Tips for Choosing what Apartment to Rent

Renting an apartment isn’t that different from buying a condo. Location remains the most important thing to look for when choosing an apartment. In addition, it’s also a good idea to figure out what you want, and try to find an apartment that matches your lifestyle. Start your search by looking through apartment rental listings online and in newspapers.

Location, Location, Location

As with any other kind of real estate, the location of your new apartment is important. Try to avoid any apartment that has obvious drawbacks, but looking for an apartment in the most popular neighborhood in town will prove to be very expensive. Here are some location points to consider before signing any kind of lease:

• Trains, planes, and automobiles: try to avoid renting any apartment that’s near an airport, train station, or major highway. Otherwise, you will be battling all kinds of noises while also trying to sleep, work, and eat.

• Above or Below: if you live in a city, you will probably have to deal with neighbors who live above you or below you. When it comes to picking a lower floor apartment, try to find out what your upper neighbors are like. If you will be dealing with noises from a family of four of five, you might not get a lot of sleep. Likewise, try to avoid selecting an apartment above someone who likes to host parties or who smokes (if smoking bothers you!).

• Room With a View: if your new apartment faces a brick wall, you might find this view less than inspiring. Instead, try to find a pad that has a nice view of a street or landscaped area. If this isn’t possible, look for a place that has the least offensive view.

Know Thyself

How well do you know what you want in an apartment? Are you looking for a newer place or an older building? Discovering what you want an apartment to have is a good way to eliminate those places that don’t appeal to you. Consider the following things when thinking about what you want to find in an apartment:

• Old or New: newer apartments will probably have to go through less repairs than older apartments. If you want to avoid regular maintenance visits, go for a newer apartment.

• Kitchen Size: if you love to cook, skip those apartments that have small galley kitchens. Otherwise, you will enjoy up frustrated at the lack of counter and refrigerator space.
• Bathroom Size: if a long soak in a hot tub is important to you, don’t pick a place that has a small bathroom.