Apartment Hunting in Perth

Kissing Frogs and Counting Teaspoons

There is the old adage in dating that you have to kiss a few frogs to find your prince, there also is the theory that dating in a numbers game and the more people you see the better your chances are off meeting “the one”. Given those bits of information and applying it to apartment hunting I should be really close to finding my dream apartment any day soon one would think.

The last time I was this close to being homeless was October 2006 and not only did I know the city (San Francisco) very well, I also had friend which couches and beds. Something I do not have here.

Calling it a tough housing market is rather laughable – it is downright brutal. So unlike the US most of the apartment rentals are controlled by rental agencies and they are in no hurry to help find you a place to live. Even the large apartment complexes do not have their own onsite office that you can just walk up to or make an appointment with to just go in and see a unit and fill out paperwork like we did back in San Francisco you must go through these rental agencies.

So first you look on the popular websites or on the rental agencies websites and you filter by your price range per week – why the prices are per week is something no one can really explain to me but there it is. Then you call them and hope they will answer or call you back. Sometimes they will call you back 2 days later but by that time 12 people have applied for the unit already.

Every open house I have been to has lasted only 15 mins and they are really exact about it too. Heaven forbid you get there 5mins past the designated time – you will NOT get to see the unit. So let’s say you get there on time then be assured you will have at least 7-12 other people with you and ALL of them will fill out an application. This past weekend I applied for a place I knew I would not want to live in simply because everyone else was applying for it and I did not want to be the only person that walked out.

What you get for the money
Apartments are extremely expensive here especially in the city where I am hoping to be as it is fairly close to public transportation and I would like to be for at least the next 6mths till I get myself sorted out pertaining to a car etc. Even at the price of $400 per week I am having a hard time finding a place to live.

Also very strangely a high percentage; I would comfortably say most apartments are furnished – fully furnished. And of those another 60% are fully equipped meaning they have everything down to the last teaspoon and the strange collection of beer mugs. Some even have sheets and towels that tenants after tenant use – can you say ewwww!!! For the fully equipped apartments when you move out they come in and count the dishes, spoons, towels etc and then charge if you anything is broken or missing. Can you imagine living in such a stressful situation were you can't break a glass or loose a teaspoon?

And in yet another strange cultural twist those that are unfurnished are really unfurnished as I discovered at a few open houses – there was no fridge, stove or washer. Just the space for them, this means that if I get one of those I have to go and buy myself a fridge, stove and washer in addition to things you would expect to buy anyway like TV and a bed. I don’t know why this troubles me so much – I can handle buying a bed, a TV even a car, but the thought of owing my own fridge/stove/washer (a real adult sized one) really depresses me. I will let the shrinks puzzle out the reasons for that one.

So this week back to the search I have only 8 days left – I hired a relocation consultant to help cut through the BS of the agents and I don’t know how she does it but she actually gets them to call her back and actually manages to get viewings set up for me to see apartments. In the meanwhile I will have to work on surrendering to the system i.e. preparing mentally to become the proud mummy of a fridge bleh 