Moving to the city of New York? Great news! Sure you need to get ready for all the opportunities that the Big Apple has to offer. Lively streets, various everyday attractions, in one word- a little bit of everything for almost everyone. But, then there comes the tricky part- dealing with the question of housing. Everybody knows that getting a place to live in New York can be pretty expensive. Especially if your choice leads you to Manhattan. People say it can all turn into a nightmare or even worse, and eventually many decide to simply give it up. But, don’t lose your faith! There may be a solution for you. Take a look at our small guide to finding an affordable apartment in Manhattan, and try your luck.
Define your budget for finding an affordable apartment in Manhattan
It’s clear that you cannot make any kind of plans unless you don’t have a clear picture of your current financial status. You may have some savings you can rely on when it comes to the rent. Or, it may be that you are planning to get a kind of loan to buy yourself a new home. Whatever the case is, it would be too risky to take any steps without a thorough calculation. Put all the expenses on a piece of paper, and decide about your best options.
Do not waste your time
When you need to make huge steps such as moving to New York, it’s never to early to start. Those are the cases when preparation should begin months in advance. Remember that it’s not just about calling Manhattan Movers NYC, and getting in your new home. Finding an affordable living space in Manhattan is difficult, but if you have enough time to make good and thorough research then nothing is impossible.
First of all, you need to define well what you really want. After the criteria are set, the search may start. Use all the advantages of the modern area. Go through all the available websites and utilize appropriate apps in order to make a full picture of the current market situation. You would be surprised by what you may find, just if you devote enough time to your search.
However, we should not forget about the good old way- always pay some attention to the “For rent” signs since you never know what your lucky star may bring to you.
Spread the word if you want to find an affordable apartment in Manhattan
Sometimes there is no better source of information than the people around you. So hesitate no more, start talking about your future relocation plans. You can easily run into someone who has just moved out of a cheap yet nice apartment in the heart of the Big Apple. Not only would you get some helpful information, but you may also make some use of the link to get an even more acceptable price.
Everything has its moment
The art of making a good deal is to act wisely and with no rush. Being able to match with the good timing for starting your move to Manhattan, can bring you a lot of benefits on the financial aspect. Summer is known as a busy season for the relocation matters since people usually tend to make some use of the nice weather. Logically speaking, this is the period when the prices of all the real estates go up along with the demand. Therefore, finding an affordable living space in Manhattan in the summer sounds almost impossible. But not only that. If you have an idea to make your move simple with the right local help, you would hardly find any available moving agencies, not to mention the price you’ll need to pay for it.
Thus, the perfect solution here would be to postpone your moving plans until sometime in November. If your relocation time is flexible, there is no real reason to hurry. Just be patient and make some profit out of it.
The negotiating
Don’t ever give up without negotiating! It’s always possible that the tenant will knock a little off the price. Anyway, you lose nothing if you try. On the other hand, if you think you are not able to find a cheap apartment in Manhattan by yourself, you can always get some help and hire a broker. Their experience in the matter is irreplaceable since they are masters in getting a real bargain. What’s more, you can also rely on them when finding the appropriate movers since they can help you negotiate with them as well. In this case, don’t forget to pay attention to the broker fees, which can vary from 8 to 17 percent of the annual rent.
Here are some extra tips:
- try to ask for the apartments that have been on the market for a long time
- have all your paperwork ready in advance and have a certain amount of money at your immediate disposal, since you never know when you will run into something you will really like
- pay several visits to the place that you are about to buy before you actually sign any contract
Find yourself a roomie
You are coming to New York alone, and you want an affordable life in Manhattan? Then getting a roomie is an ideal solution for you. That way you would have someone to share your rent, utilities, and other similar expenses with. On the other hand, if you are new in town, it would not bother to have a person by your side who can help you do the unpacking, settling down, and later on, adapting to the new environment. Just make sure you do agree on the specific terms concerning your co-life from the very beginning since this is the only way to avoid any possible misunderstandings.
So as you can see, finding an affordable apartment in Manhattan is not an easy task, but there are tricks you can employ to make it all more acceptable for your budget. Now you’re ready to set your sails.
