What to Consider Before Beginning Your Apartment Search
Are you looking to move into a new apartment?
Are you looking to move into a new apartment? Rental search, same as dating, is a matter of love at first sight. You either fall in love with the apartment at first sight or keep on looking until you find that apartment that makes you feel satisfied.
Finding the perfect apartment that fits your wants and budget can be challenging. There are a couple of things to consider before commencing your apartment search.
Having an idea of what you need in an apartment will help you make a more informed decision on where to live. With proper preparation, you will find the perfect apartment in the shortest time possible.
Continue reading to know what to consider before beginning your apartment search.
1. Planning Your Expenses
Planning your budget is the first thing you do before commencing your apartment search. How much will you spend on your apartment? Be it rent, move-in costs, utilities, and groceries, ensure you have a well-planned expense list.
What other payments do you expect? Think about bills like a phone bill, gas, internet, credit cards, and any debts. Typically, keep your rent payments under 30% of your monthly income, which helps you save the rest of your income for other expenses.
The amount of space; the number of rooms will impact the price you will pay for the apartment.
Are you finding it difficult to write a budget for your apartment rental search? A rent affordability calculator is a great tool that will help you out by considering the apartment you want and your income. It tells you what you can afford.
2. Touring Apartments
You should book tour appointments to the apartments early enough. Consider doing it two months before your lease expires. Make sure you have information about how long the notice to your current landlord should be to vacate the apartment.
After making a list of desired apartments, take a day off to visit the properties in a single day to help you save time.
Also, doing the tours on the same day will help you compare and contrast the apartments easily.
Here is a list of things to look out for on apartment tours:
• Parking availability
• Odor
• Check the water pressure by turning on faucets
• Noise
• Check whether the windows open safely
• Make sure locks work properly
• Scrutinize house appliances
• Check the lighting of the building
• Check how clean the common areas are kept
3. Ask Questions
Have you narrowed it down to a list of cheap apartments for rent you want to visit and assess? After finding the ones that fit your location, price range, and accessibility requirements, it is time to have a visit to the apartment.
During the walkthrough of the apartment, make sure you ask critical questions to whoever is showing you the property. So, what are the questions you should ask: Here is a list of questions to ask:
• Does the rent payment include utilities? If not, what is the average cost of utilities per month?
• Are there income requirements for tenants?
• What is the maintenance order request procedure?
• Is there a laundry room within the building?
• What are the lease terms?
• Is their guest policy strict?
• Do they have storage space? How much do they charge?
• Do they allow pets?
• Can you make either temporary or permanent design changes to the apartment?
• Will you need renter's insurance?
You should know what the apartment includes after you get all the above questions answered. Ensure you get comprehensive answers to all the questions.
4. A Rental Checklist of Everything You Need
After finding your desired apartment, you will have to sign a lease agreement. Let's look at the list of everything you need to bring with you to acquire that apartment fast:
- A government-issued photo ID. You can also have a passport or driver's license
- A W-2, recent pay stubs, and a recent bank statement
- Previous landlord reference
- Rental history
- Your Social Security Number (SSN) for credit checks
- Check or Credit Card for any fees included in the application form
- If self-employed, most recent tax return
5. Be Very Careful and Watch Out for Rental Scams
It is common to encounter rental scams. Keep your guard up to avoid being scammed. National survey data shows that over 43% of renters experience fraudulent rental listings. And, one in three scam victims reported losing more than $1000.
Young people are targeted at a very high rate. So, how do you avoid being scammed while apartment hunting? Here are some helpful tips:
- Use reverse image searching; helps identify duplicate listings
- Visit all the apartments before deciding to sign a lease agreement or booking the apartment with a deposit
- Use online platforms that are trusted to conduct your search
- Meet the property landlord in person
- To verify the owner's identity, search the public property records
- Use a traceable form of currency exchange. Avoid cash or wire transfers
- Never send money electronically as a deposit for a property that you have not toured
- Work with a licenced Rental Agency like AMSI who vet and screen landlords
It is hard to stop rental fraud, but it is easy to avoid it. Please do your due diligence to make it difficult to fall prey to such frauds. Report every rental scam you come across.
Consider the Above Apartment Search Tips
Apartment search can take considerable time and effort, but it's well worth it when you identify the perfect one. People spend a lot of time dealing with housing problems. Now that you've read these apartment hunting pointers, you need to be able to begin your hunt for a new apartment with confidence.
Here at AMSI, we have licensed relocation experts who will assist you in locating the ideal neighborhood. Whether you want a family-friendly, hip, upscale, quiet, practical and comfortable, or cutting-edge neighborhood, San Diego, San Francisco, and the Bay Area, we have it all.
Contact us today to inquire more about our services.
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