KS2008

Has anyone got any tips or suggestions on looking for a furnished apartment to rent in Vancouver? I know that it should be a lot easier to find something when I get out there in October, but has anyone had any success in getting something arranged before they've gone out there? I want to try to minimise the amount of time (and money) spent staying in a hotel before I find a place.

Whiskers

Craigslist is a good source. Furnished rentals are not as popular as the UK but are out there. We looked at a few out here in the valley from craigslist. We got them to send us pic's while we were back in the UK and they we visited the ones we liked on arrival.

Good luck!

dboy

Furnished here tends to jack up the price considerably, since they tend to be for 'extended stays' rather than long term rentals as in the UK - furnished here tends to include everything from knives and forks to even bedding. Unfurnished (does include appliances) are more common and much more reasonably priced.

You will have and easier time finding an unfurnished and 'getting by' for a while with a few purchases from Ikea.

Hit craig's list as already suggested or simply walk around the area that you like and look for rental signs posted on buildings (this is a very common way of finding an apartment here).

Good luck

http://www.stayinglevel.com/?gclid=C...FR5HagodzxnFkA

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/

Edit:took a look on craig's list there are a few this one looks very reasonable and includes all bills (no council taxes here if you rent):

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/va...324655409.html

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/va...324648262.html

DaviesHN

Hi
As a private individual we often advertise our furnished place on craigslist and have NEVER managed to make a deal with anyone out of town. There are so many scams that people are not comfortable with the idea of sending a deposit to any unknown private person for accommodation you haven't really seen. Booking by credit card would give you some security for refunds. And accommodation is very variable here, some of it is dreadful.

It is better to book cheap hotel/b&b for a few days and walk the streets when you arrive.
I would recommend cheap short term
http://www.ywcahotel.com/content/ROOMS___RATES/958/41/0
http://www.hihostels.ca/westerncanad...ilities.hostel

Organisations I would suggest for a month or so
http://www.suitedeals.com/
http://www.relocation2bc.com/rentals...l-listings.htm
http://www.makeyourselfathome.com/available_weekly.html

I would suggest you consider unfurnished as this is probably 90% of the market

Other places for ads
http://www.amsrentsline.com/
http://apartmentguide.ca/Apartments/...er/rentals.asp
http://www.myhomevancouver.com/

If you contact some ads a couple of days before arrival you can set up some viewings immediately.
Good luck
Helen

dboy

I agree - while I've found great places on craig list, there is a definite buyer be aware mentality.

Plus the furnished rentals are good 400 - 500 over about what normal rent would be. You can furnish a one bed for around 4000. I furnished a one bed about 2 years ago in one weekend:

couch - 700 (on sale)
area rug 200
bedroom suite queen bed, dresser and side table - 1200
ikea mattress - 350
tv stand and console table - 350 total
toshiba 42 inch lcd tv - 850 (on sale)
kitchen supplies - 250
misc - 100

All depends what you want to have in your place of course.

ExKiwilass

Or, you can furnish supah cheap at thrift stores.

We sublet our place for 2 months furnished, it wasn't a problem. We got a family from Czech. We charged them normal rather than crazy furnished rent - maybe that's why.

Agree with the others craigslist is the way to go.

northeast canuck

I would definitely not try to secure any sort of rental until you get out there and see the places. My wife has just spent a hell of a week out there trying to find something decent to live in. She did, in the end, but it took a LOT of doing - the vast majority of places were totally overpriced dumps. We were looking for whole houses, so somewhat different to your requirements, but I wouldn't be surprised if the problems are the same.

Many landlords can be really deceiving with the way they advertise their properties and photograph them. Stuff that looks terrific on Craigslist is very often a total dump when you get there. For instance, there was one place that she went to look at (had wonderful photos, deck etc) and when she got there she found that the owner was using shower curtains for cupboard doors in the kitchen as well as for wardrobe doors in the bedroom!!!??? Another place looked lovely, advertised as a "whole house" but again, it was only when she got there that she was told we would have to share the house with the owners and put up with guests from time to time as well.

It was pretty soul-destroying for her but not half as much as it would have been if we had put a down-payment on one of these dumps before we even got there!

Alan2005

I see where your priorities lie. Getting tips from CSI Miami?

Edit to add: That's more or less what we did. Spent a month in a serviced apartment, looked for a flat and furnished it from ikea.

Keith

I totally agree ( how about that?).

I don't think much has changed since we came in 1963. I had only 3 months between accepting a job before arriving in Ottawa, but from what I had picked up at Canada House in London that was the general advice, wait until you get there. One of the problems today is that there is too much information. Keep it simple and wait until you arrive.

We arrived early July 1963 and stayed in a motel close to my work for a week and with advice from fellow workers found a temporary furnished apartment in a rental community run by Minto. Within a month we had moved into an unfurnished town house.
We were helped by very nice neighbours ( we didn't have a car) who took us to furniture stores (no Ikea then). By Sept we were well settled and I had a car. That November we put down a deposit on a new 3 bedroom bungalow and we moved into it the following May.

In just over a year I went from a seemingly contented home owner in the UK to owning one 3000 miles away. I had no intention of immigrating until January of 1963.

northeast canuck

It's a funny old world, isn't it?

dboy

Typical guy - I bought that before anything else

Not sure why since the tv is so crap here. Ah yes CSI, I want the gyzmo they had the analyzed the air and linked to a woman's perfume!!!