This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Jeanny Sánchez Gómez. Find them on Instagram at @jeanny_sanchez. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
Whether you’re planning on living with roommates or alone, looking for apartments can be a hassle. What’s my budget, what features do I want, and what location do I want? It feels like a never-ending stream of questions, and you might not even know where to start. Here’s your guide to tricks and tips for finding the best apartment!
Roommates or Solo
First, you must decide whether you want to live with roommates. Each situation is entirely different and can have its pros and cons.
If you decide to live with roommates, there are some significant things to think about. Do you already know the people you’ll be rooming with? Some people say it’s better not to live with friends or people you know; others say that’s the only way to have roommates. Either way, the most important thing to do is talk about boundaries. You should establish boundaries about how often to clean, cooking habits, having people over, etc., before learning the hard way as you go, as it can help avoid any resentment.
If you decide to live solo, ensuring your space is the best can help you combat any loneliness you might feel without other people around. Or, if you like your alone time, you would love your space!
Budget
The first thing you want to figure out is your budget. Budgeting may seem straightforward but don’t forget to calculate other apartment fees and utilities in addition to your rent. Nothing sucks more than thinking you found the perfect place in your budget just to realize there’s an extra $200 hundred dollars you didn’t account for.
Location
Now, after you actually figure out what your budget will be, you can start thinking about what location you want to live in. For me, this was my favorite part, especially in a city that isn’t as walkable as I would like but does have a few areas that can be walkable. Depending on where you live, you might also look for different things.
Don’t have a car? You might need to make sure your apartment is accessible to public transportation.
Have kids or just like being active? What does the closet park look like? Are there any walking trails near it?
Are you a social drinker? What does the bar scene look like? Are there places you can walk to, or will you have to Uber to the other side of town?
You probably won’t find a location that has it all, but it’s nice if it’s close.
Size
The next thing you should think of is how much space you’ll need. If you have roommates, that might also lead to thinking about how many bathrooms you’ll need and even the layout of the bedrooms.
If you have multiple pets like me, you might also need to get a bigger apartment to ensure that your furry roommates are just as happy and comfortable as you are.
Aesthetics and Appliances
Being picky about this can be for both aesthetic and practical reasons.
Aesthetically, you might prefer to have modern silver appliances or want lighter countertops and cabinets. Maybe you like to have carpet over hardwood floors or like certain types of mirrors and lights. Practically, maybe you just want a dishwasher that works. Either way, for me, appliances and looks can make or break an apartment. If you’re like me, you’ll probably look for places that have a dishwasher, microwave, and a washer and dryer in the unit.
Some places give you the option of having the unit fully furnished and while that sounds convenient, and it can be, but my biggest turn away was the fact that the furniture was just not my style. Between visually hating it and the additional cost of having another fee, it made it an option that’s just not for me. But, I will say that having this option is the best if you’re a college student who isn’t ready to invest in furniture or if you moved cities and need to keep the move light.
Hitting the most boxes you can in this department might be the most challenging part of searching for an apartment.
Amenities
The fun part of apartment searching can be looking at all the amenities an apartment complex can offer. Living in Texas, the summer heat is no joke so a nice, clean pool, is one of the top things I look for at an apartment. Having a nice gym, work spaces if you need to get stuff done but don’t want to stay in your apartment, and having a package room, where you know that your packages won’t be stolen is great to have.
While not really an amenity, one thing that I learned to ask about was parking. Whether it’s a free for all situation, one car per lease holder, covered parking, or garage parking, it’s good to know what the parking situation will be ahead of time.
While all this might seem overwhelming even with a starting point, once you start looking it can be hard to keep track of every place you look at. So with that the biggest piece of advice I can give is to keep a note or even an excel sheet with every apartment you’ve looked at with all the pros and cons you saw and even a ranking of what you liked the most.
Another good thing to keep in mind is to keep an eye out for any leasing deals apartments might offer. In the city I live in, there are certain months when apartments tend to offer leasing specials more than others. And if you start looking early enough, leasing agents will always try their hardest to get you to sign for a place, and they’ll email you if any specials become available.
At the end of the day, apartment hunting should be fun! It’s the chance to pick a space that will really feel like home, a place that can be your safe place from the world.
Happy Hunting!
Any apartment-hunting tips we missed? Leave a comment below with your advice!
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