Follow these apartment-hunting tips and you can be confident that you’re getting the most for your money.
Consult the map
You may have decided to live in Norristown, but plug the city into an online apartment finder, and you’re apt to get results for any of the following: East or West Norriton, Plymouth Meeting, Bridgeport, Conshohocken or West Conshohocken, and King of Prussia. Consult this map before you start looking so you can decide which areas will work for you.
Things to consider include where you’re working and whether you need easy access to public transportation or the turnpike. Some areas you may not have considered might work well, while others you can cross off the list, saving yourself time.
Find some candidates
Three good websites on which to search for apartments are: Rent.com, apartments.com, and the “For Rent” section of Homes.com. All three sites allow you to plug in a price range and a minimum number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and all provide photos and other information about the properties. Use more than one, as not all properties will be listed on all sites.
Rent.com has the added advantage of offering a $100 gift card if you find your apartment through their site, tell the leasing agent you found your apartment there, and then let Rent.com confirm your lease. If you find an apartment on their site, make sure to take advantage of this program (information can be found here).
Compare on paper first
Once you have a list of apartments you’re interested in, compare them side-by-side; create a spreadsheet in Excel or Google Documents, or write the information out on several sheets of paper you can line up.
Decide which attributes you need to consider in your decision, and make these into rows. Include things like: Price, distance from work or public transportation, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, square footage, whether pets are allowed, what utilities are included, and availability of things like off-street parking, a fitness room, pool, playground, etc.
Then create a column for each apartment you’re considering and plug in the information from the listing. If you’re putting the information into a spreadsheet, include a link to the listing so you can view pictures while you’re comparing. Lining the information up in one place will allow you to see which apartments are the best value; of two apartments with the same monthly rent, the one that includes more of the utilities or of the amenities you’re looking for would be the better buy. It will also allow you to identify any apartments that are obviously not a good value; an apartment with the highest monthly rent but the lowest square footage can be crossed off the list.
Visit in person
Once you’ve narrowed your choices down, make appointments to see the apartments in person. If possible, try to visit during the day and at night. Parking lots tend to fill up in the evening when people come home from work, noise levels can differ, and you will get a more complete impression of the neighborhood.
What’s the most important factor other than price that you consider when choosing an apartment?
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