APARTMENT SHOPPING IN KYIV | Buying a Flat in Ukraine 🇺🇦 (Kiev) 

Man this did not age well, hope you are ok in all this madness. Prayers for Ukraine 🇺🇦

I wonder if any of these apartments are still standing? My heart grieves for all the people there. 🇺🇦

I was so close of getting an apartment near Kyiv for 60k but now I’m glad I held back because Those places were attack badly. My heart goes out to the affected people, praying that the war would end soon

Hope everything is ok with you and the family especially in these times

I really like your statement "I'm adding value to the world". This is a mindset that is needed in the world.

So very,very sad to look at this now, I just want to cry. My heart goes out to this beautiful city❤️Much love from Finland.

Your video came up on my algorithm, thanks for sharing what life was like before this chaotic situation that is happening now. I am praying that you and your family are safe and well.

Hey, also I would really check on how much it will cost you to renovate :) I'm not sure if your estimations were realistic. We've bought an apartment in Lviv, my hometown, in a 1905 building. The renovation was a lot more expensive than we thought. The old building can be very tricky, you start doing floors - end up replacing beams underneath, you want to do plumbing - end up having to drill a hole to your neighbours upstairs/downstairs, to connect the water pipe and a lot of other things. It is also not easy to find the team that will do the renovation - it's totally russian roulette - you can find a good team and everything will be fine or they will steal your money and you'll never see them again :)

:( Watching the war now and then finding your video and seeing it before all the devastation is that much more heartbreaking. I hope you made it out and are safe. :(((

This was hard to watch, knowing what we know now. My heart is breaking for Ukraine. I wish we could stop this without risking WW3.

Hey! Johby, thank you for telling people around the world about our country and city! I live in Kiev and I am glad you love this place! I hope you find it peasful, respectful and kind towards your adventure! With much respect!

My heart aches for Johnny watching this now knowing what are happening in Ukraine and especially in Kyiv. Saw Johnny in Bald’s video they both managed to escape to Poland. Good luck to you Johnny and pray things will turn better for you.

I'm so sorry it all happened :(. I just bought a new house and the thought of this happens breaks my heart. But as long as you are safe that's really all that matters.

I'm glad we can see what everything looked like before. I could have sworn I've seen the 1st apartment in a recent video with explosion damage. Very sad. I hope Ukraine builds back better than ever.

Now going for $10

22:01 at the point when Maria said that all the furniture and appliances remain the guy says "if something is not needed you can just throw it out of the window" had me deaddd :D:D

This is so cool seeing this city and I am fascinated with apartment shopping for some reason lol thanks for sharing!

Probably get a really great deal right now?

Now worth about $ 8

I’m so glad your lawyer saved you from a bad deal!

Second apartment: had Bald and Bankrupt been there, he'd have said 'Soviet' some 500 times.

New subscriber here, based in Prague. Here, for renting and purchasing, the buying/ renter pays the commission. To me, this is nuts. There are a few "no commission" agents, where the seller/ owner pays the commission ( which is how it should be ). Cash only for me = walk away. Always get the due diligence done. You wouldn't buy a car without a valid title and no lien on the car, so why would you do it with an apartment. Buying in cash saves on interest. Depending if your wealth is US$ based, and whether you think your life will always be in eastern europe, you are exposing yourself to currency risk. But if your wealth and earnings are Ukraine based, then no worries. I guess apartment A was set up for Airbnb investor - hence the fold out beds. For me, I couldn't live with less than 70sqm for a single person. Roof apartments are a no no : too cold in winter/ too hot in summer ( ask me how I know ). At least you are allowed uPVC windows there. Here, if you are in/ near the historic centre ( say 3km radius from the centre ) you can only have wooden frame windows. Makes for an always on heating situation in the winter. That was a GREAT video ! I'm very interested in Ukraine. As a Westener, I love Prague/ Czechia. But I'd love to move further east

How much is the apartment worth now?

Damn...! this hits hard after a year.

Wow the first apartment looked so beautiful Such a beautiful place every one of them It’s sad what’s happening now

I lived in Kiev for two years. It's a fantastic city, real character, and the Ukrainian people are the best!

People say they hate brokers in the US - what they don't realize is that the US usually has more consumer protection - which is also built into license law.

Well how is the apartment working out???

for this price you can get a flat in spain, much safer and higher standard. Why people think east is a good deal is beyond me.

That seems crazy expensive for a country where the average yearly salary is around $4,000 a year.

I was amazed to see not only my house but also an entrance on Zhilyanska st. Our neighbors definitely overestimated the cost of the apartment; it does not cost that much.

Kiev is really my favorite city. The atmosphere, the people. Its awesome.

Certainly hope you’re okay

Wow maybe not the best business decision given recent events! Hope your well bro!

I will forget about buying an apartment in Ukraine after this! In Greece is much safer and cheaper. 1 bedroom apartment 47sqm renovated is 65 thousands. Nice area in Thessaloniki. I wish you a good luck

Wow) I live all my life in Kyiv and that was realy interesting to see my city from your point. But Im so ashamed by the state of the yard's, street's and buildings. It hurts so much.

I was surprised a about the prices. Holy cow I thought it was gonna be cheaper

I hope you are all safe. ☮️🇺🇦

I’m English but we bought in France , here the commission can be as high as 10% + taxes. The notary works for you and is employed by the government. It’s nothing like buying in the U.K. but a lot safer than buying in Spain. Keep safe John and good luck.

Not a smart investment.

I haven't been to Kyiv since 2017, thanks for your videos) I like to see them

So heartbreaking to watch this. Love and prayers to you all at Ukraine 🇺🇦

And in Thailand you can rent a beachside condo for 150 usd a month.

Why did this just happen to pop up in my suggested videos???? I clicked just to read the most recent comments....and I agree...this absolutely sucks and I hope they are safe.

Always impressed with Eastern European apartment furniture, great use of space. Shocked by those prices. How do Kievians afford such?

Worst investment ever.

I didn't care for any of the apartments (price or condition), but the handling of the deals all seemed shady. If it were me, I'd hire a broker to fin potential apartments that had clear titles and have terms and conditions spelled out before finalizing any deals. Definitely, you were in too much of a hurry. Take your time!

Happy you're safe sending love and prayers from USA 💖

Prices seem way to high for what is offered.

Hah, I recognize some of those locations! The building you said might be a back of a school IS actually the back of a school. That park was where I played as a kid! Man, memories. And that apartment that needed to be renovated from start to finish was horrible.

Thank you. I found your video very interesting. We are also looking to buy somewhere in Eastern Europe (we are from the UK) as we love the area and way of life, but as usual, there are always pitfalls in transacting in a different culture and if you don't have the right people and advice on your side, you can get into a lot of trouble. I trained as a lawyer, many years ago in the UK, but this only helps with awareness as every country does things differently. You definitely dodged a bullet with the fourth property. Please keep uploading this kind of material, it's very useful to those in similar circumstances. I also like your association with Bald and Bankrupt. Looking forward to lots of more top notch content.

Take your time. I saw another comment that said you were too quick with your offers. I agree. Slow down, there a lot of flats to choose from. Ask a lot of questions. Test all faucets and toilets. Check all electrical outlets. Do they have home inspectors in Kiev?

Hey Jonny , you should have waited to buy that apartment you could have gotten it for free now . Stay safe .

Wow crazy to see what happened 11 Month ago ...fast forward March 2022. Who would have thought. How CRAZY

I’m glad the search for the Apartment is continue, Because all that you’ve seen do not has a smooth beginning. And good luck with yours finding and no more issues arrived. And please Don’t forget to check the background of the property to make sure no death due to murder or any killings of sorts. Paperworks or deed check by your lawyers before money handling over. Again good luck 👍

2nd, due to great location. Spend $80K to buy + another $20K for renovation; you'll have a fantastic one.

Smart move Johnny. 👌

Oh beautiful, you can see the russian tanks from the balcony, also a beautiful view of the American biological/ infectious disease weapons lab.

with $80k you can buy 2 very good ,new 3 room appartments in Bulgaria in sunny beach and rent them for tourists easily making good passive income .

Thank you for the video. I moved to the US in 2002 from Ukraine and work as a real estate agent in NC. Good luck with your search! Hope all goes well and nothing shady happens. I work with many Ukrainian immigrants who are buying their first home in the US and it is always an interesting experience. Some do want to bring cash - suitcase of case for a deposit. Some question every move and legal system in the US. I just have to remind people that it is totally different in the US. Nothing is done under the table...lol. I enjoyed watching your video...awesome to see a different perspective. Let me know if you are ever in Ivano-Frankivsk.

Really interesting for me, I lived in Kiev in 2007 in a sleeping district on the North side within sight of the forest.. Subway + bus was a daily grind as it was beyond the end of the line. Rent was relatively high in 2007 for a Soviet grade lifestyle. Going into the beautiful downtown was good for the spirit. I was considering a small apartment not far from the city centre to enjoy a nicer lifestyle but left due to world economy concerns. Wish I could have been there with deeper pockets and gone shopping for flats lol.

Johnny, good luck on buying real estate. I never had any luck with my "investments" which at one time were mostly homes. Some renters were late payers, others trashed the place, I even had one that made a fourth room from our Florida home (the outside porch) and rented the room out to strangers. The real estate agent we contracted to watch the residence never advised us of the added construction. What a nightmare when we finally had to sell it. I did far better with conservative utility stocks, the S&P and finally Vanguard VYM over the decades and now sleep well at night.

why is this so relaxing to watch?

Next, apartment hunting Taiwan.

Portfolio took a hit. Literally

I hope your apartment is still in one piece! Be safe bro!

Boy, a bad time to buy an apartment in Kiev isn’t it?

Boy ...that turned out to be a really bad investment ..

From the way my brother was breathing after those stairs for the 3rd unit I was like “this not the one” 😂

How about the price now ?

Little does he know

Did your flat become really flat now ?

Johnny, in light of the Russian invasion, just wasted to know if your safe with you flat in Kyiv ? I’m sure many people care about you. Hope all is well and looking forward to you next video. Australia

Really sad to see this at this time 😭 I saw the great escape video .. stay safe brother

Let's hope Johnny can return back there in some years to live there again or to sell it... Good luck man!

Watching videos on different countries to live I rarely hear the RU-vidr ever mention things like stability. We're so used to stability in the West we take it for granted.

As with any big investment decision, take your time, have patience, take your emotions out and the right deal will come along eventually. There is always something better around the corner...

Just take your time. Don’t trust any agent.. wishing you all the best in searching for the apartment that you 👍

At 11:13, the music was from the soccer stadium and it was the UEFA Europa League anthem. The game was about to be on when you were there. Thank you and Ben for making these videos. Hope you two are safe! Hope the war will stop soon!

the GDP per capita of ukraine is like 4k how are apartments 100k?

Slava Ukraine! Thank you for posting. Kyiv is an exciting city, with so many beautiful sights! We look forward to visiting next spring. Victory to Ukraine!! Dean & Cindy

06:04 the view is not bad? depends if you re into depressing old soviet landscape..

I don't know why this is showing on my feed... but its incredibly sad considering what's happening there now. I hope you are safe man.

this video introduced me on how beautiful Ukraine is..i was so attached to the place that it made me so sad of what happened.. prayers for all the people affected

There are brand new skyscrapers in that area, for example Tetris hall. The price is higher, but you’ll have a magnificent view, open planning, modern infrastructure.

The fixer upper would have been great because of the location. Sucks that the owner wouldn’t budge.

Hope your home is still standing!

Investing in Russia or Ukraine always a bad idea!:( sorry for your loss

I hear they're a lot cheaper now.

I watched this realtor show so many properties over in Ukraine that were far less money and were more realistic. I have to rally wonder if those realtors weren’t ripping you off! Everything I have seen there the prices are much less. And now as of April 2022 it would be even less value.

Probably get a bargain now ZZZZZZ

Thanks for sharing this experience. It opens the imagination of what could be in far-off strange places.

Those prices are INSANE!!!! In Sofia, BG (which is in the EU) you can have at least 50% more space for the same money. And can get a new building, not a Soviet derelict panelka or a relic from Stalin era. I think you're getting scalped.

Rule no.1 - Location, location, location....There's a good reason why houses in London, Singapore, Switzaland, New York etc are so expensive.

Best investment ever.

I am really enjoying going on this apartment adventure with you ! I really thought that apartment number 2 could have really been made into something pretty special ! I am really sorry that your deals fell through ! Looking forward to going on Your next apartment adventure ! Take your time and you will find something really spectacular ! Love seeing the neighborhood with you !

Are you still living there? was wondering given the Russia situation right now

You can't really move the kitchen legally. You can get in in trouble if you do move what they call "wet areas"

Love your apt work search... You and your viewers are learning a lot. Thank u for your great captivating research!😊

In Berlin finding anything is basically a nightmare. When I lived in kyiv, I got an apartment for rent in 2 days. In Berlin it takes months. Same for sales.