Apartment hunting

So one of the first things we need to do is find an apartment to live in for the summer. Here is where we have experienced our first language issue. The two main apartment rental websites for Norway are in Norwegian, so we've been relying solely on google translate to determine what is being said and even in translating emails about different apartments. So far so good, but hopefully this won't be an issue when we actually have to decide on a contract.

I've done some preliminary searching and I've found a few possibilities. The main issue is that we will be in Norway until the beginning on September and most summer leases are only through mid-August. This means we might end up having to stay in a hotel for a week or so.

Here are some of the places I've found so far. (disclaimer: Norway is VERY expensive. As in $23 for a happy meal at Mcdonald's! I am very blessed that I will be getting a stipend to cover such expenses.)

1. This place is gorgeous! It is right on the water with an amazing view! 2 small bedrooms and 1 bath. It is at the top of our budget at 15,000 NOK (roughly $2,600). The major con for this one is that it is somewhat far from the University where I will be working. I would have to take a 15 min bus ride (and walk some) to get to my building. Most major places are not within walking distance, so we would have to take the bus everywhere. I generally wouldn't consider something that isn't within walking distance to the University, but this one is just too beautiful to pass up! I can totally picture myself sitting on the terrace overlooking the water and typing away on my laptop. The rental website said it was for rent until January 2014, but I went ahead and emailed the owner to see if they would consider a summer rental. Hopefully I'll hear back soon.

2. This next one unfortunately is already in the process of being rented. I got an email this morning (in Norwegian!) explaining that they would let me know if the contract fell through. This one is most likely already out of the running but I thought I'd go ahead and show some pictures because it is so darn cute! Look at that gorgeous kitchen!

3. This is one in only a few blocks from the psychology department and it is very new and modern. It is again at the top of our budget at 15,000 NOK. It has 1 bed and 1 bath (a very large bathroom) and a shared deck.

4. This one is more within out budget at around 10,000 NOK. It is about 10 blocks from the psych building and has 1 bedroom/1 bath. It is a little smaller than the others but looks to be very well kept and the price is perfect.

5. Lastly, this one is also around 10,000 NOK and is only 5 blocks from the psych building. It has 2 bedrooms and 1 bath and the kitchen looks very new.

That is what I've found so far. I've only heard back from one of them, so hopefully I'll hear from the others soon. I had to write them in English, so hopefully that won't deter anyone from responding (most people speak English there). We will of course keep looking online and if all else fails I will contact one of the grad students there to help us find something. We still have a few weeks to get this figured out, but we really need this to be set before we book our plane tickets.

More soon!