Looking for a new apartment can be fun or stressful, and to make sure it’s an enjoyable experience, people should put together a must-have list.
This list can vary from person to person and some of the things to consider when looking for your next apartment include the following:
- Location: Perhaps the most important thing to look for is a good location, one that is close to work, public transportation, convenience stores, as well as family and friends. Once they see an ideal apartment, they can search it on Google Maps to determine the time it takes them to travel to their favorite places.
- Storage: When touring the apartment, they should inspect the closets to see how much space there is. This is because they will surely bring a lot of things to the new apartment, so the closets should be able to accommodate them all. If not, they can ask if there is other storage in the building so they can take a look.
- Appliances – Although washing machines and dishwashers are not considered essential, they can surely make life a lot easier. There are people who use the laundry services in the building, but some prefer to use a washing machine in their unit. Whatever their choice, they can include it on their list.
- Heat and Air Conditioning – Tenants could not live without the convenience of heating and / or air conditioning no matter the weather. They can check if the air conditioning is centralized, one in each room or if there is none, and ask if they are allowed to install window units when needed. If there are renters around during the tour, they can ask questions about temperature control and average heating bills so they know what to expect when winter comes.
- Pet Policy: In case they have a pet, they should first check the owner’s policy. If pets are not allowed, they should simply look elsewhere. On the other hand, if the building accepts pets but they have allergies and cannot stand the barking of the dog next door; this place may not be an ideal home for them.
- Parking – Convenient parking space is crucial when tenants have a car. They wouldn’t want to spend too much time going around in circles after a tiring day at work, even if it’s a really nice place. If they visit the apartment on a weekend, they can spend a busy day to see if it is easy to park or ask other tenants if they have difficulties.
- Security: When the front door of the apartment opens to the sidewalk that does not have a common entrance or fence, this may not be secure. If a tenant lives alone, it would be better to look for a building that has a lobby or doorman. A smaller building with higher floors is sometimes safer than garden or ground floor units.
- Noise: The noise that the tenants must withstand depends on the location of the unit plus the thickness of its walls. When the place is located on a busy street, above a bar, or next to the train tracks, tenants know what to expect. They should also consider the number of surfaces they share with the people next to them, such as the ceiling, the floor, and the walls. There has to be at least the top floor so there are no neighbors upstairs making noise with their heels.
