Getting Settled

Furnishing your home:

Many expat-oriented apartment and family house rentals will already be completely furnished. But if you find a good deal on a place that has little or no furniture, or if you want to invest in a new look for your home, you have plenty of options in Prague, ranging from IKEA to unique boutique shops to antique markets.

Strangely enough, IKEA has two Metro-friendly locations in Prague: Centrum Cerny Most, Chlumecka 10 and the AVION Shopping Park, Skandinavska, Zlicin. If you don’t have a car, there’s even an IKEA shuttle bus to take you from the Metro to the store and back. Another popular but slightly more expensive furniture shop is Sconto.

There are also many smaller furniture boutiques, like Ma Maison (Dlouha 24), Vasta Nabytek (Sazavska 32) and Modernista (Betlemske namesti 5a). And don’t forget to take a peek into a few antikvariats as you shop around. These fascinating little shops sell charming antique furniture and other old and rare items, sometimes for unbelievably good prices. Some shop owners are even open to bargaining, so don’t be afraid to try. There’s an enormous furniture bazaar right off the Libensky most tram stop, and you’ll find almost anything you‘re looking for there – and lots of things you probably weren’t particularly seeking out.

Last but not least, search through the classified ads on www.Expats.cz and www.Prague.tv for furniture being sold or even given away by other expats. Sometimes you can even find appliances or large pieces of furniture for free – the only catch is that you have to go and pick them up yourself. If your car isn’t big enough, you can rent a moving truck for about CZK600 an hour.

Laundry:

Most apartments and houses don’t have dryers, instead using metal or wooden drying racks which can be purchased in any department store. During good weather, Czechs also hang their clothes out to dry on the balcony or in the courtyard. Dryers are sold in appliance stores if you really think you can’t live without one, but expect them to be smaller and more expensive than you’re accustomed to.

Dry cleaning services are expensive, but available throughout the city, mostly in Prague 2 and Prague 6 with their higher concentration of expats. You can even have clothes picked up and delivered to you if you so desire.

Domestic help:

Probably the best way to find someone is to place an ad on www.Expats.cz or www.Prague.tv. If your ad’s in English and specifies the hours you require, as well as the payment and a description of what the work involves, you’ll hopefully elicit only relevant responses from qualified and committed individuals. Another great way to find help is to simply ask around. Get contacts and information from parents at your child’s school or from expat neighbours. Some apartment buildings or landlords might already include a monthly cleaning fee, if you’re only looking for someone to come in once a month.

• Net Clean
• House Maid
• CityPilot.cz’s Home Help listings

Babysitting / child care:

With a large number of students and young people from around the world studying and working in Prague, you’re bound to find someone to take care of kids full- or part-time. Of course, the most important thing is to find a babysitter or au pair you can trust, so make sure to interview several people, and to ask for references. There are agencies if you prefer to have a confirmed background check, but the hourly rate will be higher, since a portion of the fee will go to the agency. If you’re interested in having your children learn some Czech, hire a Czech with good English skills. Try posting a want ad on expat websites, or simply ask other parents at your child’s school. Some schools offer before- and after-school programmes or babysitting, so you can drop your child off as early as 6am or 7am and pick them up as late as 7pm or 8pm.

• Andelin
• Baby Agency