Blue color swatches, vibrant orange rugs, ikat printed pillows on a white couch, and a big abstract painting. Pinterest has been preparing me for the day I move into my own apartment. I know what I want the inside to look like and who I want to live with, but how do I choose the right place to live?
I’ve always wanted to live in a beautiful historic apartment with high ceilings. But seeing as those are pretty hard to come by in Athens…I just had to settle for something a little more realistic.
Here are some important tips when apartment hunting:
- Read the Fine Print!
The last thing you want to do is sign over your life to a cardboard box without even knowing it. For those of you who are new to apartment scene, a lease is a yearly contract between the person leasing and the owner of a house/apartment, stating that you agree to pay a monthly charge for living there. These can be signed either independently or jointly. Now be careful, a lot of the time this monthly charge does not include utilities, cable or Internet. These you usually have to pay for on top of your monthly lease. So definitely be sure to read over your contract and don’t be afraid to get help from your parents. And as much as you want to make all these decisions on your own, since after all this is your first step into adulthood, you’re going to need help your first time. So call your parents. After all they have done all of this before.
- It’s all about location, location, location!
Do you want to be close to campus so you’re right by the SLC? Right downtown where you can be at Moonshine within seconds of power hour ending? You could always live on Milledge—if you’re willing to sit through the traffic every day. Location is key when choosing an apartment. Can you walk to campus from your new pad? Or will you spend time waiting on Athens Transit? It’s all about personal preference.
- Where are the boys?
As terrible as this question sounds, you really need to think about it. It’s nice to have boys close by for safety reasons and if you ever need any help. You could always use an extra hand when you’re moving in or out of your new apartment! They’re always there to grill burgers, as long as they get one too, or jump-start your car. You don’t realize how much you might need their help, until they’re not within arms reach anymore. Hey, you could always thank them by extending an invitation to your next house party!
- How many is too many?
Let’s be honest, the Brady Bunch may have made it look easy, but in reality you know they were constantly at each other’s throats. We know Jan always wanted to kill Marsha in her sleep. This is the exact thing you want to avoid. Consider how many roommates you can tolerate and factor that into your price range. Are you a social butterfly who enjoys a constant company or are you an introverted gal who prefers dinner alone? Personally, I’m living with two other girls and am not afraid of the odd-one-out rule of three people. But are 5 or 6 girls too much? It really depends on you.
So you’ve done it. You’ve found an apartment, you’ve chosen your roommates, and you know a cute boy who lives next door. Now what do you do? It’s time to cross the line from adolescent and naïve college student, to adulthood. It’s time to sign the lease. Pauley’s is always a great place to sign a lease. You can sip on a glass of champagne at the same time you scribble your signature on the dotted line. It is officially time to celebrate after all. Congratulations! You are officially living on your own without any supervision! Just a heads up ladies: Pinterest just got a lot more fun.