We did a bunch of apartment hunting today. The place we were really looking forward to seeing ended up being more expensive than we hoped it would be. On their website they mentioned “one free month”, but they won’t pro-rate that savings over the length of the lease. Also, they only have one laundry room and it’s waaaaay too far from the available apartments. So yeah, it’s pretty much out of the running despite it’s gorgeous location and all the “extras” it offered.

We looked at two additional places that ended up being much higher on our “maybe” list. One is walking distance to my work, which is amazing for me, but it has very few amenities and is a little bit small at 950sqft. However, the price is right… only $900/month with heat included.

The other? It’s about 3 miles farther away from my work, when compared to where we live now, which might make biking less appealing. It’d likely turn my 20-25min ride into more of a 45min ride. It’d be fantastic exercise, but it’d also leave me a sweaty mess upon arrival. If I decide to take the bus instead, it’d be difficult for me to get home on the weekends without rearranging my work schedule. But, it’s larger, at 1000sqft, and has a washer and dryer in-unit. And an indoor pool, fitness room, and underground parking. However, it’s also $978/month, and you have to pay for your own gas/heat.

I dunno. Maybe I overestimate the effect of the price difference, especially considering the more expensive option is 3 miles closer to work for Jon, which means less gasoline. And we wouldn’t be using quarters for laundry, which would be nice. I can’t help but wonder though, will I get enough value out of the amenities to make up for the extra long commute? I’m not sure I would. *sigh* It’s tough though, because I know how much Jon would love to live there.

I wish this was easier!