Ahhh...apartment hunting. Whether you're a new couple trying to settle into a cozy place or a couple of college kids just looking for somewhere that you can afford that isn't too far away from campus, the process is something for which nobody is ready. If it's your first time looking into apartments, you may be excited; you may also be scared out of your mind. For some, this is your first true step in the direction of adulthood. Moving off campus or moving out of your home—it's a big leap! Going in blind can be tricky, but you are not alone.
1. The Internet will be your best friend
With awesome sites that show pictures, prices and contact information, what more can you ask for? You'll soon come to learn that sites like apartments.com, zillow.com, and of course the all mighty and powerful craigslist, will become your whole browsing history. And again, that's normal! But it's not that easy.You and your apartment looking buddy will be online for hours at a time, contacting realtors and calculating numbers. And of course, with new places going on the market every minute, the refresh button will get thin.
2. Actually contacting your first realtor
This is the weirdest conversation you may have for a while. It all depends on who you get on the other end of the phone. Some Realtors can give the impression of a very serious, grumpy man or woman. But all Realtors are people. Cracking a joke can help, but never lie to your Realtor. You've heard of never lie to your doctor, right? After this experience, it's never lie to your Realtor. Also, you can't really haggle a Realtor—keep that in mind going forward, but don't settle for something sub-par.
3. Seeing potential apartments
Make sure to keep certain things to in mind while looking at your apartments. Some things may slip your mind while being excited and looking at these nice (or not nice) apartments. Make sure the water pressure in the apartment is up to your standards. Test all the light switches in there too—and if something isn't working, tell your Realtor. Same with the outlets, and same with the smoke detectors. Smoke detectors and locks need to work! That is a safety concern. Look behind the fridge...is there mold? Make sure there isn't. That's gross. And of course if you walk in and it smells a little funky... talk to your Realtor. That's a no-no. And of course if you have any concerns—do not move there.
4. When you wait too long and lose your place
True heartbreak ensues. This is like a break-up between you and the boyfriend you didn't have. You saw this place, you loved it, you pictured yourself living there and enjoying life. You thought you were done with this hunt, and you and your apartment buddy were ready to put down applications and first month's rent. But sadly, someone beat you to it—and you just got dumped by the relationship you didn't even get to start. Time to start over?
5. Seeing a place you love, but you know you can't have
Some places are just naturally very, very nice. Whether it be the location or just the style, sometimes you see an apartment and you fall in love at first glance. Sadly, these places are occasionally out of our price range, and remember, you can't really haggle your Realtor to go lower. This is yet another form of heartbreak. It comes with a lesson learned: don't see places that aren't in your budget!
6. The struggle to get all the paperwork together in a timely fashion
People nowadays are constantly doing paperwork, and most of us know our usual data by heart by now: birthday, social security number, phone number, these things are simple! But when it comes to rental applications...it's a new animal. There's a lot of numbers flying around, and you have to force yourself to read all the fine print. Don't forget co-signer applications and the actual process of getting all the money.
7. Finally being done
Oh, thank God—you've signed all the paperwork, you've gotten your stamp of approval, you're finally done! You got the place, you can stop making appointments to see more apartments, stop traveling around and actually go back to life as it was. Time to switch out all the apartment websites for websites like Target and Pinterest. It's time to get to the fun part of decorating. You did it!
