How to Apartment Hunt
It’s not always easy finding the right apartment, even more so if you are relocating to a new city or it’s your first time. Learn how to hunt for an apartment to assist your quest in finding the perfect apartment!
Where is the Community Located?
Location is everything. It’s most important to be close to work so you can save both time and money on your commute. Secondly, you want to make sure you’re in a save area of town. Third, it’s important to be where you want to be. If your work, your friends, and all the places you like to occupy are far from where you live, you are inevitably going to end up feeling isolated and lonely. Furthermore, research the neighborhood. Are there quality grocery stores nearby, or are there only corner stores and supermarkets with inflated prices? There are many questions to keep in mind when picking an apartment community other than how close you are to work. The greatest power struggle will be figuring out where you should live compared against where you want to live and the available apartment units in between those two areas. Location is key!
Amenities Are Meant to be Used
Every apartment community has amenities, some have more than others, some have better amenities than others. It is critical to know what amenities are at your disposal as you pay for them each month in your rent. Make a list of what amenities you absolutely have to have and what amenities are only wants or you don’t care for. This will help ease the decision of what apartment community to lease from. While a rooftop deck overlooking a lake or ocean is extravagant, amenities to keep an eye out for are covered or heated garage parking, laundry on site or in your unit, and storage. Depending on the apartment unit, the mentioned amenities may require extra payment or they may come standard. Either way, dive deep into all an apartment provides for their residents. Following location, amenities can be the deciding factor between apartment communities.
Floor Plans, Then Virtual Tour
It is normal for apartment communities to have several floorplans for one bedroom and two bedroom apartment units. Make sure you see all the different design layouts available to you and get the dimensions on them. This will save you time when you decide to start looking at the virtual tours. You may look at a virtual tour and think you love a style, only to see the floorplan and it doesn’t meet your hopes and dreams. Options are good, and it’s good to know what your options are. When looking at floorplans, think about how much space you require. Do you have a lot of stuff or are you a minimalist? When you know what you need, it’s easier to figure out what apartment you want and what is going to serve you best. After you looked through the floorplans, you can go on a virtual tour if the apartment community provides them. If you still like what you see after both the floor plans and the virtual tour, then you can call and schedule your in-person tour.
The Community Is Not Only The Building
More than the building you are going to be living in, the neighborhood surrounding the apartment building is also your community. It is essential to research the area the apartment you’re looking at is in. Does it have what you need? Is there a grocery store, bank, and a park close by? Are you going to have to hop on a bus or train to go to laundry? What are the businesses located around your apartment? Are they businesses that you will want to support, or are they shady or above your paygrade? Additionally, the community is also the people that live in the apartment building. It has become relatively standard for communities to provide amenities like a community room, pool, and other spaces to promote residents socializing with each other and develop strong, long-lasting relationships. No one likes a grouchy neighbor, so don’t be shy. Knock on the doors of those around you and introduce yourself. Who knows, you may just make a new friend or meet someone you want to mingle with a little longer!
If It Seems Promising, Go See It In Person
If the floor plans look good, the virtual tour gets you excited, there’s nothing left to do but get out there and see it for yourself. Part of the fun of the hunt is going around and seeing all the apartments in person to make your own observations about the neighborhood, the building, and the unit. When inside an apartment unit, think of how much furniture you own and if it will all fit or if you’ll have to sell some. You also want to get an idea for all the possible interior design layouts you could have. Most importantly, you’ll learn the overall mood and attitude of the apartment community and if you relate to the staff and residents. If you feel confident about the apartment before your in-person tour, you might measure your furniture to make sure you can fit it through the door and in your prospective unit.
Keep Looking
Are you in the middle of finding an apartment? Find the greatest space to call home! These wonderful apartments in the Milwaukee area may just your golden ticket!
