How much money to set up home in L.A (Glendale: budget, apartments)

[Clinton167]

Hi! I'm an actor planning to move to L.A in November - I know it's a while away but I wanted to get your opinions on how much money I will need saved up to start myself off. I've done some researching on apartments and I've found a couple at $875, but either way I want to budget $1000 per month including bills and utilities. Ideally I'd like to wait two or 3 months before getting a job so I can get to know the city a bit.

What do you think the minimum is I should have saved? I am from the UK and have about four/five months to work and earn a bit.

Thanks in advance!

[BRinSM]

i think your biggest issue will be finding an apartment with a month to month lease. most apartments make you sign a one year lease.

[katenik]

where did you find apartments for $875? you probably don't want to live there. plan to spend $1000-1200 to rent a studio apartment, or $1200-1600 for a standard 1BR in a decent neighborhood. except water and waste disposal, utilities are not usually included in the rent, and the trend is now toward billing tenants for those services that were formerly exceptions.

if you are coming from the UK without a job, doesn't ICE tell you how much cash you are required to have before your visa will be issued?

[Raggy dee Ann]

Most apartments do a 1 year lease but you can also find 6 months. Only apartments I know that do month to month are places like The Oakwood. If you are an actor check out the ones in Sherman Oaks and Barham in Toluca Lake which are within mins of Hollywood. The ones in Woodland Hills and Marina del Ray are a little further out. Month to month coporate apartments usually run a little more expensive than a regular lease, so shop around. Your other alternative is to check out ads in the Los Angles Times, Daily New and keep an eye on Craigslist for private tentals via the land lord. LA is also the land of guest houses which people are willing to rent month to month some times.

BTW you can view LA Times classifieds on line.

[katenik]

Originally Posted by BRinSM

i think your biggest issue will be finding an apartment with a month to month lease. most apartments make you sign a one year lease.

i think the OP means that he has 4-5 months to work AT HOME before coming over in november. i didn't gather from what he wrote that he is looking for a short-term lease.

[timelesschild]

What do you plan to spend your time doing during November, December, January, while you are not working and exploring the city? That can be cheap or expensive, depending on your tastes. However, for minimal living, here are some numbers:

Deposit (let's just say) $1200
Rent for 3 months $3600
Utilities for 3 months $900 - could be less
Groceries for 3 months $1000 - depends on what you eat
Car - $5000 for an old one

That's around $10,000 not including bars, restaurants, clothing purchases, gasoline for your car, furnishings for your apartment, holiday spending, etc.

[Sarah Marie]

Save your money. Its costly here. You are luck yif you fina a studio or bachelor apartment for under 1,000. You have to have a car, gas, expenses.
Figure you will spend around 2500 a month.

[Clinton167]

Oh, sorry guys, yes I did mean I have about 5 months to earn more money - I am likely to have about $8000. I should have made that a bit clearer, my mistake.
Thanks for the replies. I was originally going to go for a one bed, but I think a studio might be more economically smart.
The 875 price ranges I have seen are in North Hollywood - on craigslist, and in the more southern part of NoHo which I heard is nicer. Generally, I have heard that LA is very dangerous - "the nastiest place in the world" as my mother informed me yesterday! Do you think this kind of attitude is a bit extreme or is it really like that? Bearing in mind, I am a 22 year old woman!
Again, much appreciated and very helpful, since I am moving on my own having never been to the city.

[Sorcerer68]

You can find a studio for that price. Look in Glendale south of Broadway and east of Brand. Los Feliz between Franklin and Hollywood Blvd. Pasadena just over the freeway from Old Pas. That should get you started. I've found 2 reasonable places over the last year for relatives: a small house with a fenced yard and a garage in Pasadena for 850 and a studio for my sister for 850 in Glendale. I found cheaper ones as low as 750 in Glendale but she liked this one better. Keep in mind I know where to look and it took a little while.

[CESpeed]

If you insist on trying your hand at acting, you want to live in the Hollywood, NOT North Hollywood, they are no where near each other. Most of the casting companies are in Burbank, the studios are also in Burbank, and West LA. If you are simply looking for a change of pace, there are thousands of cities that are better and nicer than LA. LA isn't the city it used to be. If you are coming here, be very careful, there are a lot of con artists and bullsh*tters who look for ambitious, wanna be actresses to take advantage of.