Trying to find an apartment, whether you’re a college student looking for a two bedroom apartment to split or a family of four, can be extremely frustrating. You’ll find a place you love, only to find another tenant has just signed the least and moved in. You spot a quiet little studio near your campus, except it’s $200 above your price range. Will it never end?
If you’re one of the many Americans who are sick and tired of looking for apartments, take heart. By following these tips, you can find a rental property that matches your needs for space, budget, location, and aesthetic.
Four Tips for People Looking for Apartments
- First Things First: Know Your Budget
- Quit Using Broad Searches
- Do Your Research on the Areas You’re Considering
- Who Are Your Neighbors?
Before deciding where you want to live and whether you need one or two bedroom apartments, you first need to hammer out a realistic budget, as AOL Real Estate suggests. You really need to be honest with yourself here. Can you really afford to pay $750 a month for a one bedroom apartment without having to starve yourself or put off paying your cellphone bill each month?
For Houzz.com, there are few better ways to cut the headache out of looking for apartments than actually knowing what you want and going for it. Stop searching for one bedroom apartments in all of Raleigh, or wherever you’re located. Instead, look for the specific apartment amenities, neighborhoods, and rent you’re looking for. This will greatly cut down the field of contenders, making your choice that much easier.
It’s no great secret that landlords and realtors are in the business to make money, and who can fault them for that? As Investopedia writes, however, with a little bit of research, you can avoid usurious rent prices and even negotiate lower rates. Say, for example, you’re searching for an apartment in the Hell’s Kitchen of NYC. You should look online to see what the average rent is for that specific neighborhood. That way, if the asking price is too high, you have something to argue with.
The last thing you want to do is lock yourself into a year-long lease that will trap you with some of the worst tenants in the country. As SheKnows.com writes, you should be asking your landlord if they do background checks on all of their tenants. If not, you might consider looking elsewhere, or you could wind up in a less than desirable situation at home.
Are you a realtor or someone with a lot of experience looking for apartments? Share your tips on finding great rentals in the comments section below.