househunting

[ludimagist.livejournal.com]

For those of you who live around Davis Square, how long did it take you to find a place to live?

I'll be entering Tufts University as a PhD student this Fall. I plan on moving to the area and am not sure when I should really start house hunting in earnest.

Comments

[freyja.livejournal.com]

i've always gotten my apartments on the fly (there always seem to be tons available around the summer/fall), but i have heard everywhere i've asked so far (ie: realtors) that the best time is generally two months before your move-in date. i think in a lot of places the landlord isn't really allowed to bug the tenant about whether they're planning to resign the lease or whether the place will be available come next lease until that time.

but then again, if you do end up hunting at the last minute you may end up with a perfectly acceptable apartment. and it's entirely possible you may get better deals.

[dmaze]

There's a lot of rental apartments in the area. Finding a place to live can be pretty quick, especially if you're not too picky and don't mind paying to be near things. My apartment searches have mostly been under two weeks, complicated by the committee plot (four-bedroom apartments are cheaper per person but require finding something four people can agree on). Certainly some of the places we've looked at and waffled over have been gone by the time we actually made a decision.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

As people indicate, the lag between finding a place you like and signing papers is usually small -- sometimes less than a day. Finding a place you like takes longer ;). Start looking a few months in advance (some people might already be looking, but starting in May or June for an August or September lease should be fine). Tufts has a web page for off-campus housing which is quite helpful. You might also check boston.craigslist.com.

It is much cheaper to have roommates than to live alone. I don't know how you feel about roommates and you may not know anyone in the area, but it's something to keep in mind. *glances at your profile, sees you live in Waltham* Oh, well, maybe you do know people. And you probably also know that housing is pretty expensive.

If you don't have a car and aren't familiar with the Red Line and local buses, find someone who is. Realtors don't actually know whether or not places are convenient to transportation.

[sissychrissy1.livejournal.com]

I started looking early August and moved in by mid-August with little effort. The most places become available September 1 because of leases, and you shouldn't have any problem finding a place. Check out craigslist for sure.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

We started looking last year in mid-March, looked at probably 10 apartments in two weeks for May 1.

[hyperliminal.livejournal.com]

It depends how picky you are, what your budget constraints are, and if you are looking on your own or also need to find roommates. If you want, say, simply to be in a 10-15 minute walking radius of Tufts, at market level rent, on your own, anytime over the summer, though IMHO it's best to have found something by min-July. Check craigslist and bostonapartments as who needs to pay a skanky realtor if you don't *have* to?

[ceo]

Be aware that almost all leases in the Boston area start on September 1st, though there are a reasonable number of August 1 leases out there. If you're moving locally on September 1, reserve your truck at least a month in advance.

[signsoflife.livejournal.com]

6-8 weeks, PLUS get to the truck rental place EARLY, because they overbook the trucks and if you get there late you're shit out of luck.

[dcart.livejournal.com]

If you're shooting for a 9/1 move in date, start looking in June. If you can avoid 9/1, do so. Boston metro apartment hunting will be very different from any other apartment hunting you've ever done. Not necessarily worse (especially if you've lived in New York or San Fran), but it has unique quirks to it.

[tonyz21.livejournal.com]

you know i live in somerville :) I suggest looking into Maven Realty. They have good places, they just dont maintain well. :)

Very little time

[imlad.livejournal.com]

Probably several weeks at most - and that is because I did not know then everything I know now. Granted, I was looking in Februarly, when it was certainly a renter's market. The most effective way, I think is to post your interest on craigslist.com . I got more qualified e-mails and phone calls than I knew what to do with.

Best of luck.