Apartment-Hunting Tips for the New Year

January 3rd, 2011 by Ron Leshnower| Posted in Moving Tips | No Comments »

By MyNewPlace Guest Blogger, Ron Leshnower – About.com’s Apartment Living Expert

If one of your top priorities for 2011 is finding a new apartment, you no doubt want to accomplish your goal in as little time and with as little stress as possible. Whether you’ve been looking for a while without any luck or you’re planning to start your search now that the holiday season is over, here are five tips to help you find a great apartment:

1. Determine what you want. You don’t want just any apartment, but one that’s right for you. This means you should think about what you want and then design a search around those parameters.

Most apartment hunters begin their search knowing how many bedrooms they want. But what about bathrooms? If you think you need two, have you considered whether one-and-a-half bathrooms would work? (If it would, giving up the half-bathroom could save you money in rent.)

Aside from basic considerations such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, take a moment to decide what other features are important to you. For instance, if you don’t own a dog, you might not care if a building is pet-friendly. On the other hand, you might want the flexibility of knowing you can get a dog later on, if you want to.

Already knowing what you want means not having to waste time visiting apartments that won’t fit the bill. For example, if it’s important that you find an apartment with generous closet or storage space, you should find out whether a particular apartment offers this before you go see it.

2. Know how flexible you can be. Landlords may offer tenants different rental options, and you need to know what you feel comfortable with before you commit to anything. For instance, you might agree to a two-year lease so you can lock in a good rent today. Or, if your goal is to rent an apartment for a year and then look to buy your own home, a one-year lease is probably your best bet. However, if you’re concerned you may need to relocate because of a job or personal issue, you might want to find a landlord who’s open to a month-to-month rental agreement.

3. Answer the roommate question. Living with roommates is important to many apartment dwellers. Roommates can provide needed companionship and make your apartment living more affordable by splitting expenses. But roommates aren’t for everyone. Even if you decide that living with a roommate is the right choice for you, you’ve then got to find someone who’s compatible.

4. Anticipate the finances. It’s not enough to find an apartment you love; you must also be able to afford it. The biggest expense you’ll face is the monthly rent, but you must also be prepared to pay for utilities, groceries, and other bills. Also, don’t forget that before you can enjoy your new digs, you’ll need to fork over money for such items as moving expenses and a security deposit.

5. Take your search online. The Web has a wealth of resources for apartment hunters, including sites that let you search for apartments in the area you want at no charge. For example, to search MyNewPlace.com’s database of six million listings, visit the MyNewPlace.com homepage and type in your desired ZIP code. Then, set your price range, bedroom size, pet preference, and more (remember Tip #1?). You may then be just a click or two away from your dream apartment!