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Comment by NickBusey | Hacker News Reader

Do you have any idea what it can cost to move in the US? Saving up first and last months rent, plus a security deposit, then finding a new rental who's start lines up somewhat closely with the end of your current lease, then renting a moving van and spending money on a move that will take multiple days of travel/hotels etc. Not to mention things like paying for a new driver's license, new registration on your car, having to move all your insurance over to places with potentially higher rates. It's not as easy as just 'hop in the car and find a new place'.

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Don't forget you are saving for all this while paying an ever increasing cost of living. Your rent has already increased 40% before you realize that it is time to go.

Also, where do you go? It isn't like there is some perfect spot right now where jobs match cost of living. Not to mention...a lot of people have long term ties in areas. Most of my family is here. In my case I have lived in my town for 40 years...but I am being priced out of the town.

I'd say the hurdle of moving are the same anywhere in the world - including deposits and trucks and insurance and all that. I can't even imagine moving in other ways... moving is a costly hassle which sometimes is the only option.

i believe most people only move at significant stages in their life. when they move out of their parents house, when they finish university, when they get married, and maybe when their kids leave the house. in most places, only single people are able to move to change jobs, everyone else needs to find jobs where they live. and once kids are in school, moving is often simply not an option, because changing schools is not something done lightly if you don't want your kids to be disturbed by loosing all their friends. the actual cost of moving doesn't even factor into all this.

Now I'm curious, are furnished apartments rare/a minority in the US?

As for the lining up, do apartment hotels exist? They are basically hotels that rent out apartments on a month by month basis. I knew people who also put stuff in storage and lived hotels or hostels, while waiting for the actual apartment residents to leave. Is that not a possibility?

Of course, when the contract dates overlap, then things get a little more difficult...

In the US, monthly furnished apartments come in two flavors:

SRO (single room occupancy) -- typically very shitty and dangerous. Full of people priced out of society, junkies, people transitioning out of prison, etc.

Executive housing -- typically very expensive, used by traveling execs or temporarily by employees a company relocated

and as @pomian said, the vast vast majority of apartments in the US come with no furniture, though (in contrast to at least Germany), they do come with a kitchen and appliances. Washer/dryer/AC are not standard but common.

Thank you for answering the questions. Quite eye-opening.

The situation does seem very limiting. I imagine it can "trap" people in undesirable locations.

Very rare. Rentals are 99% bare bones. Apartment hotels are also very rare. Usually available on the low end of desirability. Usually run down and so on.

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