Apartment renting is one of the rites of passage into adulthood. It also comes with a lot of decision-making processes that you must prepare for. For a lot of young adults, renting an apartment is the first step into being more independent. This makes it one of the most important moments in a person’s life. Besides, even if you’ve already surpassed this challenging phase in life, don’t you wish you could go back in time and be even more prepared? If so, we’ve got you covered. Here are seven apartment renting tips & tricks that you may want to stock up on.
Set a budget
Apartment hunting can either get easier or more challenging once the budget is set. You will be narrowing your search down according to what you are capable of paying. Whether you’re renting or buying an apartment, you should have enough money and financial stability to commit to your paying terms. Most young adults do this once they’ve saved up enough from their first jobs. The more you save, the more chances of getting an apartment that will best suit your needs and preferences.
Consider your needs
Before renting an apartment, you must have enough basis to support your decision. Aside from the budget factor, you must also consider your needs. For instance, if you find walking up and down the stairs difficult, get an apartment that’s on the ground floor or has elevator access. If you’re moving in with a pet, inquire whether or not the building allows it. If they do, you may want to invest in the best odor repellent spray to eliminate unwanted smells. In the cases of persons with disability, certain accessibility provisions are a must. These are just some of the needs that you really have to include in your decisions.
Distance is everything
When you’re looking for an apartment to rent, consider its distance to your workplace, grocery stores, hospitals, and police stations. You either inquire about this information to your broker/future landlord or explore the area more. By checking the vicinity of your potential home-to-be, you get a clear grasp of how life would be when you finally get this apartment.
Consider public transportation
Most apartments have limited parking spaces, and unless you have a bike to travel around the area, commuting will be your go-to means of transportation. We’ve included this in our list of apartment renting tips & tricks because it is often overlooked by most young adults. There are people who don’t seem to mind long commutes, but for most of us, it can get in the way of work and comfort. Stressful commutes can waste a lot of time– precious time meant for workplace operations or relaxing at home.
Make a list of your preferred amenities/features
Most of the time renting your first apartment go into preparation. You can organize your thoughts better if you make a list of your preferences and what you’re looking for in an apartment. This way, you can easily go through each property and find out if they are any good for your taste. For instance, if gardening is a hobby you can’t do without and you want to somehow incorporate that in your apartment. In this case, a balcony apartment is something you might go for. As you take budget limitations and convenience into account, there’s no guarantee that you’ll have your preference list in tact, but at least you have an idea on how to work your way around them. In this case, you can go for space-saving hydroponics for your gardening hobby.
Take your cost of living into account
Cost of living refers to what a person has to pay to live in that area. This includes transportation, food, and basic utilities. Certain big cities have higher costs of living, so if you’re looking at renting an apartment in that area, you must be able to support yourself for as long as you decide on living there. Make sure you run on cost-efficient home furnishings, like lighting, electricity, water, air conditioning, and heating systems. Some apartment renters don’t get to install more cost-efficient HVAC systems, which is also one of the reasons why they’re losing more money in the cost of living. To avoid draining your savings every month in high electricity and water bills, choose an apartment with up-to-date and cost-efficient utilities– one of the apartments renting tips and tricks of the trade.
Get a roommate
If you’re straight out of college, and you’re looking to rent an apartment, you may not be able to afford the place on your own. Sure, you just got employed at a nearby company, and you want to focus on career alone as you get the hang of adulthood. Bear in mind that renting an apartment is not for the faint of heart. There’s the need to come up with enough funds in order to pay your landlord each month. Wouldn’t it be better if there was someone helping you resolve this issue now that you’re just getting started?
Conclusion
Renting an apartment is not so much about settling into a new life. If any, it’s a chance for you to explore the world and your options, and having a temporary home for you to get through a temporary phase. And if you need some help to get started, here are some houston midtown apartments that you can consider renting if you are stationed within the area. These apartment renting tips and tricks will let you achieve all that and more. Best of luck to your apartment hunting!
Hi there! I’m Lucy – founder of GardenAmbition.com and I’m a self-confessed garden fanatic. Gardening has always been a passion of mine and will always be my favorite pastime. Now that I am married and have one adorable son, I have the time to write and share my personal experiences with other garden enthusiasts like me.
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