Want to find - Roommate in Richmond

rherold9 · 03-09-2016, 04:25 PM

I'll be moving to Richmond in July. Would like to be around 30 minutes from west creek so either northwest or southwest of Richmond.

I'm pretty desperate to find a roommate. One bedrooms are going to be around $1000 unfurnished a month that have external garages so I'd rather just not pay that. Really don't want to go to Craigslist if I don't have to.

My only priorities are good Internet and would love something with possible garage space to work on a car, doesn't have to be 24/7 access just when I'd need it.

I was looking at self storage units for the car but that is 150+ easy a month. Which is just no. No.

If anyone has any ideas that would be great as well.

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***SlimKlim*** · 03-09-2016, 04:45 PM

Chances are anything you find is going to be unfurnished, I almost never see furnished places for rent unless its an apartment in a really trendy area. Does the $1k/mo for a 1 BR include the external garage or is that extra? That doesn't sound so bad to me for your first place, I think Jake and I were spending ~$2150 for a 2 BR apartment in Fairfax our first year out.

See if you can find some regional subreddits or facebook groups to post in. Maybe you could find some off-campus UoR students that need to fill a room?

rherold9 · 03-09-2016, 04:55 PM

SlimKlim Wrote:Chances are anything you find is going to be unfurnished, I almost never see furnished places for rent unless its an apartment in a really trendy area. Does the $1k/mo for a 1 BR include the external garage or is that extra? That doesn't sound so bad to me for your first place, I think Jake and I were spending ~$2150 for a 2 BR apartment in Fairfax our first year out.

See if you can find some regional subreddits or facebook groups to post in. Maybe you could find some off-campus UoR students that need to fill a room?

That $1k would be I believe just utilities no external garage. I think it will be around $100 extra. So let's say $1.1k-$1.2k. I'd just rather not spend that much in rent...

Most of my coworkers from my internship and some UR/VCU students all want to live in the Fan/downtown. I really don't. The main reason is having access to a garage and other reason is I don't care to be in that lifestyle. I'll just take an Uber downtown or just do a local happy hour.

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***SlimKlim*** · 03-09-2016, 05:02 PM

Yeah, I getcha, I can't tell you how many thousands of times I've had to explain to people that I don't want to live in Arlington/Alexandria/DC even though I'm young. I have a dog and a project car and I hate bars, I'm exactly where I want to be way out in the 'burbs.

Good luck with the hunt!

davej · 03-09-2016, 05:03 PM

<a class="postlink" href="http://richmond.craigslist.org/search/roo?query=garage">http://richmond.craigslist.org/search/roo?query=garage</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://richmond.craigslist.org/roo/5442761763.html">http://richmond.craigslist.org/roo/5442761763.html</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://richmond.craigslist.org/roo/5463602006.html">http://richmond.craigslist.org/roo/5463602006.html</a>

rherold9 · 03-09-2016, 05:09 PM

davej Wrote:http://richmond.craigslist.org/search/roo?query=garage
<a class="postlink" href="http://richmond.craigslist.org/roo/5442761763.html">http://richmond.craigslist.org/roo/5442761763.html</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://richmond.craigslist.org/roo/5463602006.html">http://richmond.craigslist.org/roo/5463602006.html</a>

rherold9 Wrote:Really don't want to go to Craigslist if I don't have to.

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I know that is there. I've rarely heard of something good coming out of Craigslist for housing searches.

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***Jake*** · 03-09-2016, 05:09 PM

Welcome to post-college rentals!

You're not going to find anything that's furnished unless you rent someone's basement apartment and they happen to have furniture down there. Head to Ikea and Craigslist and buy cheap furniture as you can afford it.

1 BR's with no garage (but with a single parking spot) in NoVA are going to be $1200ish, and that has you pretty far out from Arlington/DC. Getting closer in, you see numbers like $1400 or $1600, easily.

$1100 for a 1 BR with detached garage is killer, IMO, and I'd jump on that. I'm assuming there would be additional parking spaces if you got a daily driver or whatever. That's how Joey and I's first place was.

Typical advice here - remember you need money for security deposits on not only your place, but likely on utilities as well. Getting your first place is a pain in the dick. Joey and I had to go IN TO DC so that Washington Gas would give us service, as they just didn't believe we were legit over the phone or website. Skip out on cable, just get good interwebs and a $10 OTA antenna for your TV. Places like Home Goods and Big Lots are great for getting the essentials (pots/pans, utensils, etc) on the cheap.

Sully · 03-09-2016, 05:20 PM

Not sure about the areas but I've seen whole 3 bedroom houses for around that in this area on clist

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Ken · 03-09-2016, 05:32 PM

rherold9 Wrote:
davej Wrote:http://richmond.craigslist.org/search/roo?query=garage
<a class="postlink" href="http://richmond.craigslist.org/roo/5442761763.html">http://richmond.craigslist.org/roo/5442761763.html</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://richmond.craigslist.org/roo/5463602006.html">http://richmond.craigslist.org/roo/5463602006.html</a>

rherold9 Wrote:Really don't want to go to Craigslist if I don't have to.

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I know that is there. I've rarely heard of something good coming out of Craigslist for housing searches.

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I had a really good experience using CL for my housing search actually and several of my friends. Then again that is up here, not sure how/why it would differ down there though.

rherold9 · 03-09-2016, 05:35 PM

Nice, thank you all for the advice. Going to be a lot upfront costs I'm not looking forward to. Having 15-20% salary going to rent sucks. But it is what it is I guess. I'll keep checking back in on this thread for my advice or ideas

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D_Eclipse9916 · 03-09-2016, 05:39 PM

Ken Wrote:I had a really good experience using CL for my housing search actually and several of my friends. Then again that is up here, not sure how/why it would differ down there though.

+1, one of my formal renters I got off craigslist. Had good response, just weed through their emails and see what "seems right".

15-20% aint bad.

***Jake*** · 03-09-2016, 05:42 PM

rherold9 Wrote:Nice, thank you all for the advice. Going to be a lot upfront costs I'm not looking forward to. Having 15-20% salary going to rent sucks. But it is what it is I guess. I'll keep checking back in on this thread for my advice or ideas

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Well, you don't have to put $1200 a month to housing. Dave linked you to a few options that are half that price. It's not bad having roommates, so long as they don't suck. I've had nothing but good experiences so far (four years with good friends from JMU, now onto year five with a newer friend - we don't hang much but get along well sharing a place) and don't mind having the company around.

Also - this bears mentioning. Get a place close-ish to work. When I lived with DJ, I was 19 miles from the office. My rent went up when I moved closer to work/DC, but the cost difference was moot when I looked at the difference in gas/tolls to drive the extra distance. I'm now 8ish miles from work and the commute was cut in half time-wise. It's amazing and well worth the extra few hundred per month.

***SlimKlim*** · 03-09-2016, 05:44 PM

Yeah are we talking about 20% pre-tax or post-tax? If you're talking about your post-tax take home that's pretty ideal, still not bad at all if you mean your full salary, I think I'm somewhere in that range.

When we first graduated my rent was like 45% of my post-tax take home. Shit was ridiculous.

rherold9 · 03-09-2016, 05:48 PM

Dave linked one place I'm interested in. I've already contacted other people. The nice thing about Richmond if there isn't an accident 20-25 miles = 30minutes which is around what I'd like to be away from work max.

Yes, post-tax, Joey. And alrighty I'm just not used to huge rent costs I've paid like 600 max per month my entire life thus far.

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davej · 03-09-2016, 05:58 PM

just wait till you sign a mortgage. something about 40% of your paycheck for the next 30 years gets depressing quick.

rherold9 · 03-09-2016, 05:59 PM

davej Wrote:just wait till you sign a mortgage. something about 40% of your paycheck for the next 30 years gets depressing quick.

Rip the wallet. This is why I'm cheap and want to save when I'm young.

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rherold9 · 03-09-2016, 06:03 PM

Also looked up actual taxes on my income 1.2k or 14.4k a year would be 25% of it

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Ken · 03-09-2016, 06:04 PM

rherold9 Wrote:Also looked up actual taxes on my income 1.2k or 14.4k a year would be 25% of it

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You'll be fine, rule of thumb is to be at, or below, 30%

rherold9 · 03-09-2016, 06:09 PM

Ken Wrote:
rherold9 Wrote:Also looked up actual taxes on my income 1.2k or 14.4k a year would be 25% of it

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You'll be fine, rule of thumb is to be at, or below, 30%

Yes 25-30% is what I've read online for rent. Save at least 20% is a big thing too. But, budgeting is a whole other thread.

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Senor_Taylor · 03-09-2016, 07:18 PM

rherold9 Wrote:Having 15-20% salary going to rent sucks.

lol

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