Silicon Valley Apartment Hunting

How to Find an Affordable Place to Live Near Silicon Valley

It’s important to know where to live near Silicon Valley if you’ve just landed a job here. The cost of living in Silicon Valley is quite high and property is expensive. That’s why many people working in this area choose to rent affordable apartments near Silicon Valley instead of buying expensive homes close to the city center.

While many want to find an apartment in the heart of the Bay Area, living just outside the popular areas like San Francisco, Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Cupertino can offer you the following benefits:

  • A Quiet and peaceful environment
  • A caring community with love and support
  • Lower cost of living
  • More natural beauty and healthy green spaces
  • Abundant space for recreation
  • Lower crime rate

Here are some tips on how and where to find affordable places to live near Silicon Valley.

Know Your Budget for Housing

While it’s nice to desire a spacious and comfortable apartment, you need to set a budget for your housing. Add the cost of moving to your housing budget. Make sure the cost of housing and moving is not higher than 45 to 50 percent of your income. This will allow you to still save money and take care of other important expenses without going into debt before the end of each month.

If you’re hunting for an apartment in or near the San Francisco Bay Area, looking outside major metropolitan areas will not only be better for your bank account but can also help you find an affordable place that has more space, too! Depending on your budget, you may only be able to afford a one-bedroom apartment in the city, but moving just outside the city could allow you to look at two-bedroom apartments or options with additional features and amenities.

Consider Your Time in Traffic

The farther you live from the city center, the lower your housing costs will be. However, you need to consider the amount of time you’ll spend in traffic daily. The huge number of people working in the city center and commuting with their cars creates gridlocks at peak traffic times early in the morning and in the evening. Many people who need affordable housing live in the East Bay area and use BART to get to work every morning. If you have a car and you can afford to live closer to the city, you can rent an apartment that’s closer to your workplace.

Share an Apartment

Many singles and newly married couples can reduce their cost of housing by sharing an apartment and splitting up the monthly rent. Most homes just outside Silicon Valley have an equal number of rooms and bathrooms. Sharing an apartment has several benefits:

  • You can share the cost of household needs like cleaning supplies and utility bills.
  • If you and your roommate work together, you can enjoy the benefits of carpooling — including saving on the cost of gas and car maintenance.
  • You have someone to check in on your welfare.
  • If you’re not always out together, your roommate can help you improve the security of your home.

In many cases, having a two-bedroom apartment can reduce your cost of living expenses as compared with a one-bedroom apartment as you’ll have another person to help with the rent and utilities each month.

Check the Quality of Schools and Amenities

If you have school-age children, you need to choose a neighborhood that has good-quality private or public schools. Check the rating of school districts for each area online before you move there. If the area doesn’t have the type of schools you want, look in neighborhoods you pass through on your way to work.

Get Affordable Houses in the Bay Area

At Marcotte Properties, we can help you find an affordable place to live. If you’re planning to move to Silicon Valley, give us a call now at 800-538-1724 or use our contact page to tell us more about your needs.

Request More Information About Our Apartments

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Updated: 02/28/2020

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Not to also mention that the maintenance is amazing and always kept up. I’d recommend anyone looking for a cute apartment to move here☺️

Angela D. , Timberlane Apartments