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JKovacs
  4/27/2015 16:45 EST

I need help! So here's the background story: My husband is hungarian but we've been living abroad for many years and just moved to HU. Hubby is actually working in Slovakia but, against those who have warned us for certain political reasons, we've decided to reside in HU for family reasons. We have two kids and one of them will be starting primary in 2016. Our plan is to find that perfect place in Buda or Pest and find that perfect international school. I know, easier said than done. Because we we're coming from Belgium and the kids started their schooling there I'm really interested in the Gustav Eiffel school. We've already visited the school and would really like for the oldest to start primary there but naturally, the second question is where to live? We've contacted a few real estate agencies but it's all becoming a bit overwhelming as the hubby is spending more time in SK than HU for the moment and I've taken the task of researching Budapest and the surrounding areas.I would LOVE to hear from anyone who could give me a bit of insight into this crazy process of house/flat hunting in Bp. If anyone would like to share their experiences of living, buying or renting in Bp and/or the Gustav Eiffel school it would be greatly appreciated!

Hotjazzman
  4/30/2015 12:50 EST

It all depends on your budget and personal preferences as where to live (urban, semi-urban suburban). Everybody has his/her own preference(s) which may, or may not coincide with yours. (Likely not - per my personal experience).
Your length of stay (unless you expect it to be permanent) would determine to rent or to buy.
Until you figure these out, I don't think we can be much help.

p.s. There ain't no such thing as "perfect" anything.

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William Russell's private medical insurance will cover you and your family wherever you may be. Whether you need primary care or complex surgery, you'll have access to the best hospitals & doctors available. Unlike some insurers, we also include medical evacuation and mental health cover in our plans (except SilverLite). Get a quote from our partner, William Russell.
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JKovacs
  4/30/2015 15:06 EST

Hi Hotjazzman. Thanks for your reply. The term perfect was a light hearted exaggeration. I hope that we are being as realistic as possible about this recent move. Our goal is to buy and the few places we've seen have been on the Buda side, namely 2nd district. This is because I would really love for my kids to go to the Gustav Eiffel school, but with the tuiton fees and the asking prices for just monthly rent alone would be stretching our budget. I've also been told on several different occasions that housing prices in Budpest in general have gone up recently which makes me even more nervous that the longer we wait the harder it will be to find a place that's "perfect" for us. What I was really hoping was to just hear of experiences from others who were/are in similar situations and if there's any advise I'd love to hear it. Thanks for your time.

profray
  5/4/2015 05:58 EST

Some suggestions on finding a reasonably-priced apartment in Budapest and elsewhere. Based on what I have been able to learn from relatives (Hungarian) and being here for 5-6 years, you may want to adopt a different strategy, but it may not be possible for your time span. What would be best is to get over here into some less-expensive and short term (like 6 months or less) then when you get "settled" get in contact with others (Hungarians) who share common interests and work with you to find the perfect place. There is sort of a two-tier system when it comes to rental real estate, particularly in Budapest. The upper, more expensive tier is run by people who have better international contacts and can steer incoming families into more convenient (more expensive as well) living situations. The second tier does not have the resources to do this (think of a sign on window "apt for rent" or in the local paper etc.) and the rates are lower. It takes more work on your part, but would result in an overall saving in the long run (depending on how long that run is) and probably a more pleasant and satisfying stay here. The motto "Its not what you know, but who you know" goes double here. This isn't meant to scare you away by any means, you can find some really nice places, just another strategy for your consideration. You can apply this same idea to searching for schools/language instruction/any other service.

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