Have I Found the Apartment?
So forget everything I said about not moving out. I have found an a-ma-zing apartment: it’s in the town I want, in the vintage-style building I want, on the top floor, filled with hardwood floors, offering all stainless steel appliances. It’s also still available, I just got confirmed to me this morning. I really, really like it, and I haven’t even gone to visit yet.
Let me rewind to yesterday: even though I haven’t been planning to move out, especially not by a specific deadline, I have been flipping through Craigslist still, just out of habit. If something looks good and doable in my price range (actually more like $200 or $300 less than my price range, just so I could still feel frugal), I’ll contact the poster for more info. Yesterday I went to visit two places. At the first, a neighbor noticed us (my brother came with) waiting outside and came over to see who we were looking for. “I’m renting my place, too,” he said. Turned out, he was asking $850 for another one-bedroom ($825 if I’d do a one-year lease), when the guy I was waiting for wanted $875. I told him we’d stop over when we finished our appointment. The more expensive unit had a kitchen with 20-year-old appliances and a dingy bathroom; the $850 was all renovated (isn’t that crazy?). Both, though, faced the busy expressway directly–a big negative.
The second place was in the town I LOVE and in a quiet, historic neighborhood. The landlord wants $740. It was hard to see the potential with the absolute filth and squalor the current tenant was living in, but it wasn’t too bad. Negatives: carpet everywhere–even in the kitchen, a hideously ugly lobby/entryway and a creepy basement where the laundry was kept.
So the verdict: a no-go on both.
Then, late last night, scrolling through old postings for the town I love, I found this gorgeous one. It’s perfect, offering everything except an in-unit laundry (but free machines in the basement, I guess). Price: $1100, not including electric, cooking gas and phone. This is the highest I would pay for a one-bedroom, as it still allows me to put away a chunk of money in savings each month.
I think I’m going to go see it.
Filed under budgeting, buying/renting |
5 Responses to “Have I Found the Apartment?”
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hey, I’m not sure if you’ve checked out any apartment finding services, but I found my current place (near the Belmont stop) through Apartment People.
you have to know exactly what you’re looking for in order for them to be of any real help, but my experience was pretty good. The guy assigned to me drove me around and showed me three/four places that fit my requirements for location and price. He also made sure that the walk to the train station wasn’t sketchy. Some of the people in their admin/processing department are ridiculously incompetent, however.
I ended up signing a one-year lease for a studio apartment with a clean bathroom and kitchen, about 8 minutes walk from the Belmont train stop, and I pay $775 not including electricity…
good luck to you!
Have you ruled out getting a roommate?
How funny. I found my $1100 a month 1-bedroom after having given up (I called it an “apartment-hunting-sabbatical”) and then not being able to resist just *peeking* at Craigslist one day. The perfect apartment, right there when I was trying not to look for apartments. I think that’s how it works.
If $1100 is in your budget, go for it. It was *just* barely in mine, but it’s so worth it…even if it does feel odd writing “one thousand one hundred” every month on the check!
FGS: That was my original plan, but my friend ended up deciding to stay with her family out of state. I feel weird about renting with someone I don’t know, and I feel worried to ruin a relationship by renting with someone I do. I haven’t totally ruled it out, but it’s not my top option.
Kim: Your message made me happy. Even if I don’t take this place, you don’t know how nice it was to hear someone say I could.
Damn, $1100 for a one bed? We have three and pay LESS than that!
Keep looking - pick up a copy of the Reader or their website and check out those ads; that’s how we got so lucky.