$650 a month excl. utilities for room in W. Somerville - is it a good deal? (apartments)

[Urban Peasant]

Hi all,

After so many posts helping other people out in this forum I am in need of some advice myself. I am thinking of renting a room in West Somerville near Teele Square that I just saw. It is really comfortable and spacious but I want to get some more feedback from others to know if $650 a month excluding utilities is a good price for this area. I found cheaper rooms in the same area on Craigslist, some even including utilities but then again could it be that the quality of the apartment make the price difference? I need to make a decision quickly.

[Cato the Elder]

How many other bedrooms/roommates? Great location, by the way.

[Urban Peasant]

Originally Posted by Cato the Elder

How many other bedrooms/roommates? Great location, by the way.

It's a 3 BR apt with one roommate for the summer which can continue as a full year lease come September if a second roommate joins and rent does not go up.

[lz1982]

I don't live in Somerville, but that sounds like a good deal. My friend lives near Ball Square and pays about that, and I've always gotten the impression her rent was on the low side for the area.

[Boston_Burbs]

Originally Posted by Urban Peasant

Hi all,

After so many posts helping other people out in this forum I am in need of some advice myself. I am thinking of renting a room in West Somerville near Teele Square that I just saw. It is really comfortable and spacious but I want to get some more feedback from others to know if $650 a month excluding utilities is a good price for this area. I found cheaper rooms in the same area on Craigslist, some even including utilities but then again could it be that the quality of the apartment make the price difference? I need to make a decision quickly.

Just keep in mind that in many of these old triple deckers heating can get expensive. $300+ gas bills in the winter are common.

[donewithpretty]

To give you a frame of reference, in 2008 I paid $640/month for a 14' x 11' room with two windows in the heart of Davis Square. It was a five-bedroom single family house, not very updated, small yard, off-street parking.

Your place may be worth more since you'll only have two roommates. (It's possible rents in Davis/Teele have gone up since 2008 as well.) Have you seen it in person? If the finishes are nice, it's probably a good deal.

[ghostmonkey]

This is probably not an issue if you've already seen it for yourself, but watch out for apartments in that area that may be rented mainly to Tufts students. I know from experience that some landlords may overcharge for poorly maintained buildings, and take advantage of transient students to avoid their responsibilities...same as near any college.