Being an Expat-Unknown expectations

Coming to a new country we have things that we know will be difficult.  Those are what we refer to as known expectations.  We know that the housing will be different, research and education by relocation or letting agents have set our expectations where they need to be. We know that banking may be different, that roads sign are new and we know that the grocery store won't have everything we are used to from home.  This we know.

After lunch yesterday with a seasoned expat I was reminded of the underlying things in expat life that we do not always acknowledge.  This woman qualifies as a seasoned expat since Sweden is certainly not her first expat assignement, there have been several tours in other European and Asian countries. This is what we refer to in the office as a seasoned expat.  Culture shock will be less in this group, the melancholy will be less than for the first time expat as this category have become seasoned in how to align their expectations. We had a lovely lunch and I asked her how she was settling in and if there had been anything that had surprised her in her first month as a resident.  Her response was "the expectations I did not know I had" and it was so poignant and a good reminder.  "The expectations I did not know I had" really sums up the emotional curve balls that come out of left field as an expat. I once planned an entire trip to Dubai around a Taco Bell visit. The hotel's location was determined by Taco Bell's proximity and for weeks I planned what I would order.  This is one of the things I missed terribly from my 16 years in the States.   I had not been back "home" to America in five years and this Taco Bell visit was much anticipated.

I knew that I would have culture shock in Dubai.  I am not a Muslim.  I don't speak Arabic.  I had never been there before. I expected to reflect over burkas. I expected to not be understood everywhere and I certainly expected to try new exotic food. The Taco Bell obsession was a symbol of yearning for the familiar, the fix that I had up my sleeve when the other culture shocks intensified.  However, the Taco Bell visit in Dubai Mall was a huge disappointment.  No 7-Layer Burrito on the menu and the Nachos Bellgrande did not taste anything like they do in the States.  This is a classic of the unknown expectations phenomenon.  In hindsight, it was probably a bit silly for me to expect that Taco Bell in Dubai would taste the same as in America but I was so sad and disappointed at the time that I had an unnatural reaction--I was close to tears.

As you settle into Sweden, keep in mind that easing into a new culture and society comes with curve balls and they usually come in the form of the things you had not even thought about in terms of ungrounding you.  Keep in mind, that the things that disappoint and irritate you the most as a recent expat to Sweden are probably the things you will miss the most when you go back home.  However, if you are an excellent Tex-Mex chef, please do open a restaurant in Stockholm.  I'll come every day!

Being smart-Best practices for subletting in Sweden

So, you finally found your home.  You are giddy and you call the landlord bursting with excitement only to be told "sorry, I chose someone else".  It is disappointing and enervating and it can make you feel like laying down on the ground, kicking and screaming due to the sheer frustration.  Breathe, accept and move on.  Learn from it.

When looking at properties keep in mind that what you saw 5 minutes ago may be rented out to someone else after you closed their door and thanked them for the showing.  The rental market, especially in Stockholm, is tough and not for the feeble.  But you can come out a champion if you apply the following:

1. Listen to the experts.  If you are working with a relocation or letting agent you are in good hands and have received a game plan before your day of visiting properties.
2. If you are on your own.  Educate yourself in order to get the most out of your day. If you have 3-5 choices, that is good.  Figure out beforehand how long it takes to get to  public transportation, get information about the area and have a clear sense of your budget restraints.
3. Time is of the essence.  If you are not the sole decision maker, ensure that your partner is with you when you visit properties. We have seen so many times that both decision makers do not come to the showings and they have lost the property while they wait for their partner to look at pictures or fly in to look at the home. If you do not want to make the decision on your own, wait until you can look together.
4. When you know it, say it. If you see a property that you like: don't wait, don't stop, don't pass go.  Well, you get the picture.  As soon as you make your intent known, the better your chances are of securing the property. Landlords in Stockholm can have their pick of the litter they tend to pick the most uncomplicated tenant. Therefore, keep it simple.  Tenants that have requests beyond renting it as it is, tend to increase their risk of getting weeded out.

Ska du hyra ut? Att tänka på vid en visning.

Det är lätt att sabotera en visning omedvetet.  Det som du själv tycker är väldigt säljande med din bostad kanske inte är det för den potentiella hyresgästen. Personen som tittar kanske hellre vill titta i lugn och ro och kan finna det irriterande med för mycket "säljande från hyresvärden".  Vi har sett detta genom åren många gånger att hyresvärden i största välmening har sänkt sin egen visning.

Tänk själva när ni har tittat på ert hus eller lägenhet som ni har köpt.  Ägaren är inte hemma.  Ägarens personlighet syns ofta inte i inredningen.  Mäklaren låter oftast spekulanter traska runt själva och ansluter vid rätt tillfälle för att fråga om det har uppkommit frågor.

När vi förmedlar våra kunders bostäder så är ingen visning den samma.  Oftast har vi nycklar och fått väsentlig information från den sökande om vad de söker och vad de inte vill ha.  Vissa vill ha mycket vägledning under visningar andra vill bli helt lämnade ifred. Om vi visar din bostad och pratar oavbrutet om förvaringsmöjligheter eller uppvärmningskostnader så är det av en anledning.  Att vara en skicklig förmedlare bygger mycket på en otrolig fingertoppskänsla och många års erfarenhet.  När ni överväger att anlita en hyresförmedlare, fråga hur de jobbar samt hur många års erfarenhet de har.  Det kommer spela stor roll i hur fort ni får er bostad uthyrd samt kvaliten på er hyresgäst.  Mer att läsa om visningar finns på: http://www.residensportalen.se/goda-rad/att-hyra-ut-i-andra-hand/ . Ni är alltid välkomna att ringa oss för mer vägledning på 08-7550121.

Relocation Trends-Future of mobility?

People often ask us what we are noticing as trends in  mobility to and from Sweden.  It certainly has changed in the last 10 years.  This is our 10th summer working as sublet brokers.  We have properties in all of Sweden but primarily in Stockholm, Malmö and Göteborg.  www.residensportalen.com

On a positive side, more Swedes are renting out their properties vis a vis selling them or leaving them vacant.  The government has also eased a tiny bit in their taxation of rental properties and more people are gaining an interest in "ägarlägenheter" which are apartments with separate titles and no rules regarding renting them out. This has resulted in more properties being available to rent.

On the flip side, the expatriates that come to Sweden to find housing have grown more demanding in terms of the standard of housing available.  Five to seven years ago expatriates had to make do with a house that had wallpaper fraying and had old appliances since the market was so limited.  Now, with more choices, not only in Sweden, the same expatriate will not rent such a house and if nothing is to his/her liking they may not move to Sweden all together.

As the world is shrinking due to how connected we are virally with Facebook, Twitter, E-mail, Skype, Blogs etc etc have we become less mobile? Or, have we simply become more selective in the adventures we subject our families to when it comes to making big overseas moves? We think the next few years will demonstrate changes in mobility not only due to the technological leaps made in the past years but also as companies become more and more fiscally accountable. The cost of moving a family for two years may no longer be worth it.