Relocating from one country to another can, at times, feel overwhelming. There is a myriad of things to do and to sort out – with arranging where to live a primary concern.
Searching and securing a permanent home is a tall order when doing so from hundreds, if not thousands of miles away.
While most of us enjoy a hotel getaway, a prolonged stay is far from ideal – even if the initial convenience is a major selling point.
A perfect stepping stone for expats, who are looking beyond a hotel but not quite as far as permanent accommodation, is to look to a serviced apartment; the benefits of which are manifold and, indeed, offer the best of both worlds.
On the one hand, you get the hotel treatment, in so much as freshly made beds and at least weekly cleaning, while on the other you get added space, greater privacy and a true sense of a home-away-from-home.
With a serviced apartment being a self- contained, fully furnished flat, you also get your own fully-equipped kitchen – which means you aren’t dependent on restaurants, room service or dipping into the hotel mini-bar; the cost of which can soon add up.
Having your own kitchen is a key benefit of a serviced apartment. The ability to cook for yourself, means you’re not beholden to restaurant opening times, and can prepare food both to your liking and budget. You can also familiarise yourself with local supermarkets and shops, allowing you to get to grips with their layout, locality and offerings. This will serve to put you in good stead when you do eventually move into your permanent accommodation, as the weekly shop will have become a familiar experience, allowing you time to focus on familiarising yourself with other aspects of your new residence.
Another thing to bear in mind, is that as an expat, there’s a good chance that it’s not just a case of moving on your own, but with children possibly part of the relocation conundrum. Staying in a hotel is far removed from a normal routine, whereas a serviced apartment allows you to provide your family with some semblance of a home life. Opting for a two or three bedroomed apartment gives children their own space, but within a contained area – allowing you to keep an eye on them.
Booking into a serviced apartment near to your work also means you’re closer to your family in those early, often unsettling days.
Having the opportunity to meet for lunch, and with less of a commute, gives you more time to sit down and discuss the plans and requirements that have been presented since taking those first steps into expat life.
In a similar vein to that of cooking for yourself, laundry is another aspect where serviced apartments differ from that of hotels. While the majority provide a laundry service, many serviced apartments also include washing machines and tumble dryers, which means you can opt to do your own – something potentially more appealing to expats than casual apartment guests. Getting back into routine with daily chores can help you to settle into the rhythm of day-to-day living in a new country, while to further add to that homely feel, some apartment providers even offer the chance to hang a piece of your own artwork, embellishing that sense of domesticity.
Stepping away from the traditional aspects, many apartments provide the latest mod cons, including keyless entry systems, complimentary guest smartphones, tablet controlled rooms, mood lighting and more – with high speed Wi-Fi pretty much as standard.
These accoutrements are something that may take a while to appear in your new permanent home, but a serviced apartment allows you to hit the ground running.
Another key benefit is that it’s possible to book for prolonged stays (as well as short ones!) with the cost tending to reduce the longer the stay, while all utility bills are covered within the upfront costs; meaning there’s no risk of racking up unexpected bills by overdoing the mod cons!
You can also have additional time to research the necessary utilities and services that you’ll need to get started in your permanent home, safe in the knowledge that you’ll have electricity and heating already connected in your serviced apartment.
