Before November, I never needed to search for an apartment. At my college, most students stayed in dorms all four years. Some people moved off campus, but most of my friends lived in the apartments that were still on campus and didn't require the usual grueling process.
After graduation, I moved home to save money. I admired local apartments online, but that's the extent of my search.
Now, I'm married and moving on up to the one-bedroom apartment life. Easy and fun, right? Wrong!
1. Create a budget.
Whether you use Dave Ramsey's budgeting guidelines or the 50/20/30 rule, you need a budget. Just because the rent "seems" to work for your budget doesn't mean you've considered every place your money goes. Internet? Cell phone bill? Electricity? Groceries? Don't go in the hole just because you wanted a two-bedroom apartment overlooking the city. Get what you can afford.
2. Consider the initial costs.
There's the application fee, the security deposit, insurance, furniture, food, and more. Even if you're thrifty, things quickly add up. If you think you'll be moving in the next three months, start stocking up on things like toilet paper, cleaning products, and dish soap. You'll likely spend the same amount of money (unless you're a pro couponer, and you can take advantage of every random sale), but it won't hurt as much. You'll be glad you planned ahead.
3. Get renter's insurance.
The place I'll be sharing with my husband requires that we add renter's insurance to our policy. For us, it's an up-front yearly fee. Disasters happen. You want to be insured. Don't take any chances, friend.
4. Got a fluffy feline? Check the pet policy.
Most of the places we looked at charged an initial fee of $150 per pet. Others charged up to $500. Calculate the monthly rent for your pet, too. That typically ranges from $15 to $35. Also, make sure your new home will even allow pets. Some places require that you declaw your cats.
5. Tour the unit you'll rent.
Three of the four places we toured showed us model units. Guess which place we leased?
In most cases, model units are to show renters what the apartment should look like. However, it's better to visit the place you'll be living in for the next 12, 18, or 24 months. You'll want to test the water pressure, see the condition of the appliances, and check for bum outlets. Walk outside at night and make sure you feel safe walking from your car or bus stop to your home.
6. Move in during the winter.
Rent often goes up in the spring and summer, so find a place between October and January to lock in a better price. Of course, we didn't exactly have control over when we could move. Don't take this bit of advice too seriously if it's mid-summer and you need a place to live.
7. Know what you want, and don't lose hope.
Apartment hunting isn't easy, but it also isn't impossible. Now that we've signed our lease, we can look forward to the next horrendous phase: packing.
