# Moving to Berkeley



## stephanieb (Apr 22, 2011)

I am moving to Berkeley to attend the University, and i can't seem to find any advice on how to find a place to live - Am i better to just go over earlier and chance finding somewhere to live or am i better trying to sort something out in advance, even though i have no idea how to start doing so. 

Any help/tips/potential room-mates would be great!


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## Fjac (Oct 28, 2010)

stephanieb,

It's probably best to try and find something in advance, since you might otherwise run the risk of not having a place at all. There are a lot of sites that help find places to live. Try this site:
Oakland Apartments and Houses For Rent Near Oakland, CA
Best of luck!


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Have you contacted the University itself about accommodation?

Would seem the logical place to start


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## stephanieb (Apr 22, 2011)

Yes i have, but for 9 months it is close to $15,000 dollars for a shared room (bunk beds) and shared landing amenities in the University dorms, and there is not even a guarantee there will be enough rooms available anyway. 

I have browsed some room-mate sites and it seems that i could be paying about half that if i found a flatmate, just thinking i might have to end up waiting till i get over there


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

east bay area all housing classifieds - craigslist


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Are you going to have your own transport when you are over here?

Just thinking that off campus living, while initially cheaper, will involve transport costs(either public or a car) and travelling time.


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## stephanieb (Apr 22, 2011)

No i won't have transport of my own, but i am told my student card means i can get on free to the BART bus system (i think it is?). 
Again, even with looking at google and such it's quite hard to judge what are good areas. 

Just really don't know how hard/easy it is to find accommodation around there, and whether it's worth taking a risk and just trying to sort something out when i get over, as most places would require meeting me before moving in and things like that. 
Common problems i'm sure!


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

stephanieb said:


> Yes i have, but for 9 months it is close to $15,000 dollars for a shared room (bunk beds) and shared landing amenities in the University dorms, and there is not even a guarantee there will be enough rooms available anyway.
> 
> I have browsed some room-mate sites and it seems that i could be paying about half that if i found a flatmate, just thinking i might have to end up waiting till i get over there


Living at Cal 2011-2012, UC Berkeley Housing

First you will have to find an apartment, get utilities hooked up and pay deposits - dorm is cheaper as you have no US credit history and not a stitch of furniture.


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## stephanieb (Apr 22, 2011)

Oh right, i thought it might be like in the UK when you can just search for a room-mate and get a flat with other people where it had furniture and stuff and a deposit for the flat and a shared monthly utilities bill. Ah well.


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## Donna- (May 5, 2011)

*try that craigslist link*



stephanieb said:


> Oh right, i thought it might be like in the UK when you can just search for a room-mate and get a flat with other people where it had furniture and stuff and a deposit for the flat and a shared monthly utilities bill. Ah well.


you thought exactly right, look for someone wanting to share their house or apartment, just be careful to get to know as much as possible about them before you leap. craigslist has a lot of regular people that post for various things, like selling things or offering services, and in this economic crunch a lot of people have decided to rent out a room to make ends meet.


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## Guest (May 9, 2011)

stephanieb said:


> I am moving to Berkeley to attend the University, and i can't seem to find any advice on how to find a place to live - Am i better to just go over earlier and chance finding somewhere to live or am i better trying to sort something out in advance, even though i have no idea how to start doing so.
> 
> Any help/tips/potential room-mates would be great!


A 3 person room would be $11,700, including your room, the majority of your meals, laundry facilities nearby, internet, security, no transport needed, etc. 

Part of going to university in the US is also getting a social education, and living with 2 strangers and learning how to get along is a good education in itself that will help you later in real life when you are a "grown up". 

The advantage in a university dormitory is that if you don't get along, there is supervision in the form of a residential assistant - normally an older student who lives in the same area of the dorm - to sort it out. You can also change roommates every year if you want to do so.

You will be very busy with classes and studying, and a dorm makes it easier all around. If you get lost in a class, there is usually someone nearby to study with or get help. Roommates or friends nearby can help you with any cultural differences too. Why add in all of the hassles of living on your own at the start?


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