6 Things You Need to Consider to Find the Right Apartment for You

Most people say they hate moving. It is one of the most stressful things a person can experience and ranks with loss of a job or getting a divorce in terms of what kind of stress it adds to a person’s life. Despite this, the typical American moves about 12 times during their lifetimes. When it comes to real estate rentals, if you are looking for an apartment, there are things you should do to make sure you rent an apartment that works with the way you live your life. Here are

1. Think about what you like to do when you are not at work. Some people really take a lot of joy from doing things outside. Others love to spend time on Sunday morning at the local coffee shop reading the paper. The kind of activities you like to do should impact what neighborhoods you look at when you are looking at real estate leases and rental properties. One thing you can do is find neighborhoods you like and then spend some time walking around them to see if you see any rental properties that interest you.
2. Think about how many people you know in the area. If you are moving to a new area, for a new job or some other reason, you may want to look at apartments for rent that offer activities and events for people who live there. Some complexes are built with helping people socialize in mind and will offer everything from game nights, happy hours, exercise classes, and other events aimed at helping residents get to know each other.
3. Think about how often you like to entertain friends and family. If you are not new to the area, you should look at real estate options that let you hold all of the dinners or parties that you like to throw. Some apartments have floor plans that are more conducive to entertaining than others. Look for places with more open living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens if this something that is important to you. Other complexes have pools, outdoor areas where you can barbeque, and other common areas that may be good for entertaining guests.
4. Look at how far the place is from your job. Everyone has seen the signs “if you lived here, you’d be home by now.” You should know what your options will be in terms of getting to and from work. If you are living in a city with a good public transportation system, you may want to take advantage of that and get a place that is near a subway, metro, or bus stop. If you will be driving, you should look at the route you will take to and from your job. This is more important to some people than others. If commuting to and from work is not something you want to spend a lot of time doing, you should look for real estate closer to your job.
5. Think about how important pets are to you. If you have pets, you already know that you need a place that will accept pets. If you are considering getting a dog or cat, you will need to ask about the policy at the places you are considering renting. Some apartment complexes also have services you may want if you have one or more dogs. Some offer pet walking and sitting services.
6. Think about how much noise you can live with. For people who have never lived in an apartment building, having someone overhead can be a problem. Some people do not sleep very soundly and need a quieter space to sleep in. If that describes you, you may want to look at the upper floors of the building. Budget for this as the apartments at the top of a building are often more pricey than those at the lower levels of the building. You should look at buildings that are not on a main road if noise is an issue.

When it comes to looking at real estate to rent, you have a lot of options. Taking time to find the right place will help you be happier in the apartment you select.