Apartment Hunt Fatigue

As professionals in your mid- twenties no matter what city you are in there is one fact: Apartment Hunting is Awful! No matter what you do, you feel you are paying a lot for not much. So after my first true apartment hunt (after college living) and conversations with friends here are my conclusions and tips.

 CONCLUSIONS:

- Apartment hunting differs greatly by city. Talk to people to learn what they did to get their apartment.

- Surprisingly, online presence of good apartments is often lacking. ( third party sites are more useful). Its getting better  but you might be surprised at places that do not have websites (at least this is true in Madison, WI).So driving around neighborhoods and writing phone numbers, and checking Craigslist like crazy might be a necessity.

- Good apartments turnover quickly, you might need to sign a contract faster than you want. 

- If you live in a college town, August is a terrible time to move. Rules are also very different if you want places close to campus. In Madison it is common for people to sign leases between October- January for leases that start in August.

- If you live in a place with a major employer like EPIC, there are apartments that mostly cater to that corporate.

So that brings me to some TIPS

- Know your priorities while apartment shopping ALWAYS

- Make a list of your TOP 5 most important things you are looking for.  If you are living with someone else, have them do the same.  Then compare it : if your lists are different, then talk and compromise. If you cannot compromise on this list, you probably should not live with them.

M and Mine were as follows:

- Price (we had a price in mind we wanted to be under that)

- Location (close to work and on the bus line, was what mattered to us the most)

- Pet Friendly (we have our meowy kitty to worry about)

- More Square Footage than we currently have

- In unit Washer and Dryer (we are spending way too much on laundry currently)

- Always read your contract, and ask questions. This shows the landlord you pay attention, and keeps them on their toes, and makes you aware. You might also get a thing or two in return. We asked about painting, and the lady said " well if you really want, come down and talk to us"

 Here is one we did not list but should be a no brainer: Available when you need it!

Its annoying, but finding a place you want to live at is important. Enjoy!