It's that time of year where students all over campus are constantly on Zillow, Homes.com, Craigslist etc. searching for the perfect home for next fall. Finding a house should be easy, right? Just contact the owner, and go to a showing and if you like it, submit your deposit. Wrong.
1. "This is it! I've found the perfect one! Aaaaaand it's three miles away from campus."
It always seems like the cheapest and most beautiful houses are the ones that are furthest away. Who wants to worry about biking or paying for parking? Time is money, people!
2. "Okay, we found the perfect place. Let's put in our applications right now - wait, did someone seriously sign right before us?
A few minutes could change the whole housing game. It's a battle to see who can get all of their applications first.
3. "No animals? But my cat isn't like any other cat..."
He will do no harm to the house. He will only give love and happiness to the house. And whenever the landlord comes, they are freely allowed to pet him. We all win.
4. "Cheap housing! Woohoo! Oh there are robberies in that area all the time?"
I guess that explains why it's cheap. We need to save money in case we get broken in to. No thank you...
5. "I guess this house doesn't come with included furniture...U-Haul doesn't know what they're about to get in to."
Bed - check. Couch - check. Tables - check. I think we may need another U-Haul.
6. "On the website it didn't say that the whole bathroom tile was completely falling apart! Nice!"
Maybe sometime soon it will get fixed before we move in. Please, Landlord...
7. "What if we end up being in the same unit as some crazy party throwers?"
I can see it now: blasting music and stomping and screaming next door the night before an 8 A.M. Solid.
8. "So if you get this bedroom you'll pay this much, and if you get this bedroom you'll pay a little less..."
Sizing of bedrooms always causes every sort of drama. But in the end, the one in the shoebox will have more money for food, so who really is the real winner here?
9. "This place comes with parking included in rent. The world is not against us!"
Parking, especially in a city is like a battle in and of itself. $500 to park my car for a semester downtown? Nah.
10. "This isn't near Chipotle. How will we live?"
Last but not least, living far from your favorite Friday evening snack place is what some may call a tragedy. But if the place is perfect, perhaps it'll be O.K.
We have enough on our minds between school, work and clubs. Unfortunately, it appears that place-hunting is just as stressful and time consuming.