There are several reason you may need to go apartment hunting. You may have outgrown your current space. I recently moved into a new apartment because I need more space. As content creator, I need a home studio set for pictures or video content. I moved from a one-room apartment to a two-room apartment. Ever since, content creation has been hassle free for me due to the extra space. You can read my post on how to set up your home photography studio on a budget. Also, you may need to move to new apartment due to other reasons like relocation abroad or a new city city. The apartment process changes a lot. So, here I will be sharing 5 apartment hunting tips you need to before moving. These tips will come in handy to make settling down in new home easy and without much hassle.
Determine the type of apartment you want before moving
One of the 5 apartment hunting tips you need to consider before moving is to have an idea of the type of apartment you want. This is very important in the apartment hunting process. Do you need a one-room apartment or a studio apartment? How big do you need the apartment to be? This will help you on your search for a new apartment.
So, if you have settled one the type of apartment. You can start searching for a one room apartment of your choice. This you can do alone online or using an agent. Personally I prefer to do my apartment hunting process online. This is because it is quite easy and convenient. It will help me narrow down my search and speed up the house hunting process. You need to use a reliable apartment hunting online platforms to help you achieve this.
Also, online apartment hunting makes it seamless for relocation abroad. If you are looking to relocate abroad or a new city like Los Angeles, you can do your apartment hunting easily online. A friend who was moving abroad did her home hunting abroad while in her home country online. This makes it easy to settle into your new environment with ease.
Have a budget
How much money do you need to move into a new apartment? The Average cost to move into a one-room apartment in Los Angeles according to Zumper is $2,098. This is a 3% increase compared to last year. Having an idea of the cost of the apartment in your preferred location will help in setting up your budget. This is my most important tip in the apartment hunting process that you need to do.
You need a budget for the actual rent, moving truck, and other miscellaneous expenses. Have an overview of how much it cost you move. Also, you need a budget to guide you how much you’re willing to spend too. So, from your budget, you can decide to go for one-bedroom instead of two-bedroom. Also, you can opt to rent a home away from the buzz of the city. It is more expensive to rent in a major city than in a suburb.
Take note of extra expenses
Another tips you need to consider when apartment hunting is to check for the extra fees that comes with it. Rental apartments always comes with extra fees like caution fee, and other legal fees. You need to make provision for these extra fees.
Also, you need to consider the fees for Utilities fees like Electricity bills, water bill, waste management bill etc. Some areas neighborhood or apartment may charge higher than others. So, find out about this utility fees before you opt to get the apartment. Go for an apartment in which paying your utilities will be convenient for you.
Consider the time of the year
The time of the year of moving also determine the Apartment cost. However, you may have no choice as to whether if you need to move for work or relocate.
The busiest and the peak period of moving is the summer months. Although, rents are higher because it is peak season. However, it is easier to commute in summer than in cooler months like winter season. Also, houses close to the beach is obviously more expensive than those in other areas.
So, if you need to save on cost of apartment, move during winter months. However, if you need ease of commuting while moving, opt to move in summer.
Read and understand your lease agreement
One thing most people fail to do is reading through the tenancy agreement. There are so many information in this agreement. Also, if it pertinent for you to have idea of your rights as tenant as applicable to law.
In this agreement, you get to know all the do and don’t of the new apartment. Some apartment does not allow squatting or pets. So, you need to read this agreement to sure it is what you want before signing.
If you have a pet, look out for apartment that allows you to own a pet. Also, you need to consider the type of pets allowed too. So, that moving in to your apartment will not have any issues.
