Renting Your Own Apartment

You don't want something huge, or something extremely beautiful, you just want a cool apartment. Something that fits your lifestyle and your budget, and if at all possible, a place you won't be ashamed to have friends over every once in a while. Exciting as it is, looking for that place that suits is stressful, something I wouldn't want to do everyday, so it pays to get it right the first time.

First, be sure you have the money and the time. Money means having enough do the long, sometimes tedious process of hopping from prospect to prospect. Never skimp on the areas you need to cover just because you think you'll be wasting gas or taxi money. If you really need to save your resources in this area, plan your expedition beforehand by researching on the internet and the local classified ads, calling to weed out the dead ends, and finding the best, and shortest, route to cover all the remaining places. Another thing about funds - have a clear rent budget and stick to it. Think well before deciding to push that budget up just because you discovered a good place you really adore that costs just a tad more than you intended to pay.

As for time, you should use your time wisely, but you shouldn't hurry up. Renting an apartment is an important decision, you can't just switch tactics when you've already made the down payment.

Whenever you find what seems to be a cool apartment, check out the vicinity, the other houses and buildings nearby, and especially the people. Find out if there's a hospital nearby, or a grocery, bank, police station, and fire department. If you commute, where do the buses stop, and where do they go?

What is the usual age of the people you see? Are there children and senior folk? Do you see anyone with pets?

In the apartment, check the water and electricity, air-conditioning and heating, and the arrangement for the payment of the utilities. What are the average costs paid by people in the building?

How many windows are there, and can you open them? If you're in a city with cold winters, ask about the insulation and if the types of windows installed are the right kind. How's the view from the window? Is the place inundated with bugs in summer, and are there window screens installed?

Check storage space like closets, basements and attics, because however light you travel, if you plan to stay there for any amount of time, you are bound to accumulate things. Whatever you think you need, plan for twice that amount in storage space.

Safety is of primary importance. If the fixtures look old and barely maintained (switches, wall outlets, light sockets), can the wires hidden behind the walls be any better? Are there enough wall sockets for the electric gadgetry you possess? Check that the entrances aren't too easy for an intruder to break into, but that has to balance with the fact that you might need to break out in an emergency.

Check for pests or the signs they leave behind. Look for roach and rat droppings in hidden corners and under furniture, bite marks or stripping on exposed wires and cables, or even traps set out by maintenance. Also, find out if the contract will allow you to do simple stuff like repainting or adding hooks on the walls or light fixtures on the ceiling. Can you keep pets? Is there parking (even if you don't have a car, what if you have a guest who does?)?

Will the furniture you already have fit in the doors and in the space? You should have measurements listed down on a small pad you carry with you, and always have a tape measure. Aside from giving you the certainty that the whole lot will fit, it shows that you know what you're doing and sneaky landlords will be less inclined to pass a bad deal on you.

Finally, how do you feel in your gut about the landlord or the people in the office? You will have to deal with them many times in the course of your stay so try to keep good rapport.

Prepare, know your needs and your desires, and be firm with your budget. All these things mean more effort to start with, but the payback is that you get a cool apartment right at the moment you sign the lease.

Check out more useful real world advice to help you find a cool apartment at http://mycoolapartment.blogspot.com/.