3 Tips for Choosing Short-Term Housing

Sometimes a hotel just doesn't cut it. For example, if you're relocating to a new city for work, spending several weeks in a hotel will be inconvenient and expensive. A better alternative is short-term housing, but what if you've never used such a service before? How can you know which accommodations are best? Here are just three tips.

1. Look at the Furnishings

Furnished corporate housing usually comes with things like beds, dressers and refrigerators. Beyond the basics, however, you never know what furniture you'll find in a strange place. If it's important to you to have a work desk for late-night accounting, make sure the suite comes stocked.

2. Ask About Amenities

Some lodgings will provide concierge services. Others will offer things like wake-up calls or complimentary lounge access for guests who stay a certain length of time. Don't be afraid to ask the housing company about the ways they go the extra mile for their customers.

3. Scope Out the Neighborhood

How close is the nearest grocery store? Where are the banks and ATMs? You'll want to consider your commute to work, too, especially if you work traditional business houses where traffic will be heavy along the main highways. Look at a detailed map of the neighborhood before you become a resident.

These are just three tips when searching for short-term housing. Moving doesn't have to be stressful as long as you plan in advance, and with the right lodgings waiting for you, you might feel like you've never even left home at all.

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Finding the Right Housing at Murray State

Trying to find the right apartment can be very difficult, especially when you are just moving out of your parent’s home and starting college. The added pressure of finding a good place on top of all the other stresses you are preoccupied with can make you feel overwhelmed. If you have a good checklist for what to look for in an apartment, however, this can make it easier for you to select the right place (and way less stressful). When you are looking for housing at Murray State, here are some things to keep in mind that can help make your search more successful. 

What’s Your Budget? 

First, when you are going to school, you are living on a budget and, chances are, not a very large budget. When you are looking for an apartment, you have to first consider how much you have in your budget to dedicate to your housing. If you take a look at all of your expenses (like groceries, school supplies, gas costs, etc.), you can figure out what you can afford to pay on rent. You can then restrict your apartment hunting to places that fit within that budgeted amount, which will greatly decrease the amount of searching you have to do. Why waste your time looking at places you’ll never be able to afford? With a budget range in mind, you won’t have to. 

Who’s Your Roommate? 

Once you have picked a budget, you will want to look at the kinds of features that apartments in your price range offer. One major feature to pay attention to is your privacy. Some options for housing at Murray State offer private bedrooms, while others require you to share your room with a roommate. Many people choose to live with a roommate for the social advantages that this option has to offer. However, some people decide that they can share an apartment, but not a bedroom. There are a couple of different reasons why someone would choose a private room. 

For people who have a hard time concentrating and can be easily distracted, it may be necessary to have a private room so that studying doesn’t get interrupted by a roommate’s presence. Also, some people choose to bring a lot with them to college, which means they need more storage room in their bedroom and less roommate room.

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Pros and Cons of Off-Campus Housing

As you prepare to go to college, there are undoubtedly countless decisions on your mind. Which college should you go to? Which classes should you take? What should you major in? How can you get the least expensive price on books? The list goes on and on. Figuring out your housing situation can be one of the most difficult decisions of all. The first place to start is to determine if you want on- or off-campus housing. There are pros to both. Some prefer WVU off-campus housing for many reasons while some prefer on. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference.

Rules 

If you were to choose to go off campus, one pro is that the rules will be much fewer than those that would be found with on-campus housing. Of course, it depends upon which college you end up choosing as well as which type of off-campus housing you end up going with. If you are staying with relatives, those relatives set forth the only rules that apply. Typically that will not get you kicked out of school if you do not follow those rules, either. 

Commute 

There is much to be said for those few extra priceless minutes to get sleep or finish an assignment prior to heading off to class. Living on campus will save you time and help you to be on time as well. You won’t have to worry about bus schedules, filling up gas tanks, fighting off traffic, freezing as you walk, carrying heavy books for long distances, etc. Those who opt to go off campus will indeed be facing a bigger commute and therefore all that comes with it. 

Social Life 

The social aspect of it is different depending upon the student themselves and what they prefer. So it could be considered either a pro or a con depending upon your personal preference. Most would assume that you would have a more active social life if you live on campus merely because it is filled with other students at about your same age and interest level. On the other hand, if you are looking for a more mature place to socialize in, you may have much better luck with WVU off-campus housing.

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