Apartment Hunting in Bakersfield, California

I've debated on whether to buy a home in Bakersfield, California or to rent one or almost six months before I finally decided that renting is the way to go, for me. There is just something about making a place my own, while not having to worry about the lawn, garden, plumbing, or anything else that always tends to sneak up at the wee hours of the morning. With the way the housing market is right now, it seems the best place to be is an owner of an apartment complex. However, there is a sea out there in Bakersfield that tosses new comers into a frenzy of possibilities. Depending on what you like Bakersfield apartments vary as much as the town of Bakersfield. There are so many places to choose from that one can get distraught over the possibilities. No worries now though, as I hope to help you navigate through the waters of Bakersfield, CA.

Depending on your price range, you'll find yourself all over Bakersfield looking for apartments. And just like any large city, be prepared for "you get what you pay for". As a general rule of thumb, all prices go for a one-bedroom one-bath unit unless otherwise stated. Your price range is really going to effect where you are going to live. Face it there is a place where we 'want' to live and then there are those places we can actually afford to live. Most apartments here in Bakersfield, CA require your rent be a third of your income. In some cases it may be a fourth but this is practice is rare. You will need to have your first month's rent as well as your deposit on hand and easily transferable into two separate cashiers checks ready for your decision. You'll want to have a general idea of how much you can afford and then times it by two for your first month. Usually your deposit is the same as your rent. I would keep out $1000 on top of your rent and deposit, at least for your first month. This way if you find an apartment that is cheaper than you budgeted for you can get some well-needed essentials as they come up. It will also allow you to have a pad incase your rent is a little bit more than you expected.

In Bakersfield, CA we have a growing number of apartments. And as more apartments come on the market it seems less and less of them are actually available. As you are hunting for your apartment in Bakersfield you'll want to use all avenues available. The web is good for out-of-towners especially if there is a certain style and accoutrements you are looking for. Websites you will find helpful in this area are Apartments.com, Rent.com, and Craigslist.org. With websites you can really narrow down what amenities you want. The downfall to these websites is the limited number of apartment complexes that are on them. Bakersfield, CA has a total of 14 apartments on Rent.com and Apartments.com. While these are very nice, the pictures are great. You can even view floorplans right online. You really cannot see them in full context. You can also do the old newspaper everyday but if you looking for specifics your best bet will be the Apartment Rental Guide. The rental guide is free and conveniently placed around town. The nice feature about the guide is the easy to use matrix that shows you all the apartments advertised in the guide and their amenities. This when used in cahoots with a highlighter can really narrow down your choices. Personally my favorite way to find apartment is the old drive by. Find a neighborhood you enjoy and search high and low for apartments in the area.

Speaking of area's, let's get down to the nitty gritty of it shall we? Bakersfield California is a sprawling metropolis of old town charm. While most newcomers want something cheep and easy, well you really get it. You can find some studio's and one bedrooms for around $500/month you really need to be careful of where they are located. You can get into an area that has a heavy gang presence or an area that is out in the boonies from everything you know. The average prices range for most of Bakersfield is around $725 for 500-700 square feet of bliss. However if your looking in the Southwest, Rosedale, or basically anything to the west of California/New Stine look to paying $850 and up. You can find a few places downtown for around $600, which is a steal if you think of all the developments that are taking place in Downtown Bakersfield. You'll also want to take into consideration our little four legged friends. Some places will charge you an extra deposit while others require the deposit plus a monthly pet rent that can range from twenty bucks up to $50 a month! I'm very happy that my apartment was only an extra deposit for my kitty. And if you have a big dog say anything over 30lbs, you can kiss most apartments goodbye.

The key to any successful apartment hunt is persistence. You'll need to keep on top of your potential home to be. You will want to view the apartment that you are actually going to rent before the walk through to make sure it will work for you. However if you're walking it means it's on the market. Don't hesitate to put down a deposit. You can always move that deposit around until you find the apartment that is just right for you.

After a long and arduous journey through apartment after apartment, newspaper and every resource there is on the web I have finally plucked my new apartment out of the sea of almost. I almost put down my well-earned money on three different apartments until I finally found the one that picked me. I'm sure with a little persistence and the proper view of what you need vs. what you want will insure success with apartment hunting in Bakersfield California.