Tips to Find an Apartment

It can be a tough task when you want to find an apartment. Your home is supposed to be your castle, the place you can be completely yourself without anyone to bother you. Whether this is the very first apartment you are looking for or your eighth, here are some things to keep in mind as you search.

How much can you afford to spend?
Keep in mind that rent is only one of your many financial considerations. There are also utilities, food, transportation and entertainment. You may also need to buy furniture or appliances. For first-time apartment searchers, there are a tremendous number of things to purchase in order to make your apartment a home.

Rents vary from place to place. Don't settle for the first place you see. It's always a good idea to keep your options open.

Location
Where do you work or go to school? Do you use public transportation? This is always an important consideration. Location can have an unexpected effect on your life and your daily routine, and it is something that some people ignore as they search for an apartment. Does it matter to you how close you live to your workplace or school? Some people want to live two minutes away; others don't mind a half-hour commute.

Make a list of your location priorities. Do you need to be on a bus route or no more than 10 minutes away from the subway station? How close do you want to live to your family and friends? How close do you need to live to amenities, such as supermarkets, restaurants, movie theatres and banks? What about services, such as doctors, dentists, hair stylists and veterinarians? Give serious thought to the type of lifestyle you live and your specific life patterns when deciding where best to lay your hat.

How much space do you really need?
Will you be sharing your living space with someone else? Decide how much space you can comfortably live in because comfort should be your number-one consideration when searching for an apartment. Do you like a lot of empty space or are you a person who enjoys filling rooms up with all sorts of stuff? Do you prefer to keep everything neatly organized in closets and cupboards, or do you like having it within easy reach?

If you own large furniture, such as a queen-size bed or an oversized dresser, couch or entertainment center, take measurements of everything before you start looking and keep them with you while you search. You'll want to make sure that everything fits into your new space and leaves you enough room to move around. Pay attention to the width of doors, hallways and stairwells, too, especially if you'll have to turn to get from one flight of stairs to another. Sofas, box springs and refrigerators can be impossible to get into some spaces.

Ambiance
How does the apartment feel as you walk into it? Big? Small? Open? Closed? Bright? Dark? As you walk around, what feeling do you get from the place? Does it have personality? Apartments give off positive and negative feelings to their potential residents. Keep this in mind as you take in the layout of the apartment, the amount of windows, the flooring and closet space. If you feel good upon an initial visit, chances are you will feel even better living there. It works in reverse if you feel bad about a place.

Light
Go apartment hunting on a sunny day if possible. Observe how bright each room looks with the sun shining in, particularly the living room and kitchen. Light is very important when it comes to searching for the perfect place. Does the apartment have a lot of overhead lights? How is the lighting in the bathroom?

How many electrical outlets does the apartment have, and where are they located? Some older buildings can pose a real challenge if you own a lot of electronics. Find out how many circuits the apartment has. If the person showing it doesn't know, ask to see the fuse box. If you see only one or two fuses for the entire apartment, it won't meet your electrical needs.

Storage
How much is there? Where is it located? Is it secure? Think twice about a basement or attic that all the tenants share, as someone may accidentally walk off with your possessions.

Balcony/ Deck
Do you need one? A lot of apartments that have these charge more for them. Pay careful attention to the construction of railings and deck supports. There should be no give at all when you lean on them. Broken decking or an uneven deck are signs that the structure is failing.

Color
Glance down upon entry. Can you live with the color of the carpet? Most apartments have the same color throughout. That also goes for the paint on the walls. Most buildings don't allow tenants to make changes.

Utilities
Make sure you are clear on what is and isn't included in your rent. Are utilities part of the package? If heat and hot water are included, be sure you have access to the thermostat so that you're dealing with extreme heat or cold. If you need high-speed Internet, find out what company provides the service. In most buildings, you won't get a choice of cable providers. Some buildings don't have cable at all but do offer satellite TV.

Laundry
Are laundry facilities located in the building? Is there a Laundromat nearby? Most buildings charge for the laundry machines, and the cost is sometimes higher than a self-service Laundromat. Ask if there are any restrictions on using the machines, and be sure there's a reasonable number of laundry machines for the number of tenants in the building.

Parking
The best bet is to look for designated parking spaces for tenants and visitors. If the building lacks parking, find out where you can park and whether you'll have to pay for it. In urban locations, you may need to pay for garage parking or take your chances parking on the street. Watch out for parking bans during street sweeping and snow emergencies.

Pets
Are they allowed? Some buildings are okay with cats but not dogs, while some won't consider pets of any sort. Know and understand the rules regarding pets before you make any final decisions.

Rental terms
Some landlords make tenants sign leases, others don't. Some leases are for a year; others might be month to month. Make sure you are clear about what you are getting yourself into before you proceed.

Find out the policy for return of your security deposit and how much notice you need to give before leaving.