Rent + Util Vs All Inclusive

EliteLamer

I am trying to decide which way to go when picking a place next year. I always seem to hear horror stories about how some of my friends get a place for 350.00 a month but end up having a 300-400 dollar electric bill between three people. I am comparing right now between a house that is 400.00 a month + utils, cable, internet vs a place that is 630.00 a month all inclusive with digital cable, plasma screen TV, internet, maid service. Clearly the 630.00 one is much better with 1 less roommate so the deal breaker is if the 400.00 a month ends up being quite a bit cheaper. I am not really sure of any way to figure how much the electric bill will be.

deadonthestreet

Where do you live? What kind of heat does the $400 place use? Does it have an air conditioner?

EliteLamer

deadonthestreet wrote: »

Where do you live? What kind of heat does the $400 place use? Does it have an air conditioner?

Oh sorry let me provide that info. I live in FL so we have no need for heat and only need AC in the summer and yes all the places have AC.

Pheezer

Your cable internet and TV costs are going to add up to nearly $100 on their own. I don't know what electricity costs are like in FL, but in MB if I ran an AC unit of any decent size around the clock all summer and also watched a lot of TV/had a PC running, etc., I'd expect to pay $25 a month. I don't have any idea what your water bill would be like and couldn't begin to guess.

But I'd assume it'd be less than $100.

I would however, easily pay an extra $100 a month to not have a roommate. If you can afford it, go with the nicer place that you get to yourself.

EliteLamer

Well there is a roommate but only one in a 1500 sq feet.. and an extra room that is going to stay empty. Also, this place is in the richest area of town near my college.

Do you guys think this is a steal for 630.00??






So you say that my rent might end up being about 550 if I go the 3 roommate way.

JohnnyCache

630 BEFORE the split? Or 1260? If it's 630 before you split it, sign that shit. If it's going to cost you about 630, it's still pretty fair, really.

One thing you have to remember with a roomate is could you afford it on your own for 1-2 months if something happens with your roomate.

The nicer place looks, well, nice. EVERYTHING being included in one price - including cable and a maid - is pretty unheard of. And that is a pimp's kitchen, dude. With an extra room you can do something like put gym shit in it or something...I mean, if you can afford it it sounds like you're getting value out of the extra rent.

What about things like neighbors and parking? A freestanding building with a garage or driveway is worth paying for vs an apt. IMO.

EliteLamer

The one I posted was of someone renting out a room for 630.00, I assume it is an older guy because of where it is located and he is trying to make his mortgage and everything is furnished too as you can see so I would not have to worry about moving much besides my computer and bed. About parties and what not I doubt it because it is located in the area where all the doctors live.

EliteLamer

Oh shit I didn't even see this..

One bedroom for rent in beautiful up-scale in 1500 sf, three bedroom, and two-bath luxury condominium featuring all stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, hard wood floors, garage, elevator, and 65" TV w/ surround sound.

honkymcgoo

where do you live in florida? Im in clearwater right now but I used to live in Tallahassee.

EliteLamer

University of Florida

honkymcgoo

EliteLamer wrote: »

University of Florida

I got a buddy up in gainesville. Its a decent town.

JohnnyCache

EliteLamer wrote: »

Oh shit I didn't even see this..

One bedroom for rent in beautiful up-scale in 1500 sf, three bedroom, and two-bath luxury condominium featuring all stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, hard wood floors, garage, elevator, and 65" TV w/ surround sound.

So it is a vacant room in a guy's condo? And he's not renting the other room? That still sounds pretty cherry but you definitely want to evaluate the dude

VThornheart

If the room isn't currently on fire, missing a wall, or the guy's some kind of psycho, 630 is a steal. Beyond a steal. In fact, I'd almost suspect the guys' motives given this information. Make sure he's not some kind of wierdo or con guy.

JohnnyCache

630 for a room in a condo is not 630 for half a condo. Coming into the guy's existing setup is not the same as splitting it with your buds. The big TV and garage and stuff sounds rad, but if the guy is really into his Center Ice package and you hate hockey, or he already has two cars...it could be less of a deal. I'm just saying it could be great but definitely try to get a good sense of the dude, it's more critical to do so than with a normal roomate, since you're coming into his home and basically you'll be living with your landlord.

VThornheart

JohnnyCache wrote: »

630 for a room in a condo is not 630 for half a condo. Coming into the guy's existing setup is not the same as splitting it with your buds. The big TV and garage and stuff sounds rad, but if the guy is really into his Center Ice package and you hate hockey, or he already has two cars...it could be less of a deal. I'm just saying it could be great but definitely try to get a good sense of the dude, it's more critical to do so than with a normal roomate, since you're coming into his home and basically you'll be living with your landlord.

Hmm... aye, you have a good point there. I hadn't thought of it that way.

ronzo

I have an apartment with utilities separate from rent. Rent is 469, and then usually the power is 90, the water 30 and about 45 for internet. This split between 3 people is 524 a month, and we usually dont go much higher on anything else.

As another example, I have a friend who is paying like 550 for a similar sized apartment that is furnished (our was not) and included utilities (that of course have caps that they charge you out the ass for if you go over)

EliteLamer

Yeah I know of these quads where they give you like a small ass cap that they know you are going to go over then charge you out the ass for it..

Cruix

I'm in Gainesville right now, actually.

As for your question about how much you can expect to pay on electric, it obviously depends on the person and the building, but I pay between $50-65 a month for my electric in a 1/1.

I agree with everyone saying to try to get an opinion on the guy, and make sure if you haven't already that you go and look at the place and talk to the guy in person first.

EliteLamer

I guess you all are thinking this guy is a doctor or something and might not be the best fit for a student. I fear too that I could move in and it would be like, don't touch that. I am sure he must be very picky about who he is going to let live there

JohnnyCache

I'm not really worried he puts on the woman suit or something, more like just that his expectations for how much use of the rest of the condo you will have might be different from yours. It's not like moving into a place WITH someone - he's going to have his habits established and already have kind of staked a claim to shit, obviously.

Herschel

Renting a room at someone's pad can be a pretty good deal -- don't really have to worry about furnishing much or getting the tons of little things you need to have a functional apartment (this eats up a LOT of $ initially!) It's a good choice for a first living arrangement -- I did it when I first moved out.

That said, there is something to be said for having your "own" place with your buds. If you live with the dude, you're forfeiting chances to really doing anything you want with the place. Parties, etc. When I rented out a room, I pretty much used it to crash at, and not much else, because I was more hesitant to really invite people over. Also, sounds like you're in college, so living with buds is part of what makes college fun.

If you want to rent from this guy, definitely meet up with him and make sure he fits your style. Make sure you're on the same level with things like how clean your room should be, what stuff of his you can use, all that.

Pheezer

It's also going to always be HIS place that you're living in. That means if there's ever any dispute about anything, he pretty much gets to win by default. This means that you need to be certain that a lot of basic aspects of yours and his personalities are in tune. Especially with regards to things like how late you're going to be getting in, if you're going to have anyone over, who will be cleaning what and how often, etcetera.

The nice thing is though, as mentioned, moving out is really fucking expensive. Unless you've got a couple grand to burn it might be nice moving into a place that's 80% set up.

EliteLamer

Another option I have been thinking about is getting a sublease which wouldn't be a huge pain for me because subleases are usually 100% furnished and my parents are in this town so I could live at home for the time in between sub leases. Subleases are usually term by term so about 16 week leases.

Thanatos

EliteLamer wrote: »

Another option I have been thinking about is getting a sublease which wouldn't be a huge pain for me because subleases are usually 100% furnished and my parents are in this town so I could live at home for the time in between sub leases. Subleases are usually term by term so about 16 week leases.

Unless you are totally unlike 99% of people out there, you will do this once, and then decide "moving fucking sucks, I don't want to be doing it 6 times a year."

tsmvengy

Go for the place that's $630 - that sounds like a really sweet deal.