looking at renting house

**miss_thrifty** · 01-04-2007, 11:47 AM

This Saturday at noon me and hubby are going to look at ahouse to rent. Right now were renting a townhouse that has 7 on our side and 7 townhouses across from us. Sometimes it gets too much, beacuse neighbours are not always respectful especillay with garbage, their kids old toys lying around(broken ones). So we seen a ad in the paper for 3 bedrrom house $600 plus utilities. Hubbys going to see if we can get it cheaper if we do our own cleaning our drive way, and cutting grass., any fix it ups they want hubby to do instead of hiring someone else. If not will stay where were at. Wrre paying $625 now with hEAT INCLUDED. wITH THEN NOTHING INCLUDED but you get abig back yard, still close to the kids schools.

**Sahmamma** · 01-04-2007, 01:02 PM

wow!!! great price!! we are renting a small 3 br home now with nothing included for almost 1100/mo

**FrugalMomof3** · 01-04-2007, 01:36 PM

That is a great price, we used to rent a 3 bdrm house with heat and hot water includes for $425 but right across from the railroad tracks, after 6 years we saved and saved and bought the house we are in now, this was 5 years ago!

**sheidi** · 01-04-2007, 04:23 PM

wow, that is cheap. i rent a very run-own, cold and tiny 3 bedrm place for $1400 per month! i'm staying as long as i can as the rent is actually really LOW for this town now. my landlords have tried selling once with us in it (i was furious, we'd signed a lease) but no luck for them. i reckon they could probably sell it for even more than the $375000 they were asking because of the location and lack of availability of homes for rent. mortgage would run at about $3500 - that's after a downpayment of at least $50,000. either way i'm screwed

i'll never know how people afford to buy on one salary.

hope you get the place!

**MOMMYDEAREST** · 01-04-2007, 04:34 PM

good luck.......its so different living in a house -vs- a apartment, i have lived in both & i love my house!!!! hope everything works out for the best!!!

**baxjul** · 01-04-2007, 04:46 PM

Good luck! We've been renting a 2 bed, 2 bath for $600.00 we pay our own utilities. We are looking to buy a house any time.

**Luv2BeFrugal** · 01-04-2007, 10:24 PM

Oh, that would be SO nice!

I hope you get it! It would sure be great if they'd reduce the rent if you guys do general upkeep!

Keep us posted!

**jamie79** · 01-04-2007, 11:54 PM

I think the privacy of a single family home as opposed to a townhouse would make up for what you would pay in utilities

**Katybird** · 01-05-2007, 10:50 AM

I hope you get your house this weekend. I will be crossing my fingers for you.

**Domestic Gal** · 01-05-2007, 07:45 PM

Good luck on getting the house.

**banana** · 01-05-2007, 08:05 PM

Miss Thrifty - Good luck! I hope you get it!

Sheidi - wow that is expensive for rent! Double wow on your landlord being able to sell it for $375,000! Yikes that is a lot of money! What state is that in?

**Jenna** · 01-05-2007, 10:55 PM

sheidi - the same thing happened to us this year... landloard decided she wanted to try to sell the place 5 months into our year lease. My SO and I were furious. We also have an option to renew the lease written into the contract. The landloard pulled the home off the market after a month.

Our rent is insane ($2k a month) for an 1800 sq ft, 3 br/3 ba townhome in San Diego. We can't afford to buy out here.... typical ranch home runs about $400k+.

**i.m.cheap** · 01-05-2007, 11:31 PM

Originally Posted by miss_thrifty

So we seen a ad in the paper for 3 bedrrom house $600 plus utilities. Hubbys going to see if we can get it cheaper if we do our own cleaning our drive way, and cutting grass., any fix it ups they want hubby to do instead of hiring someone else. If not will stay where were at.

Unless things are very different where you live, if you rent a house you are usually the one expected to clean the driveway, gutters, rake the leaves, and mow the grass. Our landlord expects us to do the simple maintenance, like when the toilet needed a new "float and flapper thing" in the tank. The landlord hires someone for more serious plumbing issues, or electrical work, heating and air, that sort of thing. If it is something like a broken door knob, we are expected to buy the part and replace it ourselves, and he will reimburse us for the part.

We pay $550 a month plus all utilities, including gas, electric, trash service, and water. Our rent, combined with the utilities mentioned run us about $750 a month. This is a little over half of our net income monthly. Our house is a TINY two bedroom. I mean SMALL, with less than 800 square feet. It is OLD, too, built in 1950.

**ewokgirl** · 01-05-2007, 11:36 PM

I was thinking what I.M.Cheap posted. Typically, renters are expected to mow, clean, keep things nice. There's a reason rental homes have a reputation for being trashed: the renters are expected to do general upkeep and often don't!

For your sake, I do hope you're able to get some money knocked off the price, but don't be upset or surprised if the landlord says no. If I were renting out a house, I would expect the renter to take care of basics like mowing and cleaning everything. Major repairs are the responsibility of the landlord, but general upkeep is the responsibility of the renter.

**favesis37** · 01-06-2007, 07:43 AM

wow, i guess i had no idea how expensive rent /payments were other places. we have a 5 bedroom 2 bath, huge back yard with 2 large sheds, and a yard pond, for 925.00 a month it is all electric adn that bill is 200.00

good luck and let us know what happens