Finding Off Campus Apartments Step One

Alright your set, you've successfully passed your freshman year of college and you can opt out of living in the dorms your remaining college years if you so choose. And most students don't want to spend three more years living in a communal atmosphere with no privacy and party central going on next door and do choose to move out and on their own. If you have only lived at home and the dorms you may not know how to begin the next phase of your college years but it's fairly simple with a few tips to guide you.

The first stage of your adventure is the search. Off campus apartments can get snapped up fast by the savvy students who have been forced to take up residence further afield because they took too long to begin their search last year so timing is essential. Don't wait until September to begin your hunt. Start looking and be prepared with your first, last and deposit money a month ahead of time.

Off campus apartments that are close to the college may cost you more but they also mean a short easy commute that you can often walk so your gas budget goes way down. Keep this in mind while you're looking. As you go further out from your college you should expect to pay less rent for any off campus apartments because your gas budget will go up with every passing block of your commute.

Stage two of your endeavor is the roommate stage. Roommates can be a God sent or a nightmare so if you're considering this option consider all of your options carefully first. The more rent you are willing to pay the more off campus apartments that are available for your consideration and that can mean you may have to consider the option of roommates. If this is where you're at look for friends first, acquaintances second and as a last resort consider the option of strangers.

Most apartments will require a lease and if whoever lives in the apartment will need to be on the lease which makes everyone equally responsible for the condition of the apartment and making the rent on time. This can be a good thing if everyone is responsible and reliable and a bad thing if you get the roommate from hell that is always late on rent and does a midnight move leaving you holding the bag.

If you don't want to risk the possible fallout of a roommate gone bad situation - look for the studio size off campus apartments that are in your budget and close to your school that you can afford to swing on your own. This is a viable option for most college students who are used to the cramped confines of dorm living anyway and are willing to sacrifice space for peace of mind.

That's pretty much all there is to it- the next step is moving in.