Looking for apartments and houses

We will be moving back to the metro in a couple of weeks. We are already starting to browse the online classifieds for apartments and houses that are available for rent, so that we will have already have a place to stay when we get to Manila. Looking at the ads, the condos with the minimalist interior designs, posh kitchens, cozy living room with a nice modern sofa is oh so tempting. We just can’t afford to rent in those places. Haha. We just have to do with a simple apartment or a house for now. Safety and accessibility are on top of our list, luxury will have to come later when we won’t be renting anymore.

How about you? What are your experiences in house-hunting?