Ryan Chartrand
There was this house. It was perfect. It had lots of rooms, appliances and furniture, and it was close to a bus stop and a really great shopping center. It was in a nice, peaceful neighborhood and far away from the possibility of some random drunk vomiting on the lawn. Best of all, a friend was going to get me and my roommates’ collective foot through the door.
And then, we lost the house.
I was quite disappointed. The house really was near perfect. Maybe a little on the grungy side, but knowing my roommates and I, we would have cleaned it up nicely.
The thing is, there are five of us and it’s really hard to find an adequate place. Most of us want single rooms because of boyfriends and privacy issues, but we don’t want to pay $700 a month.
Finding a house has been quite the struggle.
But in our quest for a nice four- or five-bedroom place, I’ve learned a few things.
First is, look wherever you can. Gather up your roommates and decide what you want. The Mustang Daily has a few listings. The Tribune does as well, especially if you want to find a house outside of San Luis Obispo.
Also, there is the miracle that is the internet. Many sites have rental listings, even http://my.calpoly.edu.
Getting as many listings as possible is one of the best things you can do. Not only can you comparison shop this way, but you also have more chances of getting the abode you want.
The next best thing you can do is start NOW. Good and cheap housing goes fast. This is a college town and there are 18,000 of us competing for living space! Only a few thousand students actually live on campus, so you still have 15,000 to 16,000 students racing for a place to live.
Then I would start looking at these places. Don’t go into anything blind, even if you’re desperate. While you’re there, start asking questions. Are utilities included? How does the landlord like the rent to be paid? Is there a gardener? Trash service? Ask about the lease. Ask about any little detail you can think of. If you can’t think of anything, talk to your parents or another relative who may have had experience in renting. They’ll think of something that you didn’t.
You can also try to get your parents (and/or your roommates’ parents too) to invest in a house. I know this might seem totally impossible, but housing is one of the best investments anyone can make. They wouldn’t just be investing in a place for you to live, but a place for you to have for, quite possibly, the rest of your life.
Buying a house is not just a good investment, it has other benefits. Houses for sale are probably going to be much nicer than many of the rental properties for students. Also, with a house of your own, you have more liberties than a rental property. You could paint and remodel it as you like.
Ultimately, it seems like my roommates and I are going to move into a house that one of our parents bought. It’s taken us time, but in a way, it wasn’t that difficult at all.