Online Remedy: Find Me an Apartment!
April 16, 2010 | VReitano
It’s that time of year again: time to search for an off-campus living situation. If your campus is like mine, most seniors choose to live off-campus for their final year of college, a practice I think helps ease the transition into the “real world.” Despite the excitement associated with finding your “first” place, there’s also a bit of tension and apprehension: is it a decent rent, am I living with the right people, could I have found a better deal, and so on. All of these questions can, sometimes, be answered via the internet. Here’s some tips on determining what type of housing situation you want and some Web sites that will help you find it.
I found my off-campus apartment online, while living in Italy. That’s right, from 3,000 miles away I was able to find an apartment, sign a lease, and secure a move-in date. Thankfully, my mother was a big help in getting all the paperwork back and forth, but it was the Web that truly facilitated the whole exchange.
Some Web sites are better than others, but these are my top three favorites.
1. If you know the community: use Craig’s List. Craig’s List is a great resource if you are familiar with the towns, living arrangements and rates of rent in your area. Many of these are listed by owners or landlords and thus you get to avoid working with the middle men–the real estate agents. For a college apartment, in my experience, I think it’s fine to bypass the agents and do it on your own as it’s a temporary living arrangement.
2. If you don’t know the area: use Rent.com. An eBay company, Rent.com, is a great way to search for apartments near a particular area, and they have a lot more information about local pricing and local amenities. Additionally if you sign a lease and move-in, you will get a $100 gift card, perfect for covering some of the decorating costs!
3. For a social and mobile experience: use MyNewPlace.com. My New Place has an iPhone application, Facebook integration and tons of photographs. Their blog, also offers some information which can be insightful, or depressing, depending on how you want to look at it. This is definitely the site for a tech-geek (like me!).
Another tip that isn’t necessarily online, but since you are reading this online it’s part of the remedy, is determining who to live with. Think about your habits, their habits and what exactly you want out of your last year of college–take it from someone who knows, the wrong living arrangements can really ruin a friendship.
Which site will you use? Have you used others? Let us know!!
