On a secret mission, developed at the headquarters of the portal ee24.com, I was asked to cross the length and breadth of Estonia, a country of beaches and pine forests, in order to find an apartment for a permanent and comfortable living, which can be purchased for a reasonable price. And I should start right from here, a small circular area in Narva, in the beginning of the road leading to Tallinn.
Narva
Unencumbered by lots of things I got over border post Ivangorod-Narva without much delay at dawn. The beautiful city of Narva, split into two by the road, which leads to Tallinn, spread all around. From here begins my journey throughout Estonia.
After having a breakfast and drinking coffee in a cozy pizzeria, I went to the first address. In the historic city center, just 300 meters from the pedestrian border crossing there is 1 bedroom apartment. 44 sq.m. area, fully repaired, all major infrastructural facilities nearby. And for some € 18,000. I write it down and move on.
After having a breakfast and drinking coffee in a cozy pizzeria, I went to the first address. In the historic city center, just 300 meters from the pedestrian border crossing there is 1 bedroom apartment. 44 sq.m. area, fully repaired, all major infrastructural facilities nearby. And for some € 18,000. I write it down and move on.
Briskly walking down the street of the famous chess player Paul Keres. The sun rises higher, driving the morning freshness away by its warm rays. I turn in the courtyard of a typical four-storey building and pleasantly surprised by the abundance of greenery. Very nice patio. Here I'm looking for one-bedroom apartment on the second floor of 39 square meters, good condition, double glazing on the windows. Pleased with the presence of the Internet and cable television. A five-minute walk to Department Selver. All the fun, except furniture. Price question - € 20,000.
Now I'm going north along the street with an invigorating name "Energy", which blends in Rahvavalyu (Rahvavälja) (forgive me for my Estonian pronunciation). A few minutes later I found myself near my desired home. Five-storey building, located directly across from the mall Fama. An apartment of 40 sqm located on the third floor, pleased with the presence of furniture and household appliances. From the window I see a school and a playground. € 23,000 - and you can settle here.
Going back to the Tallinn-Narva highway and going to catch a ride.It's good here, but I must move on. I raised my hand in the international gesture of hitchhikers and prepared to wait.
Going back to the Tallinn-Narva highway and going to catch a ride.It's good here, but I must move on. I raised my hand in the international gesture of hitchhikers and prepared to wait.
Kohtla-Jarve - Tallinn
To my surprise, I did not have to wait long. I was getting ready to unkind attitude of the local drivers thinking about how I will overcome the language barrier, and even put ten euros in my back pocket for an extreme case. But none of this happened. A truck stopped on the side. There was a truck driver from Pskov sitting in the cab. Luckily he was driving to Tallinn and promised to take me to Kohtla-Jarve.
On the way, we got to talking and I found out that Victor (the name of my driver) — was a trucker in the second generation. As a boy he had to ride with his father along the Soviet Baltic states, falling in love with this region forever since. After learning about my work on ee24.com and a complicated task to find real estate in Estonia, he showed a fair generosity by offering to turn in Yarve for fifteen minutes, so I had time to explore the interesting apartment, and then continue our way to Tallinn.
I was very pleased with this option, and for the remaining half an hour I entertained him with stories of my previous travels. Soon we turned off the road, drove into town and stopped at my desired home. The apartment is located on the fifth floor and has four rooms of 75 square meters. The repair has been made inside, there is a nice looking furniture, the windows are double-glazed. I was particularly pleased with the presence of two loggias facing park bursting with greenery. € 25,000 for this beauty, is it money?
Soon we were racing again at the speed, permitted by Estonian law, in the direction of the capital city of Tallinn. There I was going to spend the rest of the day and all the night and move to Pärnu the next morning. Another two hour journey, and there I was on the outskirts of Tallinn, waving my hand after the retreating car with hereditary driver Victor and at the wheel. I've only got a couple hours to check out a few addresses in Tallinn.
The first address is in one of the best areas of the city - Liikuri. Here on the third floor of the five-story building there is a spacious three-bedroom apartment with area of 76 sq.m. The internet and a balcony are included. A great view from the windows is attached. But the price of € 75,000 returns me from heaven to earth. The capital after all.
Now my path lies in the district Põhja-Tallinn. After walking down the street Sõle, I find the right house (typical "stalinka", built for centuries) and go up to the second floor. The apartment - three rooms, total area of 65 sq.m. The condition is not perfect, but it is quite normal. It will be very nice, if you add a new wallpaper and replace some of the furniture. Unusually high ceilings (3 meters) create a feeling of spaciousness and reliability. Through the windows a quiet, lush greenery Tallinn patio is seen.To get this idyllic property you'll need to pay € 78,000. The capital's prices, of course, are substantially different from other cities.
Night fell over the city, and I decided to go to the the hotel.
Pärnu
The next morning, going round a few addresses, and looking at the price tags, I made a willful decision to leave the city and try my luck in Pärnu. A silent Estonian on BMW 318d (by the way, diesel cars in Europe is much higher than in Russia) took me to this seaside town.
The first place I looked at was a cozy two-bedroom apartment on the third floor of a typical five-story building, located 300 meters from the sea. Fully furnished, renovated, conveniently located in relation to major infrastructure projects. And all this for € 49,000.
Then I went to the center of Pärnu, to assess a five-storey apartment building with a very unique architecture. Three rooms, 65 sqm, balcony with a great view, electric heating. Price - € 52,000. Fairly.
Then I went to the center of Pärnu, to assess a five-storey apartment building with a very unique architecture. Three rooms, 65 sqm, balcony with a great view, electric heating. Price - € 52,000. Fairly.
After strolling around the city a couple of hours and beating several addresses, I regret to realize that there is not so much budget listings in Parnu. The final part of my Estonia journey I've spent in a local bar, where I started writing this notem sipping a big mug of stout. The bus that picked me up and took home came exactly four hours later.
***
What is the conclusion I made from my mini trip? Prices in Narva and Kohtla-Jarve bear no comparison to Tallinn and Pärnu. The reason is simple. Narva is almost Russia. Pärnu is almost Europe. But Tallinn is Europe itself. The main conclusion is that you can live here. A better way to do this is in your own apartment. In principle, no matter where it will be: a little Russian Narva, cozy Kohtla-Jarve, resort of Pärnu or the beautiful Tallinn. Personally, I liked it all.
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