Top Tips to Start Your Apartment Hunting Process

With an apartment hunting process in place, it becomes much easier to find an apartment you will enjoy for years to come regardless of which place you choose. From studios, to lofts and multi bedroom apartments with all of the amenities, you must first decide on what you need in order to be comfortable in your new apartment. These tips can help you think through your must-haves before signing off on a lease or contract.

Where Do You Want to Live?

Narrowing down your apartment search to a specific area will make routine activities more convenient. How much time do you want to spend commuting to the office? Do you prefer to drive or to take advantage of subways or trains? An apartment close to work, school, family or amenities such as a favorite gym will give you more time for you during your 24-hour day. A location convenient to local hot spots may be great for those that love to be a part of local happenings and enjoy the night life. Families may want an apartment close to more green spaces and with ample parking. You need to decide on an area that is best suited for your unique situation. 

Icons of houses with louve.

What are Your Apartment Hunting Priorities?

You need to decide on what you need from your apartment. Think seriously about:

    • Your budget for moving costs, additional fees, rent, utilities and deposits.
    • Your space requirements. How many bedrooms, closets and bathrooms do you have to have to live comfortably.
    • Your time period. When do you need to move and are there any time pressures?
    • Amenities offered on-site, such as a pool, gym, laundry room, covered parking and more can save you time and money.
  • A pet- or child-friendly complex to ensure few issues with new neighbors.

Apartment hunting quote about staying organized

What is Your Plan before Scheduling an Apartment Tour?

It is strongly suggested to carry with you a pre-built checklist of what you need to make sure that you do not get swept away by aesthetics and inadvertently forget a second bathroom. Write down the questions that you will need to ask about regulations, leasing, fees and even leasing terms. See what you can negotiate when a long-term lease in an option.

How Will You Track the Apartments You View?

An old-school way to keep track is to keep a binder or folder of apartment listings. Add notes on the listings themselves when you view an apartment and answers or additional questions about each available apartment. It also serves as a way to keep additions flyers, paperwork, floor plans, and important facts organized and allows you to compare your options.

Free apps are available to help prospective renters or apartment owners locate available and desired potential apartments. Apps with cloud storage can be used for those that prefer to store and save important documents and images on their phone. Create an apartment hunting process to make it easy to locate and choose the apartment that best meets your specific requirements.