Just Call Me Helga!

Being legal in Sweden is like being a Royal Jester to the Queen: You’re excepted at the castle, but laughed at to your face.

I always thought things would be so much easier once I got the golden star in my passport that allowed me to pass go (ie: the visa), but I have come to realize in my short time here that although Sweden welcomes immigrants, they make it nearly impossible for them to equally succeed.

The following blogs are just some ideas of the challenges I, a 20-something year old American girl, is facing in Sweden.

#1 Problemo: Housing

You have got to be KIDDING ME! Try and follow me on this one.
First of all, you must WAIT in neighborhood lines to get a chance to rent. You join these lines by paying a small fee to an online site, and each day you “stand” in these cyber space lines, you get a point to further your ranking in line.

IE: www.Sollentunahem.se (FREE line to stand in! yay!)
This is a nice neighborhood 15 minutes up the train line from Stockholm Central station. Good enough priced housing…not to far from the city…On this website, I get to pick apartments in this neighborhood that fit my needs. I also get to see what place in line I stand. I currently have 38 points.

Person #1? 3,428 points. What a freaking asshole.

You basically have to be in these lines for THREE years to even knick the top ten. And that is RENTING!

Now let’s move on to the 2nd hand contract. This is basically sub-leasing from those assholes with the 3,428 points of pure loserness. Here you go on sites like www.Blocket.se, and read their greedy little ads.

IE: Once I read a guy was renting his place for 6,500 SEK (or $950 USD), for 6 months. But you had to agree to let him crash there a couple Saturdays a month after he hits the bars. WHAT? Do I have to make him waffles in the morning out of my new Belgian Waffle maker and let him critique my DVD collection too?

Another man was renting his one bedroom apartment for 6000 SEK (or $871 USD)….but only to Russians. Need I say more?

I’m just waiting for someone to say “Renters wanted: Only persons with A positive blood type need apply.” Then I’ll straight up give UP!

But for those of you just reading this to get info on where the hell to begin:
Look at a map and the surrounding suburbs of Stockholm. Sometimes it’s easier to get a flat farther away from the city…

• Blocket.se (free site to browse and e-mail, similar to GumTree and Craigslist
• Sollentunahem.se (Free, but you need a personnumber from the tax office)
• Bostaddirekt.com (expensive, and you can only be browsing for 45 days.)
• Thelocal.se (a website for English speakers…they also have job listings and expat forums)

To be honest, other than these sites, you have to pick a neighborhood and search for their waiting line website.

Just know in Sweden:

• Property managers do not exist. There is only a middle man.
• Do not take a 2nd hand contract without actually signing anything.
• Be persistent. Once someone puts an ad up, call the moment you see it, or someone else more persistent than you will get it.

Good luck!
To be continued…