It’s that time of year again when you have to decide, do I stay at my place or do I venture out to see what else is out there? For many of us, finding the perfect apartment can be very difficult, especially since it is such a big decision to make. It can also be overwhelming because of all the different complexes, floor plans, etc. that are available in Tallahassee. So, for those you that don’t know where to begin, here is a guide to help jumpstart your housing search and help you find your perfect apartment.
Step One: Who’s Your Roomie?
Knowing the number of people that you will be living with is the number one consideration you need to take when looking for a new house. This way you can eliminate various places that only offer certain floor plans that won’t meet your needs. If you don’t have any particular roommates, many apartment complexes offer roommate matching too.
Step Two: Figure Out What Is Most Important To You
As someone who works in student housing, a constant issue faced when trying to help students find their new apartment is that they don’t know what they want. What you should do before going out on any tours of apartments is make a list of what your deal-breakers and deal-makers are. I find the top deal breakers/makers for most students are: price, location, and safety. Other factors that you might want to consider when looking at apartments might be whether or not it comes furnished, what utilities are included, whether or not it is pet friendly, and what the parking situation is like. Take this list with you as you go and tour apartments, and you’ll know the right questions to ask.
Step Three: Research, Research, Research
Now that you know what you want, find the places that meet your needs. While you can go the Google route to search for what you want, you could also try looking up places on Facebook or Apartments.com. Apartments.com not only has information about the properties, but helpful reviews. An important consideration to make as well when researching is whether or not the complexes have availability for the time frame you are looking to move in. Also, when looking at different websites for apartment complexes, see if you can make an appointment to visit. By making appointments, you can make a day out of apartment hunting and not have to take so long to do it all.
Step Four: Touring
Once your research is complete and appointments are made, it is time to tour. Make sure when you tour, that you have an ID with you, as most complexes require you to have one when taking a tour for safety reasons. Also, be sure you have your questions, that way you can get all the right information that you need. Once your questions are answered and your tour is complete, make a pro and cons chart afterwards so that if you are touring a lot of properties, you can have the deal-makers and the deal-breakers known. When it comes to making your final decision, you’ll know who to keep and who to eliminate.
Step Five: Make The Decision
Now that all the research and footwork is done, it is time to make your decision. Once you have chosen your new home (yay!), it is time to sign the paperwork. Make sure you read through it on your own, as well as have the leasing agent explain it to you. That way, you can make sure you are not being taken advantage of, or having a sketchy agreement with the property. Also, most leases do require a guarantor or co-signer of the lease; this is typically a parent or relative. Just make sure that you make that parent or relative aware that they will be used as a co-signer so there won’t be any surprises. Once that is all done, you are finally going to be all set to move into your new home!
Now you know how to find the perfect apartment, happy house hunting and may the rental rates be ever in your favor!
*If you have any trouble with research, or just simply don’t have the time to do research, check out free apartment research services like The Apartment Seekers