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TRAVEL THERAPY HOUSING PROS & CONS

When considering becoming a travel therapist you’re most likely thinking of all the fun new adventures you’re about to have, the beautiful places you’re going to explore, and the many new people you will meet along the way, but one big thing to consider is travel therapy housing options. Are you traveling alone or with a partner? A pet? Furniture? Kitchen appliances? All of these play a factor when choosing which housing option is right for you when traveling from contract to contract.   

We have officially been traveling for over 1 year now and have stayed in just about every housing option you can think of. North Dakota-> Apartment. Maine-> Airbnb. Colorado-> Extended Stay Hotel. Georgia-> Condo. And now we live full-time in an RV! Throughout all of our stays, we have realized what our priorities are when we travel, as well as what we like/dislike about each housing option. The main thing is we had a roof over our heads and that’s all that really matters!

NEEDS

When searching for housing we have to understand the difference between what we need vs. what we want. Our “needs” are non-negotiable and absolutely necessary for how we want to live. “Wants” are nice to have but not completely essential to live how we want to live.

The first factor in the “needs” is the cost. We want to make sure we are staying within our budget and saving as much as we can for fun adventures. We want to make the most of our time while traveling and that means doing new and exciting adventures, such as dog sledding or whale watching! But that doesn’t mean we don’t also plan for our future and put money away for savings/retirement.

Secondly, it is very important for us to have a kitchen. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, but we need someplace with a stovetop, microwave, and fridge. Originally when all we traveled with was our two cars we had to make sure we were able to cook meals every night instead of being dependent on going out or eating prepackaged meals. Investing in an air fryer and/or instant pot can save you a lot of room/capability to do without an oven (like we had to in Colorado)!

WANTS

The first factor in our “wants” category is personal space. After living with a couple in an Airbnb for 3 months in Maine (which wasn’t that bad!) we realized personal space was a higher priority than we thought; however, it isn’t completely necessary! We definitely would have done it again, but maybe not on back-to-back contracts.

The second “want” is having a furnished place. Since we do not travel with any of our furniture, we don’t have a bed, couch, table, washer/dryer, etc. However, there is a nationwide company, CORTS, that you can rent as much or as little as you want! It is an extra cost month to month, but sleeping on a mattress is kind of nice.

Next is location. We are willing to drive within an hour of our job locations if that means housing will be cheaper further away. Depending on where your contract is you might have to drive a ways to even find a housing option. Or you may just want to because the city you are in is way over your budget. Either way, the location is totally flexible!

And last but not least, amenities. This would include a pool, gym, laundromat, free wifi, utilities included, coffee bar, and more. These are all just an added bonus! Staying somewhere with a gym that is free to use is so nice, but it isn’t necessary. I can guarantee you there is probably a Planet Fitness nearby that you could pay ~$10/month and get a great workout in!

Our front yard view at our Airbnb in Maine.

PRIORITIZE

Once you decide what your priorities are, finding housing that suits your needs will be faster! But, that doesn’t mean it will be easy. Most of the time you will be finding out where your next assignment is ~4-6 weeks out of your selected start date. Sometimes you will find exactly what you want right away, but that’s not always the case. You may be searching for days and weeks until finally, you give up and just buy an RV…(like we did). But seriously it will likely take time and a lot of phone calls and/or online messaging.

One reason we haven’t gotten a dog yet is because that would cut our already limited housing options down even more due to pet restrictions in certain housing situations! And even where they do allow it, typically there’s at least an extra fee we’d have to pay at every place. We love pets (especially dogs), but for us, it’s just not a high priority.

Traveling with a partner also eliminates some options. Especially if you are booking through Furnished Finder, a friendly traveling nurse website that is best suited for solo travelers. I’ve reached out to several places that were willing to take me alone if I were a solo traveler but denied me since I travel with my wife and she’s not a healthcare worker.

Finding an option that fits all your wants and needs is NOT impossible, but may happen. Therefore, before searching for your next home away from home make a list of your priorities so you won’t be disappointed if all your wants are not met. 

PROS & CONS

APARTMENT LIVING

PROS

  • PERSONAL SPACE
  • FUN AMENITIES, SUCH AS A POOL & GYM
  • FULL KITCHEN
  • APARTMENTS ARE EVERYWHERE

CONS

  • NOT ALL HAVE UTILITIES INCLUDED (POTENTIALLY)
    • HAVING TO SET UP ELECTRIC/WIFI EVERY 3 MONTHS SOUNDS LIKE A PAIN
  • NOT ALL ARE FULLY FURNISHED
    • CAN RENT THROUGH CORT THOUGH
  • NOT ALL OFFER SHORT-TERM LEASES
    • SHORT-TERM LEASES ARE ALSO WAY MORE EXPENSIVE THAN MOST PRICES LISTED ONLINE
  • NON-REFUNDABLE APPLICATION FEE
  • NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT IF YOUR CONTRACT FALLS THROUGH AND YOU HAVE TO BACK OUT
    • MAY NOT EVER HAPPEN TO YOU, BUT HAS HAPPENED TO US (ON OUR FIRST CONTRACT!)

AIRBNB’S/FURNISHED FINDER

PROS

  • DISCOUNTS ON MONTHLY STAYS
    • WE LOVE A GOOD DISCOUNT
  • MOST ARE GOING TO BE FULLY FURNISHED
    • THIS INCLUDES WASHER/DRYER, KITCHEN, ETC
  • UTILITIES ARE INCLUDED
  • LOTS OF FUN AND CUTE HOMES

CONS

  • CHEAP ONES WILL LIKELY BE ROOM-ONLY
    • ARE YOU OKAY WITH LIVING WITH STRANGERS?
  • YOU WILL LOSE THE FIRST MONTHS RENT IF YOU HAVE TO CANCEL
  • NOT ALWAYS, BUT WILL USUALLY EXCEED YOUR BUDGET
  • HARD TO FIND LONG-TERM STAYS
    • THIS MEANS POTENTIALLY MOVING MORE FREQUENTLY

HOTELS

PROS

  • FREE BREAKFAST!!!
  • MAID SERVICE!!!
    • THEY WASH YOUR SHEETS, CLEAN YOUR BATHROOMS, ETC
      • BE SURE TO TIP THOUGH 🙂
  • PERSONAL SPACE
  • FURNISHED
    • & SOMETIMES KITCHENETTE
  • AMENITIES, SUCH AS POOL, LAUNDROMAT, GYM, SNACKS, ETC
  • UTILITIES INCLUDED
  • PULL OUT COUCH FOR GUESTS
  • DISCOUNTS ON LONGER STAYS/AAA

CONS

  • THIN WALLS/DOORS
  • COST DEPENDING ON THE AREA
  • SOMETIMES UNSANITARY
  • DON’T ALWAYS HAVE A KITCHENETTE

RV FULL TIMERS

PROS

  • PERSONAL SPACE
    • BUT WAY LESS
  • SPENDING MONEY TOWARDS OWNING A HOME
  • DECORATING OUR HOME HOWEVER WE LIKE
  • NEVER HAVE TO UNPACK EVER AGAIN!!!
    • THIS IN ITSELF IS WORTH IT
  • MEETING FUN & FRIENDLY RV/CAMPER PEOPLE WHEREVER WE STAY
  • HAVING A CONSISTENT HOME WHEREVER WE GO
  • FEELING CONNECTED TO NATURE MORE
    • MANY CAMPGROUNDS/RV PARKS ARE MORE IN SECLUDED AREAS

CONS

  • THE UPKEEP AND MAINTENANCE OF OWNING ANOTHER VEHICLE/HOME
  • TRAVEL TIME INCREASES
  • CAMPGROUNDS CAN BE BUSY/LOUD
  • ADDITIONAL COST OF CAMPGROUND/RV PARK SITE
  • NOT HAVING A SAFE PLACE DURING NATURAL DISASTERS
Paige and Adam in front of their new RV in Georgia under beautiful Live Oak Trees.
Our new HOME!

Additional Websites or Apps for Housing:

There are many pros & cons when searching for your next home while traveling and I’m sure your priorities will be different from ours. However, be sure to do your research and find the best fit for you! We have been very fortunate thus far to have stayed in very decent places. We have loved every single one, and we were able to make each one feel like home. Moreover, we are absolutely loving our RV and can’t wait to see where it takes us on future contracts. If you have any questions or would like to know more about our experiences contact us and we’d be happy to help you out!