What Do You Look for in an Apartment?

[astrostu]

An extremely off-topic question ... for those of you who rent, have rented, or will very soon be renting an apartment, what do you look for in one? What characteristics do you put ahead of others? Do you wait at least a day before really deciding after looking at properties? To be a tad more specific ...

I've been in the same place for nearly two years and my lease is up at the end of June. I've been wanting to move for over a year, but I didn't because the place I'm at now is so much cheaper than any other place I'd get. But, spending 10 hours a week on the bus and the deteriorating state of the management at this place pretty much solidified my decision to move. And I want to move much closer to campus than I am now.

So I looked at apartmentratings.com (my current place has a 38% approval rating, so I know to take 'em with a grain of salt), and I whittled down my list of five dozen to five places to look today. Two had spots available in my time frame.

One of them is in an ideal location (2 miles from campus), doesn't allow undergrads (huzzah!), and a very strict noise policy (yay!). But, it's $30 more per month than another place that's farther away (not a big deal), and the kitchen is slightly smaller than the one I have now ... and I do a lot of cooking and want a bigger kitchen. But then, they also have a 2-bedroom for $75 more that would let me have my desk, computer, tools, art supplies, etc. in a "study" that's quite appealing ... but $75 more. I'd have to cut down on my coin and camera budgets.

So anyway, if you've made it this far in the post, how do you decide? I don't expect specific advice to this situation, but I'm curious to know how you prioritize in these really big decisions.

 

[M-O-S]

I want a studio/loft apartment............

 

[Corry]

Hmmm...well, that's though.

I live in a rural community, so it's not really like I have a lot of choices. Before the apartment I'm in now, I was in a much smaller apartment (as in, about 1/3 the size). Noise from the neighbors was often a problem, unfortunately...but I did like it there. It was just very very small. Having a little home made portrait studio in that tiny of an apartment wasn't exactly EASY. Rent was cheap (when I first moved in it was $225/mo plus all utilities, but it had gone up to $275 plus utilities about a year before I moved...that's cheap even for this area, but utilities could get kinda high for such a tiny apt).

I wasn't looking for another apartment, but when I was doing my laundry at the laundromat one day, I saw an ad on the wall for a 1600 sq ft apt....the entire top floor of the very laundromat I was in. Funny thing is, ever since that building had become a laundromat, and they no longer used the top floor like the previous business did, I always thought it would be awesome to make that into one giant apartment.

And, they did! There is MORE than enough room for studio area....plus, my ex bf that I was with at that time is an artist, and he had plenty of room for that, too. The building was older and not as nice...and it's kinda hard to air condition 1600 sq with a window air unit....

...but the space is what sold us. The place definitely has it's drawbacks (extremely hard to decorate, for one!), but I've been there for a year and a half, and I'm not planning to move soon.

Oh, and the rent, for a place that huge, ends up being around the same, if not LESS than the other, tiny place. Rent is $475, with all utilities included. I have no doubt there is no way in hell I could afford to heat that place on my own.

 

[Chris of Arabia]

"What Do You Look for in an Apartment?"

Dead bodies?

>;o))

 

[d1a1s1]

Ive been renting for years and each time I rent a new place (I move a lot) theres a whole new set of trade offs I have to consider. You have to think about what , exactly, you need an apartment for. Do you plan to spend free time there, is it mostly just sleeping, studying, entertaining, or partying? Once I decide what my primary use will be I go from there. I love to cook as well but Ive lived in some places with incredibly modest kitchens and still turned out some decent meals, plus cleaning is faster. So just think about what you will be using this space for and go from there. Im looking at a new place right now that has a PERFECT beach location but its a bit small...so what if its small, Ill be at the beach! Good luck. Hope this helps.

 

[clarinetJWD]

Three things:
1. Location
2. Modern
3. Laundry

Of course, I want the apt to be nearby where I need to be most often, so location is a must. I also look for a place that seems to have modern fixtures/appliances/etc. because it's a sign that they keep up with the place, and nothing is going to fall apart on you. Finally, I've been living in a place with laundry in the apt, and I don't think I could go back to the horrid coin-op dungeons now

 

[Alex_B]

What Do You Look for in an Apartment?

Well first I try to find the safe ... after that job is done, I go for cameras, the expensive electronics including TV if not too heavy ...

Usually I also bring me buddy Jeff to help carrying, he is also the one selling the bulky stuff a couple of weeks later to this guy named Spikey Mikey and his gang.

Oh, make sure you wear gloves by the way ...

 

[Stretch Armstrong]

Alex, you are sick.

I don't take their stuff. I just smell their dirty undergarments.

Alex, you need help.

 

[Alex_B]

Alex, you are sick.

I don't take their stuff. I just smell their dirty undergarments.

Alex, you need help.

I just do it for the money, photography is so damn expensive! .. and I am sort of .. addicted!

 

[Stretch Armstrong]

I just do it for the money, photography is so damn expensive! .. and I am sort of .. addicted!

I know what you mean. I started turning tricks for extra cash. I nearly have enough for a 4 x 6 print.

 

[astrostu]

Okay, you latest folks are just weird.

d1a1s1, I think that's a great idea, to think of what I need it for, and then to go from there. What I need it for is to do everything other than work ... which doesn't really narrow it down except that I need it to be able to serve many different functions. But I also need it to be larger with more space than I have now since I'm currently running out of room and I'm going back to my parents' house to bring back a carload full of stuff a few weeks before I move. Which is another reason why that extra bedroom would be so nice.

clarinetJWD, the appliances are pretty modern, so that's a good sign. Even though the complex was built in '72-3. Laundry is not in the apartment, and that's not an option, but it is just below the building (which is better than I have now). Considering that over hte last year I've spent about $80 on laundry anyway, I don't think I could financially justify buying a washer/dryer, and getting into a place where I can't makes that decision easier.

Thanks for the input so far. I'll be making a decision within the next ~15 hrs!

 

[agonzalez]

1. Location (specially if it is near a major hwy which means accesibility).
1.1. Neighborhood.
2. Overall condition, in and out (I prefer gated comunities, usually well maintained).
3. Security.
4. Price, of course.

 

[Claff]

Storage space! The place we're in now has decent closets in the bedrooms but almost nothing for linens near the bathroom or coats near the front door.

I wouldnt' get a place that didn't have its own laundry, but I've been spoiled in our current place where we've been for five years.

Depending on how the building is laid out, if you can get an end unit or something on a corner to reduce the number of neighbors that'll be a plus.

We really liked where we are now, but at the first of the year they changed management companies and brought in a whole new crew and what had been a great relationship quickly turned cold. Now we're looking at getting out of here and renting a house.

 

[astrostu]

Thanks for the latest input. I put down the money for the security deposit today. The place has its own laundry facilities (there's no way I would go to a place that didn't), and it has a hallway closet, linnen closet, and closets in each bedroom (I got two bedrooms so I can use one as a study).

I made several compromises: I got a $40 reduction from the $850 they were asking for other units of the same layout because this one doesn't have a view (well, it does, but it's of the wall of the next building) and doesn't get much direct sunlight. And they knocked it down another $40 because I said that they could not put in new carpet (it's worn, but I have furnature and I could always get area rugs). Plus, they'll let me move in on June 15 instead of June 4 if they don't do the new carpet, and if I wanted to get a cat, I couldn't if they put in the new carpet. And then there's the compromise of no upgrade on the kitchen (it's about the same size counter-space-wise as my current one), which is kinda a bummer. But, this'll bring down my daily bus ride from 45-60 minutes to 10.