rise. It will be more clear by the end of Q1 of 2018.

A few words about public transport in Toronto. Is it essential to have a car?

If you have to commute within Toronto, you have a lot of options in Subway, buses, streetcars, and cheap UberPOOL. If you live in the suburbs and want to commute to Toronto for work, there are efficient and not-so-expensive GO trains and buses.

If you live in/around Toronto and your work is in the Suburbs or outside 50km radius, you really need to have a car. Owning a car while living and working in Toronto is both expensive and not worth it.

Do you have any advice for tech people considering job relocation to Canada?

Always keep yourself updated with the latest technology trends. Especially in the following — AR, VR, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence. Another important thing to do is to make sure that your skillset is not concentrated in one direction. Employers would normally prefer a Full Stack developer anytime over a backend or frontend programmer.

Fancy joining one of the tech companies in Toronto or Vancouver? Browse through the list of available Software Engineer jobs in Canada to find the right one for you!

The post Expat Advice: Moving from India to Canada first appeared on Relocate.me.

So, the offer to work as an automation engineer in Dublin appeared suddenly. Before, I had rejected all the vacancies for the positions abroad, but this time I started thinking about it as I had always been really interested in Ireland. First of all, it’s not trite. Ireland has caught the eye of Ukrainian IT people over the past couple of years. Secondly, it’s a beautiful country and I wanted to compare the pictures to reality. Thirdly, I’m keen on Irish music.

Howth Head — a peninsula 15km northeast of Dublin City

Relocation

It took me about two months to relocate:

1. All the interview stages: with a recruiter, technicians, and the CTO of the company. The recruiters are tenacious and they always keep you informed. The technicians and the management in my case were good as well.
2. Job offer, signing of the contract. You shouldn’t jump at the first offer, you can haggle over some better conditions.
3. Preparation of work permit documents. There is nothing unusual. I didn’t even have to translate the documents about education. If you have experience according to their specialty of more than 5 years, you don’t need a certificate of degree.
4. Waiting for the grant of work permit (the longest period of time, almost a month).
5. Getting a visa. You should address the Consulate of the Republic of Ireland in Kyiv but the decision is made by the Irish Consulate in Moscow, so they can call you from there to ask for some additional documents (e.g. a CV).
6. Flight and accommodation to the new country.

Actually, everything was quite easy and no stage caused any real difficulties. However, the Irish visa has a considerable disadvantage — it only enables you to stay in the Republic of Ireland (not the Schengen area, Great Britain, nor even Northern Ireland is available).

Usually, companies provide a relocation bonus and some of them may rent a temporary accommodation to you. However, I had to find accommodations on my own. As soon as I arrived, I rented a room in a more or less good hostel near my work and started to look for an apartment. The real estate rental market had already been overloaded, so I was very lucky to rent a small flat in the city centre that cost €700. Most of my colleagues with their families were charged €1300 for an apartment with two bedrooms. Now, they say it’s impossible to find something appropriate that costs less than €1500. Everything that is cheaper attracts loads of potential lessees, sometimes more than 10 people per one showing. Meanwhile, the prices are rising constantly each year. Here you can see relevant advertisements for the area.

The mortgage interest rates are not high at 3-4%. The price of a good two-room apartment or a semi-detached house starts at €200 000. Nowadays, people who want to buy a dwelling are lining up in the streets.

Image source

Electricity bills come once every two months and they are between €150 and €300. The cheapest wired Internet is €45. Until 2015, running water had been free but since then it has cost €150 per person per year. It caused massive strikes but the charge hasn’t been abolished. People who have gas-heaters pay €100–200 more per month.

Work, salary, and expenses

There are many IT companies in Dublin. There are branches of Google, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, IBM, Intel, Ebay, Amazon, and loads of other well-known companies. A lot of them are European Headquarters but all of them include development centers. The last six months of my stay, I was working two floors higher than Twitter and I even ate the cake they presented us for at an office warming party.

According to the work permit system, it’s quite hard to change your working place there during the first year or two. To do this before 12 months is possible only if you are discharged and only if you manage to get a work permit for a new company.

After two years, you are able to get a work permit that is not attached to a company and you can choose an employer more freely. All this refers to professions that are ‘critical’ and, of course, to IT specialists.

IT salaries, even subtracting taxes, are a bit higher than Ukrainian salaries but it is completely leveled by the rent. To make it obvious, let’s take three Kyiv seniors, a software engineer, an automation QA, and a manual QA, relocate them to Dublin and see what we get:

All the sums are estimated for people who don’t have families. Here you can count more precisely how much money you’ll earn every month based on the annual salary. If you are interested in further information about the salaries of different positions, here isthe report.

To conclude on the topic of money, it is estimated that a senior software engineer, after he pays for rent (€1200-1500), public utility payments (€200-400), mobile communication, food, and commute, will have €1500.

By the way, transport is expensive and poorly run:

• DART (city electric train). There is only one branch line that goes along the coast through the capital and suburbs. The average trip costs €4.
• Luas (tram). It costs about €2 and there are only two branch lines.
• Dublin bus (double-decker busses). The advantages include free Wi-Fi and the fact that the front seats on the top floor have a great view. The rest: you have to pay the fare by coins or card and you get the change with cheques. If you pay by card, you have to tell the driver your stop for the correct sum to be withdrawn from your card. However, the drivers often don’t know the names of the stops. And, moreover, the traffic turns aside from the timetable.
• Taxi. The trip from the airport to the southern part of the centre of Dublin, where I lived, costs about €25 and there is a surcharge for every additional passenger.
• Intercity trains are quite comfortable but expensive, you pay about €70 to travel from one edge of the country to another (three hours).
• DublinBikes is a chain of city bike stations around the whole centre of Dublin. It’s cheap and comfortable (€20 per year). A lot of people use it.

Medical service

I can’t tell anything about medical service as I haven’t used them. But, according to my colleagues, the problems are the same as in other European countries: general practitioners are low-skilled. Whatever you feel, they offer you some paracetamol.

Weather

Irish weather is known for being bad, but I didn’t think that. The temperature during the year is comfortable. On average in winter, it’s 5°C above zero and, in summer, it’s 17°C above zero. There is neither heat nor freezing cold. It rains more often than in Kyiv but mainly for short periods of time. The grass is green during the whole year and there are even small palm trees. But, there is no spring weather. In April and May when the weather in Kyiv wakes up and everything blossoms, in Dublin, it feels like winter (8°C above zero).

Glendalough National Park, 40km from Dublin — one of my favourite places

About people

Irish people are quite friendly and cheerful. They treat immigrants well. Perhaps it is because a lot of them in their time have left the country themselves and they know how hard it can be. Among the immigrants, there are a lot of Polish people. People even say that the Polish language is more common than Irish. They try to solve the language problem by learning Gaelic in school, but its popularity is very low.

Cliffs of Moher. Here the Irish language is still alive.

There aren’t many Ukrainians in Ireland, but, as an example, during my stay, three more fellow countrymen joined the company I worked for. Besides, I often dealt with interviews and saw the number of Ukrainian software engineers and QAs’ resumes growing.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Now I’ll try to answer the main question. I haven’t come back because I felt bad there and feel good here. I’d felt good before I went there, when I was there and after I’d returned. Moving there I initially was going to come back in a couple of years. This is the reason. All in all, it was good and useful experience.

If you are really thinking about relocation, my only recommendation is to choose the company thoroughly. If it’s not Google, you should read the reviews on Glassdoor and ask questions to the ex-employees on Linkedin. A high level of employee turnover is the main marker that not everything is good within the company. You should always haggle over the salary, based on the average market indices and demand some good relocation bonuses. And, of course, use your imagination in order to see your new life in detail. It’ll help you to make the right choice.

The post 20 Months In Ireland: My Relocation Story first appeared on Relocate.me.

My name’s Sergey. I have more than 5 years of experience in the sphere of commercial software development using Java/Scala. I’ve worked on various challenging projects, from banking systems and human resource management systems to online casinos.

My wife and I recently moved to Stockholm, having lived in Wrocław, Poland, for two years before that and originally coming from Kharkiv, Ukraine.

 

Glossary for renting an apartment in Sweden

When you see tables comparing prices in different districts in Sweden, you’ll need this mini-glossary. Hyror refers to the rent of a flat, and Kop refers to the purchase. The price is shown for a month in the case of rent and for m² in the case of purchase. The prices are given in Swedish krona or SEK.

South of Stockholm:

West of Stockholm:

Sites for finding a flat in Sweden:

• Blocket.se
• Qasa.se
• BostadDirekt.com

Taxes in Sweden

It’s not a secret that taxes in Sweden are among the highest in the world. But, before I explain how they work, I’ll tell you about läns and kommuner (municipalities). All the territory of Sweden is divided into 21 läns, similar to states or provinces. Läns are divided into kommuner, each with their rules and taxes. This tax varies depending on the kommun and ranges from 28.98% to 35.15%. For example, there is Degerfors kommun, where the tax might be higher by almost three percentage points than the national average, which is 32.37%.

In Sweden, you might pay only the local tax on your annual income, as most of the people do. Only those who earn above 598,500 SEK need to pay the 20% state tax. However, this threshold is not a hard and fast one. Instead, there’s a basic deduction that is subtracted from your total income first. You only pay tax on the remaining amount, called taxable income. There are actually two brackets, depending on your age at the beginning of the year.

• If you’re under 66, you can earn up to 615,300 SEK (598,500 + 16,800) before taxes start.
• If you’re 66 or older, the threshold is higher at 697,300 SEK (598,500 + 98,800). This is because you get a larger basic deduction if you’re a senior citizen.

 

 

 

Pension

Pension in Sweden is divided into three levels:

 

• Inkomstpension (income pension): This public pension is based on your income throughout your working life. It’s 16% of your salary paid directly by your employer that goes to the people who are retired today. It also consists of the premium pension, which is 2.5% out of your salary each year. It’s like a separate savings account for your retirement that you can invest as you want.
• Tjänstepension (occupational pension): This employer-sponsored pension can vary depending on your employer, industry, and negotiation.
• Privat pensionssparande (private pension savings) is a voluntary pension you can set up to supplement your other pensions.

Salaries in Sweden

The average salary in Sweden is 40,100 SEK (3,500 EUR), which is approximately 28,070 SEK (2,500 EUR) after taxes. Salaries in the IT sector range from 36,000 SEK to 66,000 SEK, depending on age and work experience. 

Food and purchasing power for food in Sweden

Food in Sweden is very expensive, but it is of really high quality at the same time. Swedish food is pricier than imported food because of its high production standards. Some products that are very expensive elsewhere, like salmon, are accessible in Sweden, maybe because Norway is a top exporter and they have agreements on trade. I’ve made a short list of different foods and their prices.

 

Product	Price, SEK
Oranges (1 kg)	20
Orange juice (1.75 litres)	25
Apples (1 kg)	12
Potatoes (1 kg)	10
Chicken breasts (1 kg)	100
Salmon fillet (1 kg)	150
Cheese (1 kg)	70
Loaf of bread	25
Eggs (20)	35
Butter (0.5 kg)	35
Milk (1 litre)	15

 

Travel passes cost about 970 SEK (86 EUR) a month and allow you to travel around all of Stockholm län on any kind of transport. The number of rides is unlimited.

 

 

Home insurance covers plenty of things, even stolen bicycles or broken phones. Insurance is mandatory for all house owners. Membership in the engineer labour union costs 240 SEK (21.44 EUR) a month, per person. The union pays unemployment compensation, provides relevant information on salaries, and makes contracts with various companies. Check all its benefits on the official site. Unions in Sweden are world-renowned for protecting their workers. All unions pledge to do that, but the Swedish ones really walk their talk.

The post Relocation to Sweden: Work, taxes, the IT market, and buying an apartment first appeared on Relocate.me.