From UK to Rockville or Bethesda ..help (apartments, rental)

[Andiroo]

All

We are planning a relocation from London to the DC Metro area. We are looking at the Bethesda / Rockville / Silver Spring areas.

We will want to rent for approx. 1 year until we get to know the area etc.

We will have budget of 2000-4000 per month for a large family home - 4 beds min etc. What will we get for this in these areas?

I am struggling to find many local rental agents for houses - most seem to have apartments. Any clues as to who to look at - web sites etc.

Also how is the commute from Rockville downtown - both by metro and car?

Thanks for help

A

[Bagira]

saw a rent only sign on an empty house near us for $1900 thru a realtor can't remember which realtor tho. In rockville about 5-10 min. from metro stop. Will stop by and take a look if I remember....not promising tho. 5-10 min. drive to metro stop.

[saganista]

You'll likely find more selection in Silver Spring than Rockville or Bethesda, but unless there is a reason for targeting just those areas, I wouldn't hesitate to look around. There are some very nice areas in northern DC and many in Virginia as well that are convenient commutes to downtown if you plan it right. One sort of out-of-the-way site that you might poke around in is military-by-owner.com. You don't have to be military to use it, but you do need to pick a nearby military base. Bethesda Naval Hospital should be good for the MD suburbs, the Pentagon or Ft Myer for VA, and probably Walter Reed for the north side of the District. Not sure what the supply will look like at 4+ BR's, but almost all of it will fit under a $4K cap, most of it comfortably so.

Renting for a while is a good idea if you don't mind moving a second time. It's hard to get it just right until you have a feel for things. Not such a good idea is that of driving into downtown DC when Metro is an option. Figure the cost of gas etc. plus $20 per day for parking (though you could cut into that some with a monthly contract), then figure that many employers (including all government employers) participate in Metro's SmartBenefits program which pays (tax free) for up to the first $110 of your monthly mass transit (but not parking) costs. Bottom line? Metro is much faster and cheaper, and a lot less stressful than driving. It just makes no sense not to use the train when it's an option.

[claremarie]

I'd second saganista, but just keep in mind that if you can't walk to the Metro from your home, you'll have to factor in the driving time to the station, plus the availability of parking, before making the drive v. Metro decision. Some suburban Metro stations are located in congested semi-urban settings that can take surprisingly long to navigate by car, and parking at some stations is very limited. Metrobus connections are also an option, of course, but if you're working long hours, it can be frustrating and tedious to have to wait for the bus after you've arrived at your home station in the evening.

There are many houses available for rent by diplomats, military officers, and others who are posted overseas for several years. Our neighborhood in northern Virginia has several such homes for rent at the moment -- all are under $4000. We have many neighbors from the UK -- in fact, the British Embassy owns a house in our neighborhood that is provided to embassy personnel. You might try contacting a British expat group here in DC to get contacts for housing help.