CORT offers tips and furniture rental to keep off campus living affordable
CORT, a Berkshire Hathaway company and the nation’s leading provider of transition services, announces a recent survey revealing that the primary driver for college students to move off-campus is to save money. However, many students are unaware of the hidden costs associated with living in an apartment and can sometimes end up spending just as much, if not more, as compared to living on-campus.
To help students save money, CORT offers tips for affordable off-campus living.
- Look for included utilities: An important factor in any budget is the cost of living. A helpful way to keep costs consistent in your monthly budget is to search for apartments that include utilities in your rent. This allows you to account for how much money you have left for other expenses rather than waiting for an electric or water bill to arrive. Not to mention, this can save you money during the summer or winter months when utility bills tend to be the highest.
- Ditch takeout: One of the simplest ways to save money when living off-campus is to take advantage of your kitchen and make your own food. This may be a simple concept, but it should be an important factor in where you decide to live. If the nearest grocery store is miles away, it will be hard to motivate yourself to go to the store instead of picking up food from a nearby restaurant.
- Choose the right location: Between going to class and extracurricular activities, students are constantly on the go. To save money on travel, look for a place close to campus or nearby public transportation. Should you decide to take the bus or the train, you could save money on car payments, insurance, gas and repairs. However, if using your car is the most convenient mode of transportation, living close to campus will decrease the distance you travel in your car, using less gas.
- Add a roommate: Roommates are a great way to share costs including rent, utilities, furniture rental and even groceries. Choose a roommate or roommates that you get along well with and shares your expectations when it comes to cleanliness, noise level and guests.
- Consider renting furniture: This can be an economical and hassle-free alternative for students looking to live off-campus affordably. By renting furniture, parents, students and roommates know the exact cost of furnishings for the entire year and do not have to factor in hidden expenses such as moving vans and fuel prices, storing furniture and repairing broken items. Packages can easily be shared between roommates and renting offers you high quality pieces at a fraction of the cost.
“Although saving money is one of the key reasons why students opt to move off-campus, many may find themselves spending more than in the dorms because of unexpected fees and expenses,” said Rob Johnson, director of higher education sales at CORT. “At CORT, we make the transition to off-campus living enjoyable, affordable and stylish for students so they can be successful as they start out on their own.”
CORT, the only national provider of furniture rental services, provides college students tailored furnishing solutions to meet their unique needs. Furniture can be delivered or removed “on-demand,” ensuring renters maintain the highest quality living standards with the least hassle and no extra, hidden costs involved. Rental packages start at $109 per month with 12-month lease options; other lease terms including nine months are available. For more information on student rental packages, see www.cort.com/student.
About CORT
CORT, a Berkshire Hathaway Company, is the nation’s leading provider of transition services, including furniture rental for home and office, event furnishings, destination services, apartment locating, touring and other services. With more than 100 offices, showrooms and clearance centers across the United States, operations in the United Kingdom and partners in more than 70 countries, no other furniture rental company can match CORT’s breadth of services and companywide commitment to providing excellent customer service. For more information, please visit www.cort.com.
Contact:
Media Contact
Kelly Maicon
(919) 741-9784
kmaicon@largemouthpr.com
