Looking for an apartment in the city can either be easy or a bit of a headache and it all depends on how you started doing it. It’s easy to lose your way in a city you don’t know or worse, get an apartment that will make you spend more than necessary.
Whether you are looking for an apartment to stay in within the local area or abroad, here’s a quick start-up checklist that you can consider and examples on how you will apply these guides.
√Location
The best apartments in the city are those that will allow you to commute or drive to your place of work or school with less traffic. Choose a location that has access to different street or highway options. Locally, traffic in EDSA is heavy on weekdays so choose an apartment that will allow you to avoid this street when you need to go to work. Abroad, such as in Los Angeles, this city is home to offices that are nearby residences so choose an apartment in Los Angeles that is located in a walkable environment.
√Price Range
The price range may depend on how much you can afford to pay but it doesn’t mean that you always have to max it out. It’s always best to be practical and save for emergency to give you that comfortable leeway for adjustments.
√Bedroom Count
Bedroom count matters when you are moving in with a small family with you. Choose an apartment that has enough space for you to live comfortably and has provisions for extensions – such as spaces that can be turned to more storage areas or details that will make lives easier for you in the long run (e.g. multiple power outlets, faucets, light sockets)
√Pets
If you have pets, make sure to check the requirements in the local area, the apartment owner’s guidelines and see if you can scout the neighbors if they are also pet-friendly. Living in an environment that will understand your pets will make your life easier and happier. You can find a lot of pet-friendly apartments in Los Angeles but take note of those which are particular to certain breeds and weight of pets. It will be useful if you can make your own pet-resume that you can easily submit when you are apartment hunting.
√Amenities
The price ranges of apartments vary drastically depending on amenities and sometimes you really can’t have them all. You just have to check which ones you can live and live without. Remember that you will also have a life outside your apartment so getting them all is really not that practical, if you are keeping a budget. Heat and air-conditioning is a must, as well as parking (if you have a vehicle), internet and security measures are very important apartment amenities that you should not forget to consider.
Why use a check list?
Decision-making using this check list can make a big difference in your apartment-hunting experience. It allows you to organize your thoughts and you avoid forgetting simple but important details when finding the perfect place to live on.
Using an online apartment search platform such as Zumper that contains all these basic filters can cut your time in half. Zumper allows users to search through apartments, condos, houses, and rooms with their exact preferences whether you are searching within the local area or abroad.
Difference of Zumper
Zumper allows users to submit digital rental applications and credit reports via its screening service. Through this feature, it already cuts the time in coordinating with apartment owners who prefer credit checking. And since users can already submit their records to multiple apartment listings, the whole processing time of knowing the alternatives is reduced immensely.
Zumper’s inventory is also updated in real-time and this is very important for apartment searchers who need to see accurate and on-time listings. It can be depressing to anyone to decide on getting the place and finding out that it’s already occupied once you get there. And because Zumper also allows users to set an alert and get notifications every time there’s a new listing that matches their search filters, they can focus more on planning the other aspects of moving to their new place to live in.
Like millions of apartment-hunters who found success via Zumper, you can also make your life easier whether you are searching for an apartment locally or in abroad.
