How to Choose an Apartment Wisely

Moving into an apartment doesn’t only mean taking your belongings with you. It also means filling out an application, paying a deposit, and paying the rent for the first month. With so much time and money going into this move, it’s easy to see why you’d want to make the best decision possible. To minimize your risk of choosing the wrong place, take the tips below into account. These can help give you confidence and peace of mind that you’re choosing the best place to live in next.

Find the Right Location

The location of your apartment shouldn’t be too far from your job or places you go on a regular basis. In most situations, you’ll only want to be a few miles away so traffic isn’t a problem. While you might not mind the commute at first, eventually it can become a burden. As you spend more time on the road and money on gas, your apartment may not be as appealing as it once was.

Tip: When you’re seriously considering an apartment, test out how far it is from places you commonly visit before committing. By doing this during busy times, you’ll know how long it will take you to get to where you need to go.

Make Sure it Fits in Your Budget

The apartment you rent should easily fit within your budget so you aren’t scrambling to pay rent every month. As a general rule of thumb, you shouldn’t spend more than 30% of your gross monthly income on rent. Try to stay as far under this as possible, even if this means moving into a smaller place. Although it can be difficult not renting the place you have your heart set on, the savings every month will be worth it. The last thing you want to do is risk not being able to afford the rest of your bills because you’re pouring so much money into rent.

If you’re not sure how much you can afford, try using an online finance calculator. This will give you the information you need to determine how much you can afford to spend on rent. Try not to spend more than this if you can help it. However, if you want something more expensive, you may want to consider getting a roommate.

Consider Which Floor it’s On

If you have physical handicaps or children who aren’t able to walk many flights of stairs, then you may want to see if you can get an apartment on a lower floor. If you can only choose apartments for rent that are on higher floors, this could become a problem for you. Talk to the apartment manager if you really like the building and ask them about availability for lower floors in the near future.

Ask About the Amenities

Some apartments for rent offer more amenities than others. This can easily set one apart from another, especially when you consider features like a pool or a gate. Weigh these additions and make sure the apartment that you choose fits in with your needs. Sometimes, it’s worth it to pay more if you’re given amenities that make your quality of life better. However, it’s important to still keep your budget in mind so you’re not spending too much each month.

Think About Your Neighbors

If you’re moving into a quiet apartment building and you have kids, this could be problematic in the future when other neighbors complain about noise levels. To ensure you’re moving to the right place, see if you can get to know some of the neighbors that live there. Learn if they have kids, are retired, have parties, or keep to themselves. You should love where you live and be able to be friends with your neighbors. Don’t wait until you move in to learn who you’re going to live by.

Learn About Safety

Before committing to renting an apartment, you should research the area that it’s located in. Fortunately, you can easily do this online in your spare time. As you research the neighborhood and zip code, you’ll quickly see how safe it is and whether or not it’s a good place to live.

Research the Building

Even small apartment buildings can have their problems, which is why researching the community is so important. If you’re able to find reviews from past tenants, you can see what people loved and disliked about building and their rentals.

Where Should You Live?

Apartments can be fun to live in if you’re able to find the right one. To avoid making a mistake, utilize the tips above. These will help you make a smart decision that doesn’t waste your time or money each month. These can also help give you peace of mind that you’re going to live somewhere that’s both safe and fun.