How To Find an Apartment on Craigslist
I remember when vehicles were first offered for sale over the internet and a lot of people felt it was absurd to sell something such as a car online. Well, years have passed and vehicles (especially used) are still sold with massive success online. In fact, when I went to search for a new used car last winter I found that online classified, such as Craigslist were actually more dependable and included more listings then the local newspaper.
The formula is simple. Average people like you and me want to sell their own products online now. Look at eBay. Look at any of the thousands of online retailers for the “average Joe.” Look at Craigslist.
Craigslist is the number one online classified web site. It’s extremely dependable for cars, jobs, and even apartments.
A lot of people may think it’s strange to sell apartments online, but it’s the “foot in the door” philosophy that sparks people’s interest.
Craigslist is really helpful for individuals who are looking to move out of town in the next half-year. Craigslist will provide an overview of the area and the apartments available. Can’t afford your own place? Craigslist also lists apartments for “roommates wanted.”
You can access Craigslist by typing in Craigslist.com in the URL box. At the main page you will see a list of all 50 states as well as many foreign countries. Let’s say you are looking to move from Arizona to California in the next three months. You’re curious about housing and want to get a general prospective on some of the apartments in the area. At the home page you would click on “California.” The next page that will load will break down California into sections or cities. Say you are interested in the “Fresno” area. Click on that name.
Under housing you will see, “apt/housing.” Click on it and go to the next page. On the apartment main page for Fresno, CA you will find apartments listed by date posted. The top listings were recently posted, perhaps just minutes ago.
The title on the listing, usually states the size of the apartment and sometimes the price. To the right of the listing, some will include parenthesis (telling you exactly where the apartment is located) and an orange icon will notify you that there are pictures. Most people only want to browse listings with pictures, which is where advanced options come into effect.
In the advanced search options box (top of page), you can search more specifically. You can search by the minimum or maximum you are willing to pay, if the apartment allows pets, and search for listings only with images.
When you click on an individual listing you will find more information on the apartment, photos, and contact information.
Craigslist usually only posts 100 listings per page, so once you reach the bottom of the page, a link will direct you to the next 100 listings.
As you can see, Craigslist is an extremely handy and useful guide for finding apartments. The ability to narrow down your search to a specific area, price range, and individual needs make Craigslist second rate to none. If you are looking for a new place, especially out of town, I recommend you start with Craigslist and move along from there.
photo by s.t.riatic
Tags: Craigslist, How To