Looking for a new apartment can be an exhausting process, but it’s important not to make any hasty decisions out of frustration, or else you might be spending the next year in a place that you hate. It’s important to analyze all of the details so that you can find a place that suits your needs. Here are a few things that you may not want to forget in your search for a new apartment!
Utilities
When people are looking at the prices of apartments, one factor that is often shrugged off is the price of utilities. The reason for this is that utilities often only cost a fraction of rent, and therefore often get tallied up as just a bit more. However, landlords can use this to their advantage if they say that all utilities are included. Usually, a landlord will charge the maximum of what utilities may cost, even though the likelihood of you using that much gas and power are slim. Do some math when you are looking at apartments to see if it is cheaper to separate the utilities, in order to get the price.
The area
Everybody has a good idea of whether they like an area when they look at an apartment, but it’s important to objectively analyze what it is around you and how it fits into your lifestyle. Do you require public transportation? Maybe this place way out in the suburbs isn’t a good fit for you. Is there a grocery store nearby? Do you have kids? Take a look at the local schools to make sure it’s a good fit for your family. How does this area align with your job? Will it take a longer or shorter time to get there? Make a list of what you need from an area before you go see an apartment, so that you can be sure each of these needs is being addressed.
Pro-rated?
Do you need to move into a new place in the middle of the month? If so, you definitely want to make sure that the apartments you are looking at will allow you to prorate your first month. Some landlords prefer not to deal with prorated rent and just set the lease terms to begin on the first of every month. This simplifies things on their end, but may end up being a pain for you if your situation doesn’t work out that way. Before getting your heart set on anyplace, check to see if they are willing to work with you by offering prorated rent.
Moving out
It can be hard to tell what is going to happen within the time span of an entire year. Sometimes you may not be able to stay in one place for the duration of your lease. For this reason, you should always know what your landlord allows in these cases so that you can develop a backup plan. If a landlord isn’t going to let you get out of your lease without a fight or astronomical fees to move, then you should definitely make sure you won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. If you like to keep your options open, find a landlord who is willing to be a little more lenient and work with you.