How can I move?

Post date: 2020-08-01 09:33:30

I live in a tiny studio apartment in the Bay Area and have wanted to move for ages, but can't really afford something else nearby. The pandemic has *really* made me want to move even more. What should I do? Details inside.

My apartment is okay in some respects, but painfully small. Since the pandemic, it's become harder to bear being here because of the lack of privacy- I'm in a backyard studio and my neighbors, who were gone previously during the day, are now constantly in their backyard on the deck immediately adjacent to my windows (including their adorable but very loud toddlers). I have one small room and nowhere to go. The stress has started to impact my mental health. But, it's cheap. I'm torn between a few options and can't figure out what to do.

1. Moving out of the area: I was already planning to do this before the pandemic. I work remotely and have been looking at small, affordable houses in other states. Now, I'm worried about both the physical move because of the pandemic, and the possibility that the state I move to may be less able to handle future COVID surges, even though it's not going particularly well here either. I know that many people are leaving the Bay Area. I would have to fly. How ill advised is it to fly now, and to leave a place that is semi-reasonably responding to the pandemic?
2. Moving to a much more expensive apartment: I definitely didn't want to do this earlier, but I'm feeling more desperate for a private space now, and some outdoor space. I found a potential apartment that costs much more than I really want to pay (it's market rate for a studio here). It's well over half of my take-home pay, and a little more than 30% of my gross pay. I work in an industry that has been hard-hit by COVID, though my employer isn't currently planning layoffs. I'm also dealing with a health issue that could make it hard to work. But I do have savings that I could use if necessary. Does it make more sense to stay in the area, and just pay excessively?
3. Tiny house: Even though I want more space, I mostly want more privacy and some access to a garden. I could potentially buy a tiny house and temporarily put it in a relative's yard in a nearby city. This may be illegal without permits, but I think it's unlikely that the city would find out about it. After the pandemic, I could try to sell it, move it, or possibly convince my relative to let it stay and split the rent from someone else after getting it properly permitted. This option requires a little more legwork than I feel like I have the mental bandwidth to handle, but is technically possible.
4. Keep looking: I've been browsing the apartment listings since things shut down here in March. Prices have gone down a little, although definitely not to the level of my current apartment. It's possible that more things will continue opening up now. I'm near a university that cancelled fall classes, etc. Should I keep looking? My options are somewhat limited because I've been having trouble sleeping and want to find another cottage/tiny house without shared walls, etc.

Any advice welcome, thanks.

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