Apartment Finders: Their Job Is to Help You
Apartment finders are there to help you out when you’re trying to find that perfect place to live. Where do you even begin your apartment hunt, especially when you live in a larger city, when you’re working on finding an apartment?
There’s a lot to consider when finding an apartment. Are you interested in renting a college apartment, a loft apartment, or a high rise apartment? What kind of location, how many bedrooms and what about price and amenities? Some people value safety over amenities; others just want to find smoke-free apartments or apartments that take pets so they can stay with their furry friends.
While many people might prefer to just dive into hunting for a new apartment, others might find the help of an apartment finder extremely useful. If you’re a person who wouldn’t mind a little apartment finder assistance, consider following these apartment finder guidelines:
1. Research the Market You’d Like to Explore with Your Apartment Finder
Research can save you time before you meet with your apartment finder. Use a website like ApartmentSearch to browse apartment listings. But don’t stop there — ask around, too. Talk to friends and neighbors about the areas of town they prefer. Get recommendations from happy residents, and don’t be afraid to ask them questions. Visit some apartment ratings websites for opinions. Researching apartments and areas of town is a great idea to start narrowing down your hunt to the neighborhoods you like.
2. Decide What You Want in an Apartment
What exactly makes an apartment a home for you? You should think carefully about this. What’s important to one person is not important to the next, so think about what you value.
Do you have pets? What is your budget, including renters insurance and utilities? Figure out how much you can spend on rent per month. Your apartment finder will tell you that to qualify for an apartment, your maximum rent usually should be around three times your monthly income. Think about other things like apartment cable television service, internet providers and school districts if you have children. Crime statistics, parking and swimming pools are good things to consider as well. And, of course, how much space you will need. Write this information down and bring it with you when you meet with an apartment finder.
3. Find a Reputable Apartment Finder
Ask around for recommendations for an apartment finder. You want someone who will listen to your concerns and someone with enough experience to know which apartments are offering specials and discounts. A good apartment finder will find apartments that would be a good match for you based on the criteria you give them.
Some apartment finders win incentives from apartment complexes for placing residents; make sure your apartment finder is showing you the full selection of choices and is respecting your preferences rather than pursuing a hidden self-interest.
4. Set Up a Meeting Time with an Apartment Finder
Once you pick an apartment finder, call their office to schedule a meeting time. You’ll want to set aside a few hours, as this can take a while. You’ll need to sit down to discuss what you want; then the apartment finder will search for good matches. They may also be able to do this for you over the phone so that when you come in for the meeting, you and the finder can leave right away to start visiting apartments. Be sure to bring a photo ID, as some places may require one to view an apartment. A pen and paper to write down notes on your discussions with apartment managers would also be helpful.
Going from place to place can be exhausting, even with your apartment finder’s assistance, but at least by the time you get back from your search, you’ll have your hands full with brochures, floor plans and pricing information from a few good apartment complexes. Then comes the hard part: picking an apartment to move into.
If you feel like you haven’t been given enough choices or suitable options after meeting with an apartment finder, don’t be afraid to go back and ask for more help — or choose another apartment finder. The search for an apartment can be long and frustrating, but it sure is a great payoff when you find what you want and start moving into your apartment.
Congratulations! Ready to rest? Not quite! Now it’s time to start decorating your apartment!
