Discover your options and needs in a new home.
Considering your wants and needs, and your budget for them, are the first step to a successful search. Knowing what you can't live without- and what you can't live with- focuses your search and helps you define all the right things ahead of time.
Make the list: What you absolutely must have and what you definitely don't want.
You probably have an idea of the major features you need- bedrooms, bathrooms, size, & location. Now is the time to include others like appliances, laundry, parking and others. Keep in mind that the more features a property has, the more it's likely to cost. So, it's useful to list these items with your prioritized need for each.
To help you with this, we've created a Features checklist that you can print to work from.
Dollars and Sense: How to create a 
realistic budget
Once you have a list of the location and features you need, you’re ready to find a rental home based on your budget. A good rule for this is that your total monthly income (before taxes, etc) should be about 3 times your monthly rent. Or, looking at the another way, your rent should be no more than about one third of your monthly income. Banks and property managers use this as a qualification formula for mortgages and rentals, so you’ll be a step ahead to plan based on this.
We’ve put together some basic budget tips and a worksheet to guide you in putting this together.
Where in the world (or Seattle) do I look for my new home?
With your features in hand, and a budget you can work from, now it's time to figure out what area of Seattle might just have the perfect fit as your new neighborhood. This can be a little tough, since commuting options, area amenities, and relative price ranges are all important, and vary by location.
Check out some area information to give you idea of what's what around Seattle.