Studio Apartments

[BerenTebogo]

Did a search and nothing super relevant came up that wasn't years and years old so just gonna shit up general.

As many of you have probably seen from RW thread, there is a 99.9% chance I am moving to Cambridge, MA in the next month and a half on only that much notice. I am apartment hunting but waiting to pull the trigger on anything until I pass my background check for job, so until then I want to weigh all options.

I've never lived in a studio apartment, but I have lived in many forms of 1br+1bath, including a shitty 2nd story in a 3 story small house in the middle of Pittsfield (aka boonies with snow). Over the past 8 or so years though as I've gone more to 1br+1.5 bath to 4br + 2 bath with roommates to 2br+2 bath all to myself (lol lousiana housing prices) I have accumulated much more shit, including a living room set that is about 1yr from being paid off that I got here in LA.

Anyway, the point is that I will be making likely between $50-55k per year to start and the position is likely to be 2-3 years or so. It is HIGHLY encouraged that people in my position live close in case of emergencies, and in snow emergencies the MBTA isn't always reliable. That brings me to apartments within walking distance in Cambridge. AKA for heat/hot water included - $1900-2200 for studio and $2000-3000 for 1br+1bath. Since I will be doing 9-5 job for first time in about a decade, transitioning from academia where I can work from home, do whatever the fuck I want as long as shit gets done, etc, I am considering the studio as I will be there much less than I currently am. Also, v important, I am 30 and my girlfriend will be staying 3-4 nights per week and for that + many other reasons I outright refuse to do roommates. It just is not an option for me.

So I wanted to hear from people who have lived in studios, or who have downsized living accommodations for jobs, what it is like, do you regret it, do you like it, what is it all like? That sort of stuff. I can't really conceptualize living in that sort of space, but maybe I'm just not approaching it from the right mindset.

I do have the option of using a storage unit that my step dad would happily foot the bill for to store a lot of my shit. He currently has like 3 mostly empty ones that are still just on recurring payment since my mom died and cleaning them out is more of a hassle to him than paying for them. But since I'm going to have to lean on him to help with moving costs and first/last/sec. deposit stuff I'm ehhh about it.

[BaneTheBrawler]

https://www.reddit.com/r/TinyHouses/

might have some of what youre looking for.

also, especially if youre makin bank, building a tiny house might be an option.

[BerenTebogo]

https://www.reddit.com/r/TinyHouses/

might have some of what youre looking for.

also, especially if youre makin bank, building a tiny house might be an option.

Like near 100% I will not be staying in the area. MA yes, but Boston proper or near Boston no. Not for more than the length of the job. Also lol at property space to build near Boston.

Also idk if opinion is skewed, but for my opinion, < $60k in Boston is not even within a shout of bank.

[BaneTheBrawler]

well the thing about tinyhouses is you can build them in places you normally couldnt. there's a whole subset that take advantage of laws regarding RVs by building on a trailer and then just parking on a property with the hookups you need for long-term living. there's a further subset that can exist long-term off-grid entirely, though i doubt you'd want to go quite that far.

leasing a plot to park on may be cheaper than an apartment, i have no idea. as i said, just another potential option.

[tyven]

I am a studio apartment veteran. As long as you can get like 500 sq ft or so you will be fine. unless you have like a sectional couch and an 8 person table with chairs and king b ed. Wow then you are in trouble.

Shit my wife lived in one that was like 350 sq ft for 8 years.

Super gay but apartment therapy dot com is super useful for stuff like this. You an see how other people set theirs up and live comfortably http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/categories/studio

[Rooney]

A lot of it is going to depend on the size. What I would recommend is having a few larger pieces of furniture you can use to split up the space. Like I used 2 bookcases (1 tall 1 short), a dresser, and the TV to create a makeshift wall to separate the bedroom from the living room. Also get used to vertical storage.

[BerenTebogo]

I am a studio apartment veteran. As long as you can get like 500 sq ft or so you will be fine. unless you have like a sectional couch and an 8 person table with chairs and king b ed. Wow then you are in trouble.

Shit my wife lived in one that was like 350 sq ft for 8 years.

Super gay but apartment therapy dot com is super useful for stuff like this. You an see how other people set theirs up and live comfortably http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/categories/studio

Thanks. Will check out.

Looking at 450 sq ft from most of the options. There is one like very new apartment complex that looks 100% out of that south park SoDoSoPa episode around Kenny's house that I am actually very interested in. I hate how it looks but formal apartment complex with managing company, all utilities included, garage parking free for 1 yr, and fitness complex on site are all really, really, really big perks for me.

Also I have a queen tempurpedic that has been seriously through hell and back in the past 15 or so years and has unspeakable stains that will never come out that my gf desperately wants me to get rid of. Wanted to replace with a king but if moving to a studio, yeahhhhh...

[tyven]

god i would love to divorce my wife and move into the type of building you just described and live the dream and save every fucking penny and then just take the most ridiculous trips and slay all the foreign broads. BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Minions]

The Tiny house idea is legit. Worst case look up some of the solutions people come up with for living in smaller spaces. A lot of ingenious ideas. The idea of the Tiny house is you spend time and money outside of your house, and really only spend time at home sleeping or cooking. It doesn't really work if you are really introverted and like to spend a lot of time at home though.

Kinda related:

Not a tiny home but I did build a teardrop trailer. Had the trailer itself built, but built the entirety of everything else out of wood, and then ordered a aluminum sheet to run on the roof.

[BerenTebogo]

The Tiny house idea is legit. Worst case look up some of the solutions people come up with for living in smaller spaces. A lot of ingenious ideas. The idea of the Tiny house is you spend time and money outside of your house, and really only spend time at home sleeping or cooking. It doesn't really work if you are really introverted and like to spend a lot of time at home though.

That's pretty much how I am but it is something that needs to change going forward, but trying to force it to an extreme while starting a new job and everything will 100% end badly I am sure.

Also, at least in the north, there are just large parts of the year that you only spend outside if you are so poor that you have no other choice or if you are one of those crazy outdoorsy pursuit types. I am not and do not want to be either, lol.

As is I am having some serious mentality clashes with the idea of only 450 sq ft but it is what it is.

[BerenTebogo]

god i would love to divorce my wife and move into the type of building you just described and live the dream and save every fucking penny and then just take the most ridiculous trips and slay all the foreign broads. BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Right now in BR I've been borderline deficit living to enjoy life in a complex that would be like $4000+ per month somewhere in the north or CA. It's been really nice but I have zero savings lmao.

Seconding the should just be single save money and go Genghis Khan on all of asia but meh, that's also a lot of work.

[Zetanio]

If you're not working from home studios are fine. As was mentioned, get ready for vertical storage.

Store as much as shit as you can in those units your dad has offered as well.

If it's just you full-time and GF for sleepovers I wouldn't worry about the space issue that much. It'll be tight but not unbearable.

[BerenTebogo]

What do people do after work if they dont just go home? Especially if they're not single? Like if single I know the answer is go home -> change -> go try to get laid -> go to work in the morning -> repeat.

But if not single and not going home and watching some sweet-ass prime time tv, what the fuck do you do? Just go spend money at bars and NOT get laid?

[Anoat]

I guess it depends on how social you want to be, but especially moving to a new city where you won't know a lot of people I would look into nearby clubs/organizations/gyms/churches/whatever fits your needs. Playing vidya all night until you need to go back to work the next day is also acceptable if that's your thing.

[Minions]

What do people do after work if they dont just go home? Especially if they're not single? Like if single I know the answer is go home -> change -> go try to get laid -> go to work in the morning -> repeat.

But if not single and not going home and watching some sweet-ass prime time tv, what the fuck do you do? Just go spend money at bars and NOT get laid?

Movies, sporting events, going out to eat, bars, clubs, buffalo wild wings, get involved in clubs like bowling, golf, etc. Find a local woodworking club, or DIY group. Some people go to public parks to read, or libraries. Lots of people go to the GYM for a hour or two each day. Some people get swim passes for places with indoor heated pools.

There are tons of things you can do. All depends on what your (and you SO) interests are.

[BerenTebogo]

I guess it depends on how social you want to be, but especially moving to a new city where you won't know a lot of people I would look into nearby clubs/organizations/gyms/churches/whatever fits your needs. Playing vidya all night until you need to go back to work the next day is also acceptable if that's your thing.

I'm from the area and do have a lot of friends there, but they are from my "old life" and hanging out with them usually gets me in dumb situations or at the very least very, very, very unfunctioning levels of hungover.

I've always wanted to do like rock climbing or something so maybe some dumb shit like that. Or run for more than 7s for the first time since I was 18 so I can actually have some endurance.

Vidya is a much more tempting solution though.

[Zetanio]

Work on your health and vidya in that order, every day. Youu'll be amazed how much you get done and how little you get done, respectively.

[BaneTheBrawler]

vidya, reading, other hobbies. i do legos, and if i can get my bike back in commission imma try to do some of that. just ride around town listening to music. try to get myself healthy again.


i would suggest avoiding the internet, actually. too easy to waste time, and you feel utterly unsatisfied after wasting it.

[Wulfgang]

I would absolutely not go below 400 square feet. I downsized from a 2 BR / 2 BA place in Chapel Hill to a 460 square foot studio in Charlotte when I moved for a job, but my girlfriend was still getting her PhD at UNC. As my ladyfriend was still using the larger place and most of my stuff was there, I was fine with a studio. That said, 460 SF is pretty small. I could fit a queen bed, decent three seater couch, my desk, and a coffee table pretty comfortably, but forget about a permanent dining area.

Candidly, I would either sell all your excess stuff, dump it at your parents' basement if that's an option, or store it at a facility in the boondocks (save a lot vs storing in the city). The last option doesn't make a lot of financial sense over 2-3 years assuming your living situation remains largely the same; the monthly storage fees add up to more than the stuff is worth over that timeframe generally.

The old 30% rule for rent vs annual income is largely BS, but at $2,000 a year (excl cable/utilities) you're at ~45% of your annual income. That's pretty high, but not crazy for prime submarkets in BOS / SF / NYC; just keep an eye on your expenses.

[BerenTebogo]

I would absolutely not go below 400 square feet. I downsized from a 2 BR / 2 BA place in Chapel Hill to a 460 square foot studio in Charlotte when I moved for a job, but my girlfriend was still getting her PhD at UNC. As my ladyfriend was still using the larger place and most of my stuff was there, I was fine with a studio. That said, 460 SF is pretty small. I could fit a queen bed, decent three seater couch, my desk, and a coffee table pretty comfortably, but forget about a permanent dining area.

Candidly, I would either sell all your excess stuff, dump it at your parents' basement if that's an option, or store it at a facility in the boondocks. The last option doesn't make a lot of financial sense over 2-3 years assuming your living situation remains largely the same; the monthly storage fees add up to more than the stuff is worth over that timeframe generally.

The old 30% rule for rent vs annual income is largely BS, but at $2,000 a year (excl cable/utilities) you're at ~45% of your annual income. That's pretty high, but not crazy for prime submarkets in BOS / SF / NYC; just keep an eye on your expenses.

Yeah I'm a bit worried about how much of a % of my income the rent is, but thankfully that is including all utilities and the job will pay for my internet hook-up because they need to ensure I have a fast line for when I'm on call and need to SSH in during emergencies.

It's a bit of a gamble, especially as I still have car payments and student loans and all that, it's just that this is pretty much the best stepping stone job opportunity I'll ever be offered so I'm borrowing against the future (which I've been doing for 6 years anyway).

Coffee table, queen, and couch doesn't sound like a whole lot. I should probably take some measurements. I re-checked and the "safe actual apartment complex" option is like 418 sq ft or something. So small.