How to Find Apartments for Rent in San Francisco

Moving to San Francisco comes with all kinds of things to look forward to. It’s a cultural hub, of course, meaning most days, simply leaving your San Francisco apartment will give you plenty to do. There are also world famous restaurants, countless live music venues and some of the most unique locations on the entire planet. However, when it comes to San Francisco apartments, moving there isn’t the hard part. It’s first finding an apartment that will prove to be a major challenge. Here are some quick tips to help you.

Start With Your Budget

As you probably already know, San Francisco is one of the most expensive places to live in the world. This is why it’s so important to first start with a budget in mind. Know exactly how much you can afford to spend and then don’t even tempt yourself by going over budget. Keep in mind that a lot of the prices advertised will involve a number of hidden costs, so even creeping beyond your means a little will come back to haunt you.

You Have to Compromise

Again, San Francisco has plenty going for it, so wherever you end up living will come with all kinds of benefits. That being said, it’s unrealistic to think you’ll get everything you want in any one apartment. Like all homes, there are three factors to consider: location, price and quality. In San Francisco apartments, though, you can’t expect to get all three. Pick two. Remember this when you begin looking to help keep things in perspective.

Consider the Various Neighborhoods

You’ll want to begin apartment hunting early because this town has well over 80 different neighborhoods. Unlike most cities—even big ones—each one is distinct from the others, even those right next to it. The cool thing about living here is that everyone can find a neighborhood that fits their personality. This is why “location” may be the most important of the three factors mentioned above. If you find the right neighborhood, it will probably be worth hitting the high end of your budget. Most would agree it would also be worth giving up some valued feature in your apartment. However, if you try living in a less-than-ideal neighborhood just so you can get a good price on a high-quality apartment, you will probably be miserable knowing how much you’re missing out on elsewhere.

Look for Apartments in October

As much as possible, you want to time your San Francisco apartments search in October or thereabouts. Looking during the summer months will unnecessarily make things harder on you because that’s when turnover rates are the highest. On top of that, most people move in the summer, so competition will be fierce in a city where thousands are already looking at all times.

Be Patient

This might seem like odd advice for a city where apartments can literally go on and off the market in a single day. However, that type of environment can also force your hand on an apartment that you don’t really want. Instead, get a feel for the market and sign up for all the listing sites you can. Take advantage of listing alerts too. Doing these two things will help you appreciate how many different kinds of apartments are out there, so you don’t end up pulling the trigger on a listing that you’ll end up regretting.

Have Everything Ready

The last thing you want to do is follow all the above advice and then miss out on the perfect San Francisco apartment because you weren’t ready. If anything, you want to be overly prepared. Create a “renter resume” that will give a landlord all the information they need about you, including your credit score, income, occupation, rental insurance policy information and, where relevant, details about your pet. The sooner you find an apartment in San Francisco, the sooner you can begin enjoying all the amazing things it has to offer you could check here. With the above advice, you’ll have a much easier time with this important step. Source: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/2014/09/17/6-tips-for-finding-an-apartment-in-san-francisco