Go Beyond The Listing and Other Apartment Hunting Tips

In my previous post I told you that David (Boyfriend agreed to be mentioned by name) and I recently signed the lease for a new apartment. I’m not a professional apartment hunter but I have had quite a bit of experience searching for apartments over the past few years. I also have a terrible addiction to HGTV and have probably seen every episode of “For Rent”. Does that make me credible enough? Probably not, but here are some tips that you may want to consider during your own hunt:

Have a plan

Know exactly what you’re looking for before you start your search. This way you can eliminate any listings that don’t suit your needs and you’ll avoid wasting your time with viewings. Some things to ask yourself: Do you want a place with character in a heritage building or a newer unit in a high rise? Is there laundry on site or are you willing to spend a couple of hours a week at the Laundromat? Is the price within your budget and are utilities included? Do you want your new apartment to be located near your school/work or are you willing to rely on transit?

Go beyond the listing

Don’t shy away from listings that don’t include pictures. I’ve found that pictures are at times outdated or make the place look bigger than it actually is. Also, during our recent search we noticed that many listings indicated “no dogs”. Often we would view the place regardless and found that once we brought it up, the landlords admitted that it wasn't a deal breaker. 

Get an early start but act fast

Starting your search early will give you time to look at a few places without having to jump at the first thing you see.  I found that getting the chance to view different apartments gave us a better idea of what we like and don’t like. However once you find an apartment that you like, I suggest you ask for the application during the viewing and get it back to the landlord ASAP.  If you don’t act fast, chances are that by the time you follow up, the place will be rented out to someone who did.

We have big decorating plans for our new place so I will be sure to post before and after pics!

Do you have apartment hunting tips?