Finding the right place to call home can be challenging as a college student on a budget in Georgetown, TX. Luckily, there are lots of apartments and houses near the university. If you have three or more roommates, a house may be the way to go. If you prefer to live alone or with only one roommate, an apartment might be the best option for you. Some of the advantages of a house are having your own yard, lower cost with roommates, and being closer to the university. Some of the benefits of apartments are the luxurious enmities such as a pool, workout rooms, and the strong sense of community. After you have decided on a roommate situation you should ask yourself whether or not you are planning on living with a pet. If so, pet deposits can be costly so be cautious and make sure to account for that in your budget. 

As of now there are many new apartment complexes’ near the university. Many of which offer special deals for college students. A new apartment complex that is just east of the university, built this year, is called Estraya. Estraya is a pet friendly, high class apartment complex that has affordable deals for university students. Other enticing apartment complexes, that are pet friendly are The Summit at Rivera Park and Two Rivers. Both are luxury type, pet friendly apartments, located on the San Gabriel River and are within walking distance of the city square as well as biking. There are also many apartments that are a bit farther West of 35 near Wolf Ranch that are popular and offer great deals as well. 

If houses are more desirable for you, the more roommates you have the lower your monthly rental fee will be. If you are looking to rent before the next semester, give yourself a month or two in advance, and keep your eyes peeled near campus for rent signs. Another way to make sure you are aware of the houses for sale is to use the website Zillow, which lists open houses in your area. Be sure to let the campus administrators in charge of housing know your plans for living off-campus ahead of time or risk being charged a fee. 

My recommendation for off- campus housing is to wait until your later years of school before moving off- campus. Being around fellow classmates and being an active member of student life is integral to having a good college experience. While living off-campus can be enjoyable in different ways, it doesn’t give you the same connections to student life as you gain from being directly on-campus those first couple years.