Searching for a new apartment can be daunting, especially in larger cities where you have lots of options. Do you want a small community or a larger one? Which floor plan would work best for you? How do you keep track of the different amenities offered by each community?
[find-an-apartment]Here are some suggestions on how to simplify your apartment search.
Start with location
One of the simplest ways to discriminate between various apartment communities is to consider their locations. Try pinpointing a spot that's important to you, such as your workplace or your favorite neighborhood, and search within a 1-mile or 5-mile radius of that location for apartment communities. If you don't find any that meet your needs, then you can start looking outside that area (and planning for a longer commute).
Use tools on online listings
Many apartment communities post floorplans and photos on their online listings. Studying these apartment listings’ images and listed amenities and features may enable you to eliminate communities you might otherwise have visited because the apartment style doesn't suit you, or because the community doesn't have an amenity you need, such as sufficient parking.
Keep in mind what doesn't work for you now
Once you start looking at apartments, you might be intrigued by amenities you don't currently have or may never even have heard of. To keep your top priorities in mind while you're searching, make a list of your greatest dissatisfactions before you even assemble a list of communities to check out. Do you need more space? A larger kitchen, or one with more up-to-date appliances? Do you need a community that allows pets? Do you need extra storage space? If you have friends in apartments, think about things you admire or envy in their communities — a pool? A well-kept fitness center? Carrying this list to your visits will help you keep you focused on your priorities.
Take notes
Take copious notes and keep them together. You can set up a spreadsheet with each community's name, rent charged, amount of space, most important amenities, and any notes you want to remember. If you're looking at lots of communities, record and organize your notes as soon as possible after your visit, so that you stand less chance of confusing which community offered the free brunch and which one had the spacious lofts available.
Don't be afraid to take a break
If the search seems overwhelming, take a day or even just a couple hours where you refuse to think about apartment-hunting. This can be a bit scary if your lease on your current place is coming up, but stepping away from your apartment search for a little while may help you see more clearly which apartment community suits you best. If you come back from a break and none of the communities on your list compel you, that may be a sign to try looking in a different area or re-evaluating your list of desired features.