Apartment Search Checklist - What to Consider When Viewing Apartments

I have had a couple of different apartments and have helped almost all of my friends on their own quest for apartment searching. There are a few things now that I now keep in the back of my mind to remember when I am helping others look for apartments and when I search for my own.

Cleanliness

The landlord may say; "Yeah sorry about the smell, we're getting the carpets cleaned this week" all they want. However, do you want to live in a place that gets that bad to begin with? Many times, apartments that allow pets also have a very distinct smell to them. You walk in and immediately can tell. The smell of smoking, for you non-smokers can also be a turn-off. This is also a sign on what kind of neighbors you have.

My Personal Experience: I lived a small apartment building of 12 apartments for a year. Every time I walked into my building it reeked. It never did get better. When my dad helped me move out, he was appalled. He asked the manager about it and he told him, "Yeah, I can't figure out what it is either." Turns out, one of the neighbors had stacks and stacks of old garbage cooking in the heat. Yuck!

My friends' also looked at another apartment and it smelled terrible. One of their girlfriends actually had to plug her nose when walking down the hallway. Sure, the manager can apologize; because chances are it may not be their fault. But I think it also gives a hint of what kind of neighbors you will be near.

Utilities

One apartment might be $400 a month, but not be paying for utilities. Utilities can include: garbage disposal, water, heat, central air, electricity, pest control, ect. The same sized apartment down the street may be $480 and pays for everything. This is really something to look at closely. Also consider what kind of heating is installed in your apartment. It could be part of your electric expense.

My Personal Experience: I visited a place that all apartments had free heating and free central air. Consider where you live and how hot or cold it gets. Does opening a window take care of it? I live in Minnesota, where the winters are very cold and the summers are humid.

Location / Neighborhood

You can sense a bad neighborhood when you see one! Also, if you currently live in that town, do your research on that neighborhood. Ask your co-workers or friends if you have ever heard of that area and what it is like.

Also choosing a place close to your work or school is also something to consider. If you have children and are looking at school systems see if your kids will be walking or on an hour bus ride.

If you're someone who needs their morning cappuccino every day on their way to work, see if there is a nearby coffee shop too. Don't find yourself in a deserted location if you love being in the middle of the city, or vice versa.

My Personal Experience: I live in a pretty decent location, but I honestly wish that I was a bit closer to stores. I wish I would've considered this factor when choosing where I lived. Also, I found out after I moved out of my old place that where I use to live was a high crime area of the city. I wish I would've looked into that more before I moved in!

Garage / Parking

I think this is huge. Does your apartment building have assigned parking, underground ramps, secured parking, off-street parking, or garages? Also something to ask for is how many people are allowed a parking spot. Some apartments only allow one assigned parking spot per apartment. Other apartments base that on how many bedrooms you have and how many are on the lease. If you like to have a lot of friends over, make sure to see what kind of parking visitors get. Off-street is fine for visitors as long as there seems to be a lot of it because others will be doing it too. Also check if it is a meter parking, a time limit, or certain days you can't park there.

My Personal Experience: I have always got the apartment with assigned parking. The new place I have actually enforces it very well to make sure no one is in your spot. Word got out pretty fast that they tow people if they are in your spot, so no one does it. I also have the option to pay about $35 a month for my own garage. Check the parking lot condition. My sister gets visitor passes for the day they can put on their car to park in a special visitor parking area. If someone takes your spot, they could get a boot on it.

Manager / Landlord

Remember that these are the people you will have to go to if there are any problems. If they seem like the kind of person who would want to rip you off or be lazy and not take care of apartment issues, avoid the place.

My Personal Experience: My first place was a nightmare. I gave the guy 2-3 written notices, called him three times (all in which he acknowledged my move), and when I was actually moving my furniture out he was like, "You're moving?" I told him, "Yes" and he asked me if I gave him a written notice. It took him almost six months for him to return my deposit to me as well. I had to go to my current landlord (who is great, and goes by the book, and very friendly with a great memory) for advice on this issue. Who you're paying your check to definitely matters!

Layout / Floor Plan
Is it easy to get to the bathroom? Is the kitchen attached to your living room or is it its own separate room? These things are important to consider. Also consider how many bedrooms you will need. Sometimes even efficiencies and studios are more expensive than a one bedroom. The number of bedrooms doesn't always mean cheaper. Explore your options.

Hookups

Now for the inside of your apartment... Things to consider are if your apartment is cable ready. Are there hookups in just one bedroom, in the living room only, or perhaps none at all? My old place had one cable hook up in the dumbest location, as to where I like to place my computer. If you are getting roommates and would like your computer or TV in separate bedrooms, check to see if there are hookups in each bedroom. Many times there are not, but it is a nice thing to look for. You can buy nice wireless routers or long cords to fix this problem.

*Ask what Internet Service Provider people tend to us in the building. Is it DSL, Cable, Satellite?

*Look at where the phone jacks are and cable hook ups. Make sure they have some at all!

*Check for all the electrical outlets as well.

Laundry

Do you have to go to a Laundromat if you live there? Is there a washer and drier inside your apartment? Or do you have a paid machine? Having on-site laundry rooms are nice to have. Keep in mind how many there are in the building. If it's a large building, hope that there is more than one for everyone to share. Some laundry machines now accept pre-paid laundry cards which avoid the hassle of quarters.

Mail

There are indeed differences how some apartments do this. My apartment has mailboxes out front when I walk in and if I get a package either it gets dropped outside my door, or if I need a signature I have to actually go to the post office. A few apartments actually have mail offices where you can go to the front desk of your apartment building and retrieve your packages there; kind of nice!

Pets / No Pets

You either love them or you hate them. If you absolutely never want a pet in your apartment, it may be better to make sure you get one that doesn't allow them. Reason for that being is you may get an apartment whose previous owner was a pet owner, or you could end up seeing them more than you like. If you are a pet lover, make sure you don't forget to ask about this. Also ask about the pet deposits and if it is refundable.

My Personal Experience: My first apartment allowed pets, and wanted a $250 deposit which was refundable. My second apartment allowed pets and had no pet deposit. He said if I wanted a 2^nd cat I would have to pay $100. My friends apartment allowed pets had a $250 cat deposit and an extra $20 a month non-refundable payment.

Neighbors

This is just an easy scan. Try to see what kind of people are walking in and out of the building. Is it 80 year old couples pushing each other on wheel chairs, is it college students, families, drug dealers, ect. Know what kind of neighbors you want to be surrounded by and look out for that. Although seeing one person shouldn't be your deciding factor, it is something to consider.

Kitchen

I have seen many kitchen styles. At one point I thought the kitchen really wasn't going to matter because I ate out a lot with my friends, but eventually I wish I would've picked the apartment with the better kitchen. Make sure to check out the size of the refrigerator, counter space, and stove to see if it meets your needs. Also check to see if there is an additional microwave built in. Though it isn't crucial in your decision making, if you don't have a microwave and there's one there for you it's a nice thing to note.

Amenities and Extras

My building doesn't have anything special in it except two vending machines, which are nice once in a while. Otherwise, I had to sacrifice these because it was the best I could find that allowed my cat.

Some apartment buildings host Christmas parties for neighbors to get to know each other. I feel like my friend hit the jackpot with his. He pays a good price, they allow pets, it has an elevator, lounge rooms, swimming pool, sauna, work out room, gaming room, and a mail office and could actually walk across the street for almost anything he wants. These are things to look for if you are interested. They could add to the cost a little, but sometimes you may be surprised. It's a good comparison factor.

These are just a few things I have to keep in mind when looking for apartments. When you finally do decide on an apartment building, don't forget to write down every single detail of what is wrong with it so you don't get charged for it. Remember that cheaper doesn't always mean you're getting a better deal. There is utilities, travel time, deposits, and other amenities to look at.

Here is the Overview List:
Cleanliness
Utilities
Location / Neighborhood
Garage / Parking
Manager / Landlord
Layout / Floor Plan
Hookups
Laundry
Mail
Pet / No Pets
Neighbors
Kitchen
Amenities and Extras

Happy apartment hunting!