By Relocation.com Staff
If you're looking for an apartment, there are several things you need to be thinking about as you're making your rental decision. To help you best navigate this question, here's a list of things to keep in mind when you're looking at apartments for rent or homes for rent.
Outside the Apartment
Do you feel sale? That's the bottom line. If you visit the apartment during the day, think about how will feel coming home late at night, or early in the morning. If the thought makes you frightened, move on. No amenities or cheap rent can compensate for that.
As part of this, ask your neighbors about safety, and check in with the local police about crime statistics.
Is the laundry nearby? If you don't have a car, it better be close, preferably in your building. Picture yourself trudging there every week or so and ask yourself how you feel about that.
Is the building clean and well kept? Are entryways and hallways well lit? Are unsavory types hanging about? How the building is kept up is a pretty good indicator of the vigilance of the apartment manager.
Is the building close to major roads and public transportation? Do trial runs for how long it would take to reach your work, your daycare, or other frequently visited placed.
Where are all the services? Find out where the following things are: gas stations, supermarkets, restaurants, banks, drug stores and gyms – is the distance friendly or daunting? If you're on public transit, figure out how long it will take to get to these various places that you might visit often.
Inside the Apartment
Before signing a rental lease, make a quick check of the apartment, not only the appearance and cleanliness, but see that things actually work. Take nothing for granted – anything that doesn't work now you'll have to deal with right away when you move, not a great way to spend your first few days in your new home.
Bathroom: Check the water pressure in the sink and shower, and flush the toilet to make sure it operates properly. Also, make sure the hot water works.
Appliances: Check the frig, the heating and air conditioning, the stove and oven and any other appliances that might be in the apartment.
Walls: If the building's near a road, can you hear the traffic? Can you hear the neighbors next door? If near an airport, how is that noise?
Windows: Make sure they open and close easily, and make sure there are no holes or cracks in the glass.
Electricity: Where there's a switch, try it out to make sure it works. Check each one.