Apartment Hunting Tips

One of the hardest and most dreaded tasks for renters is hunting for a new apartment to call home. The process can seem overwhelming for some renters, especially those looking for apartments in the Arlington area. The questions and options can seem endless. Where should I live? How do I know what communities offer the amenities that I’m the most interested in? If you’ve found yourself asking these questions recently, you’re not alone. In addition, the process can seem even more daunting for renters looking in a large metropolitan area, such as DFW. There are, however, a few important things to remember that will assist you in organizing your thoughts in order to use your time and efforts in the most efficient manner possible.

Plan ahead. When apartment hunting, it is important that you are prepared before starting your search. Make a list of things that you want in a new apartment. Are washers and dryers important to you? Do you want to be sure that your new apartment home offers a fireplace? You may not find everything that you’re looking for being offered at your preferred property, but it definitely helps to set and maintain a list of priorities.

Be Prepared. You’ll want to do as much advanced preparation as you can before you start apartment hunting. This will not only help you narrow down the list of properties that you actually visit, but it’ll also assist you in preparing the questions that you need to ask the management team when you visit your selected apartments to tour. Remember when looking and applying for a new apartment home, you will need to gather up information on rental and employment history as well as names and numbers for a few references. It’s always a good idea to keep this information updated and on-hand in order to make for a smooth transition. Be sure to request permission and notify your references that they may receive a phone call.

Visit your preferred communities. The best way to get a good feel for an apartment unit is to visit the property personally. You should do a careful walk-through of any unit that has made it to your final selection list. If you are moving from a larger place to a smaller place, it may be a good idea to take a tape measure. This is also a good idea if you have oversized furniture or just general reservations about the size of the apartment unit.

Visit your preferred communities in the daytime, seeing how much natural light the unit gets may be an indication of how high or low utility bills will be. Take a digital camera to take pictures of the different apartment communities and layouts in order to ensure you remember the details correctly. It is also a good idea to drive to each apartment community by taking the route that you will use most often once you move. For example, you may want to drive to the apartment community from your workplace in order to get a good assessment of the commute. Be sure to consider any additional factors such as road construction and/or traffic.

Meet the Management Team. When visiting the apartment communities, take some time to meet and interact with the management team. Not only is this the perfect opportunity to ask any questions that you have about the property or facilities, but it will also help you gauge the friendliness of the staff.

Make notes. It is always a good idea to visit at least two to three properties that you feel are within your budget and meet your criteria. You should inspect each property and unit, and compare your choices. Important details for many renters include the pet policy of the property, closet and storage space for each property, electrical wiring including placement of outlets, utilities provided by the property, and cable and/or satellite restrictions.

Search Online. Apartment Hunting can be made easier by using the internet. The internet is full of useful resources with apartment listings, prices, photographs, reviews, and more for tons of apartment communities all over the country. One of these websites is UMoveFree an apartment resource for residents of Texas. Read a review for more information.