our last flat was not bad, but it was also not the best one… my beloved wife told me. We (She) decided to go on a hunt for a new flat. We called our favorite broker and he showed us roughly estimated 100000 flats in greater Maadi. The one was to small, the other to big, the third to dark and the others had a too tiny balkony. It is not easy to find exactly what you are looking for in Cairo. But the search itself is not uncomfortable. You tell the broker what you are looking for and he will show you some eligible objects, more or less…
For sure the brokers have their own interests and sometimes it is better to negotiate directly with the owner of the flat…so far he or she speaks english. And you should check everything in the new flat, the AC, the water, the tables and the chairs (!), the matresses and the little details, which may tell you a lot of things about the philosophy of the owner. (for example how the silicone is made in the bathroom and how the wall mounting is done). And do not forget to check the counter for electricity and water… otherwise it could give a little surprise… also from deeper interest are the prices for the trash removal and the house keeper (Boreb) and everything else, that might cause expenses.
But… finally… we found what we were looking for. Almost. But this is nothing special for Egypt; also in Germany it is difficult to find the perfect flat, but it is much more exhausting there and you have to fight for a flat. This is much more relaxed in Egypt. And yesterday we moved and everything that was promised by the owner is done… and we had a very quiet and cool night… without dog-terror, testosterone-manipulated-motorcycles or shop roller shutter closing during midnight with a noise of an airplane crash… but what we really missed is the call of the imam… you really get used to it and the call is also a good guide for time management, somehow.