How to Find Your Perfect Apartment

Finding the perfect apartment requires time and energy.

The perfect apartment can make your daily life more pleasant, giving you a comfortable, pleasant place to come home to. Finding the perfect apartment can seem impossible, particularly if you have never done an apartment search before. By organizing the process and taking steps in advance, you can make the search less painful and more fun. By taking your time and using the resources at your disposal, you can find the ideal place to call home.

Instructions

1. Gather enough money for a deposit, first month's and last month's rent so you can secure the ideal apartment as soon as you find it. The deposit is usually the same as one month's rent. To make sure you will be able to cover the full amount, assume that you will be renting an apartment at the top of your budget range. That way you will be prepared for higher rents and surprised with extra available money for a lower rent.

2. Determine the type of apartment you want to rent so you can better refine your search. Make a list of the things you need in an apartment. Start with the practical elements: number of bedrooms, location, number of bathrooms and kitchen size. Consider whether you want to live in a large complex or a house that has been divided into apartments. Then, move on to the less tangible, more negotiable elements, like character, amount of light or construction style. When you have an idea of what you want, it is easier to eliminate apartments that are unsuitable.

3. Drive around the city you are moving to and identify the neighborhoods you like the most. Consider factors like the distance to work, availability of grocery stores and the atmosphere of the community. As you are driving, look for "for rent" signs on homes that might not be listed online or in the newspaper. Make a note on a map of the places you love and the ones you hate so you can check addresses.

4. Start looking at apartment listings about a month before your first available move-in date so you can get an idea of what is available. Any earlier and you will be forced to pay rent for an apartment you won't be living in. Browse online classifieds, looking for advertisements with photographs. If location is important to you, use a website that offers map-based results. You also can get the newspaper and look through the print classifieds.

5. Make a short list of the apartments you like and call to schedule viewings about two to three weeks before you want to move in. Look at as many apartments as possible. Take pictures and make notes about the apartments you like so you can remember them later. Pay attention to your first impressions and the feelings you get from each apartment and cross-reference them with your list of requirements. The apartment with the most positive aspects will be the perfect one for you.

References

• Apartments.com: Finding Your Perfect Place