Apartment Fumbling: The Twenty-Something's Guide to Finding Your First Home

Moving out of your parent’s house is big step in any young person’s life. Finding your first adult apartment is an even more daunting task. Where you chose to live has a direct impact on your quality of life. It dictates your finances, friendships and health.

Recently, I moved from New York City to New Orleans, making several mistakes along the way. Here are some of my suggestions to avoid making common errors when renting your first apartment.

1. Do Research

Photo Retrieved from zillow.com

Start with some Internet research to find out basic information about your new city. Learn about the standard features you should expect in your new home. For example: In New York City, you will almost NEVER find an affordable apartment with a washer/dryer and/or dishwasher. It shouldn’t be an expectation. But in New Orleans, you would expect to see these features (in addition to centralized air conditioning) in every apartment.

Determine the market cycle in the new city. Do rental prices dip in the winter or summer? If something goes on the market today is it reasonable to expect it will still be on the market in a month? Should you expect to pay a reality fee or are no fee apartments available? Make sure you are familiar with the pricing standards for different neighborhoods. You can get a pretty good sense of this through monitoring sites like Zillow, StreetEasy or even CraigsList. 

2. Do More Research

Photo Retrieved from yelp.com 

Think about the things that are important to you. If you are a passionate yogi, search for yoga studios in the city and their proximity to different neighborhoods. If you are a self-proclaimed foodie, search for local farmers markets and check out yelp reviews for restaurants in the city. Try to identify neighborhoods that have all of the amenities you are looking for.

Extra tip: In cities, neighborhoods with more trees are typically safer, nicer, and cooler (temperature wise) than areas with little or no greenery. Use Google Earth to check out different neighborhoods and the area surrounding prospective apartments. 

3. Invest in a Visit

The Internet can tell you a lot about a city, but you won’t truly know a place until you visit. Do not skip visiting. This is so important I am going to write it twice: Do not skip visiting. Use all the research you have done to guide you. Make a list of the neighborhoods you want to check out and try to schedule some viewings.

I advise you not to multi-task during this visit. Don’t try to schedule touristy activities or a business meeting. 

4. Always do a Walk Through

In today's day and age, it is easy to do all of your apartment searching on the internet. Although the convenience of sitting on your parent's couch and browsing zillow.com may be appealing, it is impossible to know the space until you see it in person. Landlords can post old pictures of the apartment, or enhance the images with photoshop. Schedule a walk through and take note of the time of day you visit.

5. Ask a lot of Questions/Create a Checklist

Retrieved from here

For example:

1. When were the appliances installed?

2. Does the super/landlord live nearly by?

3. Are the walls sheetrock or plaster?

4. Are any utilities included in the rent?

5. Is the stove gas or electric?

6. Will the apartment be cleaned before move in?

7. Are there any safety hazards (i.e. broken windows, disabled fire alarms)?

8. Is off-street parking available?

9. What is the pet policy? Is a non-refundable deposit required for all types of animals?

6. Negotiate

When it comes to renting an apartment, don’t settle. If there is anything you are unhappy about or want changed, ask the landlord if it would be possible to address those things before you move in. You should be excited to move into your new apartment. Ask for what you want, and follow your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, and your landlord is not willing to negotiate, don’t be afraid to walk away.