Apartment Hunting in Bakersfield, California

I've debated on whether to buy a home in Bakersfield, California or to rent one or almost six months before I finally decided that renting is the way to go, for me. There is just something about making a place my own, while not having to worry about the lawn, garden, plumbing, or anything else that always tends to sneak up at the wee hours of the morning. With the way the housing market is right now, it seems the best place to be is an owner of an apartment complex. However, there is a sea out there in Bakersfield that tosses new comers into a frenzy of possibilities. Depending on what you like Bakersfield apartments vary as much as the town of Bakersfield. There are so many places to choose from that one can get distraught over the possibilities. No worries now though, as I hope to help you navigate through the waters of Bakersfield, CA.

Depending on your price range, you'll find yourself all over Bakersfield looking for apartments. And just like any large city, be prepared for "you get what you pay for". As a general rule of thumb, all prices go for a one-bedroom one-bath unit unless otherwise stated. Your price range is really going to effect where you are going to live. Face it there is a place where we 'want' to live and then there are those places we can actually afford to live. Most apartments here in Bakersfield, CA require your rent be a third of your income. In some cases it may be a fourth but this is practice is rare. You will need to have your first month's rent as well as your deposit on hand and easily transferable into two separate cashiers checks ready for your decision. You'll want to have a general idea of how much you can afford and then times it by two for your first month. Usually your deposit is the same as your rent. I would keep out $1000 on top of your rent and deposit, at least for your first month. This way if you find an apartment that is cheaper than you budgeted for you can get some well-needed essentials as they come up. It will also allow you to have a pad incase your rent is a little bit more than you expected.