How to Find Cheap Apartments or Housing for Rent in Seattle

Are you desperately searching for that perfect apartment but sick of experiencing severe sticker shock? Especially if you're looking in the Seattle area, most people know prices are going to be high. But what most people don't know is that there are simple tricks to avoid those jaw-dropping, hair-pulling, sky-high prices.

First and most importantly is the mantra acknowledged by every realtor and house-hunter alike-location, location, location. Where your apartment is located is so essential to your living experience. Even the most amazing apartment can be ruined if you don't like the neighborhood or if you're not close to a grocery store or if the commute to work is bad. (The list goes on…) Therefore, location should be one of your number one concerns. It is also incidentally the main factor when it comes to rental prices. If you want to live in the heart of downtown Seattle, expect higher prices than an outlaying area. Similarly, if you want to live in Belltown, expect higher prices than Queen Anne. The trick is to find an area that's centrally located to everything you want, and then find the cheapest neighborhood that's still close. For example, I wanted to live near Green Lake, but prices were astronomical right on the water. Therefore, I moved into an apartment two blocks away. I'm still within walking distance of the lake, but my rent is almost $500 cheaper per month.

Secondly, make sure your house-hunting skills have crossed over into the 21 century. Very few people still approach renting in the "old fashioned way" by which I mean opening up a newspaper and actually calling somebody to see a unit. That's a thing of the past. Now, everybody uses online search engines. Almost every apartment hunting site is free to join and search. It just requires an email address and some limited contact information. Some sights to check out are www.rent.com, www.seattlerentals.com and www.apartmentinsider.com. All these sites (and many more like them) are very similar and often produce the same search results, so it becomes a matter of personal preference. Which site do you find easiest to navigate? Common search options include neighborhood, bedroom number and price range. If you don't have any luck there, try Craigslist.com. You can search by city and price range, and there are literally new apartments posted every day. If you are diligent and look often, you're bound to find something that strikes you. A general note about Craigslist-more so than on other sites, you must move quickly. Apartments get snatched up at a truly amazing speed on this site. So if you see something you like, respond immediately.

The third point is not specific to finding a great deal in Seattle but applies instead to any rental. Paying rent by yourself can be quite steep. Even cutting the price in half makes it a much more manageable check to write every month. Therefore, depending on your specific living situation and preferences, if roommates are a viable option, use them. True, you might have to pay a little more for a multiple bedroom house or apartment. However, after splitting the cost two or three or four ways, you will still come out paying less per month than if you shouldered the burden yourself. Living with other people invites a whole host of potential complications, but if you find roommates you really enjoy, the financial benefit can be a great bonus.

Just remember, it's easy to become discouraged when looking at apartments in Seattle, because prices are invariably high. But keep some of the aforementioned tips in mind, and you're well on your way to a great apartment in a great location for a great price.