Hello.Kitty

Mrs "It's Illegal" here again! Taking colour photocopies or scans of your passport is, yes, illegal. If you took it to a printers and asked for a colour copy, they'd have to refuse (been there, tried it!). B/w copies are fine though and will be accepted.

The trick is to negotiate and prioritise. If you've got the cash and are the kind of person to want all new, then fine... if not, have a look at the classifieds on dubizzle because you'll find losts of "hardly used" items for a good price - lots of Ikea stuff under a year old, for example.
Pre-paying rent is the nasty. Negotiate 4 cheques and a 2 month notice period as a minimum. If you find a bargain and want to knock it down further, use "non-renewable" as a bargaining tool - landlords will often be happy to take whatever's offered if they know they aren't tied into the contract for years to come (read - they're hoping prices will go back up by the time your contract's up). You'll therefore need money in the bank for 3 months' rent, plus 15% of the total rent for various fees... equating to 40% of the years' rent.
Car? Hold off until your probationary period is over - rent in between.