An apartment hunt can be a messy deal for there are lots of pitfalls along the way. Brokers who charge hidden fees, agents who are totally unprofessional, and transport companies that damn the schedule and urgency of the situation are just tips of the iceberg.
The whole caboodle is tricky, not to mention quick decision making ability, which become horrifically ineffective on the spot, as you will be repelled by as small a concern like the neighborhood, but swooned by the panorama of the new abode. But with the following approaches, the deal can be done quickly, effectively and economically:
1. Consider the budget issues
Your budget must be proportional to the amenities that you need in the apartment. Nearness to groceries, supermarkets, railway terminals, airports, seaports, workstation, etc. can help in curtailing living expenses.
2. Consider the time factor
Beside budgets, the time factor also has a strong presence in making the decision. Though the rentals are freely available during the summer, the price will be abnormally high as all of us want to move in and out during the scorching season.
Therefore, it may be best to wait for a better time. Renting an apartment during the holidays or at a time closer to the holidays is generally easier. When it’s cold, the mobility is slower.
3. Technology can be a handy friend
When alone in a new city and you have no friends to help find you a desirable apartment, apartment hunting apps can then be a huge help.
There are a handful of apps which notify you whenever new places are available that matches your specifics like rental price, the neighbourhood, amenities and more. You can apply for the place online.
4. Knowledge is power
Chances are high that you will be victimized by wily agents when you are all set to move to a new locality about which you have no prior knowledge.
Researching the average market rate, checking out websites like Streeteasy.com and conversing with people around will familiarize you with what the acceptable rates are for the kind of apartment you have in mind.
5. Do the basic legwork with heart
Things as petty as checklists and spreadsheets can be instrumental to land the desired apartment quickly as these so called ‘petty things’ can sift the basic priorities from the ostentatious ‘doohickeys’.
Some owner asks for specific paperwork as a firm handshake in the open house or the blue Ferrari does not impress them. Therefore, present yourself as strongly as possible with all paperwork in hand.
A well-organized attempt at apartment hunting not only saves the time and money, but also helps you track the progress and control it without letting it affect your daily schedule.
6. The Sleep Test
Not all landlords favor it, but it will be good to convince the landlord to allow you sleep a night in order to ‘experience’ his verdict on the place. In the night, you can test out the shower, peek through the closets, cabinets and cupboards without attracting the owner’s attention. This will satisfy the ‘control freak’ in you.
7. Read the lease paper carefully
Details are important in the lease. All the verbal agreements that you have reached with the new landlord (e.g. Improvements after moving in, rental charges, free movement of your pet cat, Tom) should be in writing.
Conditions and statutory warnings should be read and understood thoroughly. You don’t want your landlord to evict you sans your own property as he likes and you may not get security deposit back for the mindless reasons he has concocted in the lease agreement.
Reading the paper thoroughly saves you from getting trapped into something you’ll regret later.
8. Trust in yourself and rope in some trustworthy friends
If your guts sense something fishy at any time, it is better to rethink your decision to move in as fraud and deception are common in real estate these days.
Deceptive brokers can be known right away by from their inconsistent wordings of the property, nervous body language, and talkativeness. It is better to decipher such depraved intentions at earliest.
A trustworthy friend can be a real source of support during the apartment search. Such friends can check your impulsive decisions. Also your ideas of the perfect apartment can reach to prospective landlords through your active social network.
9. Little bit of morbidity is good
As Billy from the When Harry Met Sally suggested, leafing through the obituaries section of newspaper is definite to quicken your apartment search. The old way has never lost the charm.
10. Negotiate
If you have an excellent track record (in form of solid reputation, high income, satisfied old landlord) and you are in search of a place where your stay is will be protracted, you are in a position to strike a better deal with your new landlord as finding and renting the apartment to excellent, long-term tenant is the hardest accomplishment for any landlord, so you are a good catch.
With such an arrangement, it is unlikely you will get much deduction in the rental fees but you may win some fringe benefits like free roaming access for your pet cat in the landlord’s kitchen garden which will make him happy, I promise.
Featured photo credit: Pixabay via pixabay.com
