Moving season to Boston is coming up quickly. Whether by school year or tradition (or both), many year-long leases begin September 1st, and apartment searching can begin in earnest as early as right now!
When we moved into the city, it was crazy. We signed on a place two days after seeing it. The up-front price was so expensive we had to borrow money from relatives just to pay it off. We learned a lot on the fly.
Rather than learning on the fly, take some advice from people who have done this before:
Save Money
Living in Boston is already wicked expensive. Follow these tips to save a few bucks:
1. Rent from Craigslist, Skip the Broker's Fee
Something not well-communicated by realtors is that they charge a "broker's fee", or an extra month's rent, to rent through them. Moreover, some popular apartment-finding websites (like Zillow) allow listings ONLY by realtors - so anything you find there will cost you extra.
Craigslist, by contrast, offers listings directly by landlords. If you deal directly with a landlord, you can bypass the broker's fee. (But do beware of Craigslist scams!)
2. If you're alone, try to get roommates
From our experience (and the experience of friends), it's nearly impossible to find a studio or small place cheaper than splitting a larger place with roommates.
Obviously, moving in with people you know is better, but you can make it work with strangers as well. Get in touch with them beforehand and try to work out as much as possible.
3. Try to sign month-to-month if possible
Since housing is in such high demand in most areas near Boston, it can be tough to truly negotiate with landlords. Doesn't hurt to ask, however! Being on a month-to-month lease (rather than a year-long one) can allow you to leave your options open for moving in the offseason (usually winter), when rent can sometimes be cheaper.
Pre-move prep
Once you've found a place, there's a few things you can do up front to save some hassle later.
4. Clean Out Your Apartment Before You Move In…
If you're moving into an empty place, ask your landlord if there will be a gap between the last tenants and yourself. If so, take the opportunity to go ahead and give the apartment a deep clean.
Landlords are supposed to tidy up in between tenants, but this is not usually enforced well.
5. …But Take Good Photos First
Another good piece of advice (and typical process of moving in) is filling out a "pre-existing damages" form. This is somewhere you can make note of any issues in the apartment that were present when you moved in, so the payment for them doesn't have to come out of your security deposit when you move out!
Thoroughness here is super-helpful. Take pictures, document anything that seems even slightly off, and you can save yourself hassle down the road.
6. Parking is Hard
The Massachusetts RMV does not make life easy. Plus, parking in towns near Boston proper often involves getting a local pass (which may or may not be easily accessible beforehand). For our move (within Massachusetts), we had to:
- Change the registration address
- Change the "garaging code" (something you can only do over the phone)
- Send mail to our new address to prove we lived there
- Register for temporary passes
- Register for permanent passes the day of moving
Be sure to check on the specific, updated needs for the town you're moving to at least 30 days in advance. (Also don't forget to reserve space with the town for the moving truck!)
Moving Day
7. Bring Friends
If possible, bring a group of friends or family along to help out! Moving can be a big hassle, but even a few extra people can make the process go much more quickly.
8. Eat Out
A good compensation (and appeal) to get friends to show up is to provide some food! Dip a bit into all the money you saved by using Craigslist and get a good snack or meal for your moving crew. Plus, this removes the hassle of having to try and cook when all your utensils are packed away in a random box.
9. Enjoy Boston!
Boston has a ton of activities: sports, food, museums, schools, music, historical sites…the list goes on. Moving can be stressful, so remember to enjoy the move!
P.S. Interested in some clear steps for cleaning the apartment before you move in? Check out our "deep cleaning" checklist to see all the steps to hit while cleaning:
