(Including a list of the best housing resources for travel nurses)
Working as a travel nurse can be a rewarding and enriching experience, but it does come with a certain amount of stress. Moving to a new city and starting a new position can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. One of the best ways to reduce stress and set yourself up for success is by finding the right housing that fits all your needs and supports your lifestyle.
Follow these tips to find the best housing options for your next travel nurse assignment.
Make a List of Your Priorities
The first step is making sure that you get everything you want in a housing situation is to make a list of your priorities. What factors do you need to take into consideration when choosing? While you will need to consider practical factors like cost, location, transportation, don’t forget about the things that are currently a part of your daily routine as well. Here are some things to think about if you’re a stipend travel nurse looking for housing:
- Do you need a private unit, or are you willing to save money by renting a shared space?
- Will you be bringing a pet, or can you travel without your furry friend?
- Do you have to be in the city, or are you ok with commuting in?
- Are you taking a car? If so, what is the parking situation like?
- Do you need to be near a gym so that you can continue your workouts?
- Are you a day or night-sleeper?
- What are your regular hobbies and what do you need to continue to enjoy these?
- Do you cook most of your meals after you get home or do weekly food prep?
- How often can you afford to eat out?
Also, take a moment to reflect on what you are most looking forward to when it comes to your next travel experience. Foodies use the opportunity to try new cuisine and visit local restaurants. Others are planning on doing some sightseeing or meeting new people. These goals can be taken into account when considering different housing locations.
Once you create a list, go back and decide which of these factors are essential and which you are willing to make adjustments for. It is important to establish your ”must-haves” so that you are setting yourself up for a happy living situation. Creating a list will help you identify and articulate your needs so that you can begin narrowing down your choices and eliminating any properties that won’t support your lifestyle and your travel goals.
Consider Practical Factors
Once you have figured out what you want from your housing, you can begin to make a list of practical considerations that will also factor into your decision.
- Will my stipend cover the cost of rent? In some cases, you may actually be able to make money by choosing a more affordable housing option. That money can go towards enjoying restaurants and activities in your new city, or it can go toward your mortgage back home.
- What is the cancellation policy? Hospitals can certainly cancel a contract mid-term which can be problematic if you have already put down a deposit on housing. That is why it is always a good idea to partner with landlords who are used to renting to travel nurses. Typically, they offer more attractive terms that limit your exposure should your assignment get canceled early such as lower deposits and monthly leases.
- How far are you willing to commute to your assignment? How close do you need to be to the grocery store and other essential destinations? Of course, travelers want to be close to their assignment, especially those that are on-call, but it’s important to find a location that gives you rent that you can afford, that is also within an acceptable radius of the places you’ll be going.
- Are utilities, cable and internet included in the rental amount? Before you sign any agreements, make sure that you are clear about any additional costs.
Where Most Travelers Start
Whether you’re comparing jobs side by side and need to know which assignment has more affordable housing options, or you’ve already signed your contract and know where you’re going, Furnished Finder is where most travelers and staffing companies seem to start. They have over 30,000 listings from hosts all over the nation who are looking for travel nurse tenants. It’s actually pretty unique to find a housing platform without the booking fees like vacation rental sites and mark-ups like corporate housing. You can view all of the Furnished Finder properties on their site, or right on The Gypsy Nurse housing resource page.
Stipend Calculator
If you’re researching jobs in different cities and looking to see where your stipend will stretch the furthest, you can use the new Travel Nurse Stipend Calculator tool. There you’ll be able to get average housing costs, find out the top nursing specialties and staffing agencies, and compare key metrics to see which area may be the best for you.
Contribute
One of the best things about being part of a community is that you can receive and share helpful information with one another. Chances are that you’ve already worked in a city or assignment where another traveler is currently considering, so why not help out the next nurse and share your experience? Here, you can rate your previous facility, and give your fellow travelers tips about the best neighborhoods, areas to avoid, favorite restaurants, traffic patterns, and other best practices that you’ve learned while on assignment in a city. To become a contributor and help a fellow traveler, you can do that here.
More Resources
Both Furnished Finder and The Gypsy Nurse have Facebook groups dedicated to housing as well. There you can connect with your peers, ask questions, and learn about their experiences. Don’t underestimate groups like these as they can be excellent resources…just realize that with over 120,000 members combined, you may have to sift through a few rants to get to the content that you’re interested in. You can also use the search filter to search by topics, hospitals, staffing companies and cities that interest you.
Recommended Facebook Groups:
Travel Nurse Housing – Furnished Finder
Travel Nurse Housing – The Gypsy Nurse
If you want to dig into housing even more, you can visit these popular blogs and resource pages.
Search for Housing:
Submit a Housing Request:
https://www.furnishedfinder.com/housing-request
Stipend Calculator:
https://www.furnishedfinder.com/Travel-Nurse-Stipend-calculator
Blog Pages:
Avoiding Scams:
- https://www.furnishedfinder.com/resources/avoid-scams
- https://www.thegypsynurse.com/blog/how-travel-nurses-avoid-housing-scams/
Landlord Verification Report:
https://www.furnishedfinder.com/travelers
Housing plays an important role in your travel nurse housing experience where the right living situation will allow you to maintain a work/life balance that helps you thrive. Hopefully, these tips and tools will help to ensure your housing supports your lifestyle wherever you go.
Furnished Finder is the largest online housing marketplace for travel nurses who take temporary positions across the US. With over 30,000 monthly furnished rental properties to choose from, they continue to expand their inventory and make housing easier and more affordable for traveling healthcare professionals nationwide.
*If you’re a landlord looking to offer housing on Furnished Finder and The Gypsy Nurse, go here.
