1. Location, Location, Location
Location truthfully is everything when it comes down to the world of apartment hunting and trying to find somewhere cheap but convenient. The reality of having a convenient yet cheap location really comes into play when you live on a college campus. Unfortunately, the closer you want to live to campus, the more expensive your living accommodations are going to be. There is also the convenience of having food or grocery outlets near you so you can have the opportunity to walk to a nearby store if your heart desires. Long story short, the closer you are to civilization the higher your cost of living space.
2. Rent is not everything!
When looking for a new apartment, or even a home, it’s so important to remember that rent is not the only number on your “worry list.” Most places don’t even mention internet, sewage, water, and overall house utilities. It’s always good to look at the big picture and not just compare the price of rent. Add everything up for all the locations you are interested, including travel time from places you normally go, and then see which apartments/housing choices match up the best.
3. Keep your environment in mind
When my roommate and I were going around looking for apartments we found a lot in our price range that were a little off campus, but not too far as to be inconvenient for either of us. Yet one of the important things we almost forgot to consider was the environment we were going to be living in. Since we were considering living a little further off campus we were going to have to be in an environment with community members instead of college students.
The biggest change in this scenario is usually children. We would have to risk living by many children and maybe even next door to a little child. Not to say that this couldn’t happen in apartments closer to campus, but living further away just made the possibilities much higher. However, there is also the “crazy college” life as well. Sometimes you get stuck in an area that has a bunch of rowdy college kids partying every day. To each his own but just make sure you know what kind of environment you want to live in before you end up settling for a six or 12-month lease.
4. Pets
Pets is an important topic both for if you like or do not like animals. This is also an important piece to consider for those who are allergic to animals. Apartments are many times much more compact and integrated than most housing systems. If you happen to be allergic to an animal then maybe it is best to live in an area that does not allow whatever you may be allergic to. Better safe than sorry right?! And for those dog lovers out there, if having a sweet golden retriever puppy is in your future then you better make sure you’re in a place that allows animals and that the deposit for that animal isn’t out of your budget.
5. Fill your needs but keep others in mind
If you’re not living by yourself than my best guess says you’ll probably be living with a roommate or two! Of course, you and your roommate are not the same person so it’s always important to consider that you will like different things. Having a new home is important to both of you so try not to be too put down if your roommate falls in love with a place you don’t particularly care for. Keep both of your best interests in mind. Write down a list of the top three things you both need in a house and then go from there. You may not get everything you want but you should make sure and fill your basic desires for the place you’ll be living for a while.
Happy hunting everyone!
