In a new city, where do people stay while deciding which living quarters they will be staying in?

[b75]

Hmm I'm relocating & doing an extended stay type thing however with taxes it is almost $5K/month so it can get very expensive needless to say. I am not getting a relocation package for various reasons b/c technically a commute could happen but God knows if I'd ever actually get to work on time b/c traffic would be a nightmare & completely unpredictable with this being the worst time of year to do that...

[115db]

My dad had a civil service job when we were kids so we moved a lot. Most of the moves were partially paid since they transferred us but we usually lived in hotels for a couple of weeks, or till we could find a place that he could afford and had decent schools.

[aragx6]

When moving to Chicago, we simply came up for a couple of day about 6 weeks prior to the move armed with apartment guides and craigslist ads and found a place we like that was available on our move in date.

I would say that with airfare and two night's hotel, this cost us about $500 - far cheaper than moving up here and staying at a dog-friendly hotel until we found a place we could move into.

[Raggy dee Ann]

Google cheap motels for where ever you are going to. You may even be able to negotiate a more favorable rate. I once found a corporate apt in San Antontio using one of those booklets you get in the dispensers on the pavement in various cities.

Check our craigs list and see if there are any alternative arrangements you can come up with............

[Cat_Person]

Post your ad (or read other's) in the "housing wanted" section of the nearest metropolitan city you are near. CL often does not cover small cities, but lumps them in with the nearest big town. Best of luck, I'm trying to figure this question out myself...

[ivanabacowboy]

When I relocated, my employer paid for up to 2 house-hunting trips. As I had already been here many times, it only took me a half day to find an apartment. I was lucky. I knew the area at least a little, knew where I was going to be working, knew the general boundary of where I wanted to live to make my commute short and simple-and came on my trip with a list of the dozen or so places I was considering.

[KevK]

If you move in May or June, you can go on to Criagslist and find summer sublets from college students that are going home for the summer and are looking for somebody to cover the rent those months.