Advice on prices/apartments etc... (Houston: apartment complex, rentals, insurance)

[firehawk]

Hi.
So things are going really well for me thankfully. I will be moving to Houston sometime this year temporarily (work visa) before moving back to the UK.

I just wanted to know if anyone knew roughly how much a house/bottom level apartment costs typically? Not in the city but outside of it/surrounding areas.

I am looking for a 2 bedroom place. What other things do I need to consider?

Of course, I want it in a good area and not a run down estate or where drunks/junkies reside.

Thanks!

[Cbink]

Originally Posted by firehawk

Hi.
So things are going really well for me thankfully. I will be moving to Houston sometime this year temporarily (work visa) before moving back to the UK.

I just wanted to know if anyone knew roughly how much a house/bottom level apartment costs typically? Not in the city but outside of it/surrounding areas.

I am looking for a 2 bedroom place. What other things do I need to consider?

Of course, I want it in a good area and not a run down estate or where drunks/junkies reside.

Thanks!

It's dependant on location which will be dependant on where you work and how long you want to spend in your car. Outside the beltway you can probably go $800/month for a 2 bed in a reasonable area.

[firehawk]

what else is included in the rent? What additional things do I need to pay for?. What about prices for a 1 bedroom spacious apartment?

oh - just to make it clear, im not looking to share.

[newlymarried]

So much will be dependent on where you live. Where will you be working? Distances in Houston tend to be a major shock for expat workers, so you want to focus around where you have to be -- namely work. You'll want to live close, but you'll still need a car, insurance, gas, etc. Will your employer be paying for that?

If you live in the suburbs, $800-1000 is a reasonable price for a 1-2 bedroom nice apartment. If you live in the city, could easily double that depending on location and quality.

Usually utilities (gas/electric) are not included in rent. That will depend on your usage, but in an apartment maybe $100 in the summer to run the air conditioning. But without knowing how energy efficient your apartment is, how big it is, how cold/hot you like your space, it's hard to tell.

Renter's insurance (to insure your property in case of fire, theft, etc) you will need to purchase yourself -- fairly cheap to buy -- maybe $50/month?

Water is usually included in the rent.

[firehawk]

WOW. thats a little expensive. almost the same as what I am paying in the UK, and here I was thinking it would be cheaper in the US

To be honest, because I come from somewhat a colder climate, I probably would not use the AC but only if absolutely needed. As for energy I use, Not much at all. A computer that is on 24/7 which is energy efficient anyway, appliances and thats pretty much it.

So the area I am looking at is anywhere near cypresswood.

how does it compare to say buying a house? I mean, the mortgage per month to be paid (typically on such a house)? I guess it depends how much you take out huh.

[dalparadise]

Oh, get ready to use the AC. It approaches life-threatening conditions most days in the long summer. Seriously-- heat indices of 100-105 are not at all uncommon. Plus, the humidity limits the cool-down at night. So, it will get down to 80-85, but still feel like 90 degrees. There is little wind, either, so opening windows does little to help in apartments that were designed to be air conditioned. There's also the mold factor of the high humidity. Running AC is the only way to get the excess moisture out of the air in your room. Not running it will likely lead to mold and mildew.

[firehawk]

lol. ok, thanks

but yeh im a little wary about the apartment prices. ill be there for a few months, and i will still have my place back in the UK as I would be moving back.
what things are included in the apartment?

[newlymarried]

Cypresswood has plenty of nice apartments in that area. I think $800-1000 should be sufficient. Standard would be to include appliances (stove, microwave, oven, refrigerator.) Laundry facilities will depend -- some apartments include it, some will rent you a washer/dryer, and others have a laundry room.

Most places come unfurnished, though, so you'd need to buy/bring furniture. If you're only staying a few months, maybe your employer can help you find a furnished place. They exist, but are relatively rare -- and that means a price premium.

If you're not staying for the long haul, I wouldn't consider purchasing a house. Closing costs would be several thousand dollars and you may not be able to sell it when you leave. Being a long distance landlord sounds unpleasant to me.

As far as pricing... it depends on the cost of the house. And part of your rent in an apartment complex is property taxes, which are relatively high in Texas (in exchange for no income tax), so maybe that's part of the sticker shock.

[firehawk]

ok so now im thinking more and more about this and getting serious. What should I be looking for when I am looking for a house but for rent all for me and not shared? Do such places exist? cant seem to find much on google or maybe im misunderstanding the description of what google brings me for results

[jek74]

Originally Posted by firehawk

ok so now im thinking more and more about this and getting serious. What should I be looking for when I am looking for a house but for rent all for me and not shared? Do such places exist? cant seem to find much on google or maybe im misunderstanding the description of what google brings me for results

Try craigslist. There are house rentals on there as well. Yes, you can rent an entire house for 1k a month. Why do you want to rent a house? The reason I'm asking is because even though houses are cheap, they tend to be very large down here. And a large home means higher utility costs. A smaller apt will be much cheaper on utilities.