Unfortunately we not living in the movie ‘Up’ and therefore can’t attach a couple thousand helium balloons to the roof of our house and fly it across the sea.  So, if you considering living in Frankfurt the chances are you will need to find a new place to live!

Now whilst it’s true everyone has different criteria and standards it is sometimes useful to hear someone else’s perspective and experiences.  With this in mind I’ll share a few of my tips for moving and things I learned when relocating to Frankfurt!

Living in Frankfurt is fairly easy in many aspects.  For instance, Frankfurt is surprisingly small so getting across the city is far quicker and more simple than it is in London for example.  Saying this, choosing somewhere close to your kids school and work is still advisable.

So first question – country folk or a city slicker?

Country folk?  Then living in the taunus is definitely for you!  A few areas to consider would be Bad Soden, Kronberg and Oberursel.

If however the call of the hills falls on deaf ears and you more in tune with the hum of the city (which is the direction I leaned) then here are few things I wish I knew…

  1. You not guaranteed to get your first choice property (arrrrrggggg!!)
  2. Finding an apartment with 2 bathrooms in Westend is like gold dust
  3. Things are not quite as structured & organised as you may expect (sometimes stereotypes are just that an overly simplified version of the real thing!)
  4. If you set on Westend, Nordend etc and have a car, check the parking situation with your landlord or agent.  Parking is a nightmare without an allocated space
  5. On the plus side for Westend, Nordend, Bornheim etc you can walk most places (an absolute bonus on the nights out where you’ve had a drink or ten)
  6. Find a good relocation agent! Ours was fantastic for the fundamentals when we couldn’t speak the language and everything was in German
  7. Get an idea of the areas before you start looking.  Narrowing that down first makes your search much easier
  8. You may need wine most evenings until you find a place

Neighbourhood breakdown(this is by no means an exhaustive list): 

  1. Westend
  2. Nordend
  3. Bornheim
  4. Europaviertel
  5. Sachsenhausen
  6. Bahnhofsviertel

Each neighbourhood has it’s own flavour and feel, for an idea of which area most appeals to you, head to our ‘neighbourhood’ tab where you’ll find photos and more detailed information including where to eat, drink and things to do!

Once you have an idea of which area most appeals to you and your family head out onto the streets and pound the pavement to get a first hand account and try the local cafes & restaurants (as I mentioned our neighbourhood section should give you some ideas until you find your feet!).

At times I felt we would never find a place and after we lost our first choice apartment I literally panicked (try not to do this it’s unhelpful) and settled for an apartment that I ordinarily wouldn’t have chosen.  Saying that everything happens for a reason, our rent is now substantially less than it would have been (happy husband), we have underground parking which saves a hundred hours every morning during winter (no ice scraping ????) and it takes no time at all getting out the city!

So whilst my heart was set on Westend  we finally settled in Europaviertel.

And finally, for tips to survive your first week in Frankfurt click here and read about Kelly’s move here

Happy Hunting