We know you are nervous. For some of you, this may be the first time living abroad and you want to have everything ready and set. Well, sometimes find an apartment in the USA and a great place could take some time and finding on while you still haven’t even arrived in the US is quite improbable. So just get there first, book yourself an Airbnb in the area you prefer and look for an apartment in the neighborhood. Most ones usually don’t match closely to what they appear in the pictures, plus if you will share an apartment you may like to meet your future roomies before making the decision to rent it.
- Sharing: Keep in mind that to live in the U.S is quite expensive, especially in the big cities like NY. So we recommend you forget about living alone. Plus, when you are new in a city, sharing an apartment is a good way to meet people and make friends from different nationalities (apart from the obvious benefit of saving money). This is a main criterion to find an apartment in the USA.
- Area: Think about your priorities, you could see a very nice area with restaurants, parks, and an all-around lovely atmosphere but if it is an hour from work, where you will spend most of the time…it might not be worth it. Or maybe it is – it’s your choice!
- Space: If you are checking online, make sure the apartment has a living room. Some landlords take advantage of the space and convert the living room into another bedroom. However, in order to feel most at home, you need a room for all you cool people living there to chill out, watch TV and organize parties in. So although you may take a living room for granted, you never know so ask about it!
- Facilities: Don’t use «fully equipped kitchen» as search criteria to find an apartment in the USA. No, you won’t find a washing machine and you will have to do the laundry in a laundromat as most authentic Americans do. There is not enough space in even the larger apartments for these larger domestic appliances. But make sure to check whether bills are included in the asking price or not, as you would have to add it to your current expenses if not. And this goes without saying, but try to find a furnished apartment – having to buy a bed is definitely expensive! This will save you time, stress and money.
- The way of booking: Be careful if you are in the search of find an apartment in the USA if you rent it through an agency as the may ask for a fee, apart from the current month and the one you will have to pay in advance as a security deposit.
What we at Architect-US can do to help you is put you in touch with our participants living in the same city, so you can exchange opinions, ask for recommendations and generally help each other out to find an apartment in the USA! Good luck with your new American adventure!
If you want to be part of our program you can register for our Job+ J1 Visa Program and we will help you to make your American dream true.
