Penny Arcade Forums› Help / Advice Forum
The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.

Finding a Roommate

LibrarianThorneLibrarianThorne Registered User regular
edited August 2008 in Help / Advice Forum
So, I'm moving to Austin Texas soon (like next week, I think) and I'll be getting a 900 square foot 2 bedroom/2 bathroom. I was expecting to move with a friend. As you can guess from the title, he's not coming. He found a well-paying job in a nearby city here in Ohio and thus has no reason to move down with me.

However, after running a quick guess at total costs, I'm looking at around $1500/mo. I have to support by myself (rent, utilities, renter's insurance, health insurance, food, hi-speed net connection). Now, I have $14,000 in the bank right now, $1200 coming to me in October, and $12,000 coming to me in January, so I can support that sort of bank for a limited time. The problem here is that I don't want to blow $27,000 I should be investing, and I'm not sure how long it will take me to find a job.

So, for all of these reasons, I need to find a roommate. I'm paranoid about this because of my experiences in college, where I'd seesaw back and forth from having an awesome roomie to a horrible one and by my count I'm due for a horrible one. So, I'm trying to find a website or something where I can get in contact with interested people and then meet them to see if they'll work out. Does anyone know of a site like this and, more importantly, does anyone have advice on this count? This is not only my first apartment but it's my first time really looking for a roommate so I'm pretty much clueless.

LibrarianThorne on

Posts

  • deadonthestreetdeadonthestreet Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Craigslist will do it

    They have a whole section just for Austin

    deadonthestreet on
    Twitter |
  • Sir CarcassSir Carcass I have been shown the end of my world Round Rock, TXRegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
    You may want to check with your property manager and see if you can downgrade to a smaller apartment without any penalty, if that would appeal to you. I know if I were in your situation, that's what I would do.

    Sir Carcass on
  • KalkinoKalkino Buttons Londres Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Be wary of fraud. Now I'm not really going to speculate as to what this could entail in your situation, but having had loads of friends look for flats online this last year the incidence of fraudulent offers seems amazingly high even compared to last year when I last looked.

    TL:DR: be paranoid

    Kalkino on
    Freedom for the Northern Isles!
  • LibrarianThorneLibrarianThorne Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Sir Carcass wrote: »
    You may want to check with your property manager and see if you can downgrade to a smaller apartment without any penalty, if that would appeal to you. I know if I were in your situation, that's what I would do.

    Tried that, they only offer 2BR/2 BA and the lowest they go is 750. on the other hand, the neighborhood is really safe and it's close to several companies I want to work for.

    I've looked at single apartments and the price differential isn't substantial enough. I was looking at a 650/mo. place in a bad neighborhood before I settled on the one I have now. That place was 1BR/1 BA, about a mile and a half from where I wanted to work, and was almost half the size of the place I have now.

    LibrarianThorne on
  • Aurora BorealisAurora Borealis runs and runs and runs away BrooklynRegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Yeah, craigslist or somesuch networking site can make the whole thing super easy. Post an ad about you, the apartment, and what you're looking for in a roommate. And look up ads of people who post looking for apartments. Being that you already have a place, you are already way ahead of most.
    I suggest you move in, get your stuff unpacked and your general territory established, then make 1/2 hr-1 hr appointments. Meet with the people one at a time, have them see the place, and talk with them, get to know 'em a little face to face. Then chose your roommate.
    Like I said, you are the one with the apartment, the advantage is all yours.
    When I moved to NY I found my roommate this way- 'cept I was the one looking for a room. But then when he moved out a year later I took on the lease, so I had to find a new roomie. And since this time I was on the other end of that transaction, it was much less stressful and now I have an Awesome roommate whom I just love to death.

    Aurora Borealis on
  • LibrarianThorneLibrarianThorne Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Aurora Borealis wrote: »
    Yeah, craigslist or somesuch networking site can make the whole thing super easy. Post an ad about you, the apartment, and what you're looking for in a roommate. And look up ads of people who post looking for apartments. Being that you already have a place, you are already way ahead of most.
    I suggest you move in, get your stuff unpacked and your general territory established, then make 1/2 hr-1 hr appointments. Meet with the people one at a time, have them see the place, and talk with them, get to know 'em a little face to face. Then chose your roommate.
    Like I said, you are the one with the apartment, the advantage is all yours.
    When I moved to NY I found my roommate this way- 'cept I was the one looking for a room. But then when he moved out a year later I took on the lease, so I had to find a new roomie. And since this time I was on the other end of that transaction, it was much less stressful and now I have an Awesome roommate whom I just love to death.

    Cool, thanks for the advice. I'll put an ad up on Craigslist after I move.

    Now I just need to work out how I'm going to get Roadrunner online the day I move...

    LibrarianThorne on
  • Sir CarcassSir Carcass I have been shown the end of my world Round Rock, TXRegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
    LibrarianThorne wrote: »
    Now I just need to work out how I'm going to get Roadrunner online the day I move...

    Call them now and set up your appointment. They usually take their sweet ass time to finally come out and flip a switch.

    Sir Carcass on
Sign In or Register to comment.
Penny Arcade Forums› Help / Advice Forum