Tips on looking for your first apartment!

Trying to find that perfect home, and have never experienced apartment living? Let us help you by utilizing this helpful check list!

What is your budget?  This is a very important topic. While you want to be comfortable in your home with the appropriate lifestyle, it is imperative that you won’t find yourself breaking the bank, right? Identify how much you are making on a monthly basis and incorporate your added expenses of food, fun, and the inevitable unexpected expenses. Let’s be honest anticipating $150-$200 on food a month is fair, unless you plan to strictly eat ramen, potatoes, and beans.

How much is rent/deposit/utilities going to cost you?  The most common (ideal) ratio of rent to income is 25-30% of your monthly income. Anything more and you can find yourself stuck pretty tight with your budget. Be sure to ask the important questions of cost of utilities and pet rent/deposit.

Any initial costs of moving? Be sure to ask about any administrative fees, application fees, credit checks, criminal checks, and their policy on renter’s insurance.

What is the application process like? Be sure to communicate your current situation with the property manager. Being a first-time renter without rental history, they should explain what all is needed to apply. Some locations may offer a cosigner option, parental contribution form, or 1st and last month rent submitted.

What is your commute going to be like? Now, you may have found the perfect spot! It checks everything off the list. But the burning question, where it is located at? How far of a drive will this be for your day to day transportation? Is there ample amount of parking located on the property? Do they have garages available, and if so, how much do they rent for? We cannot stress enough how imperative it is to take this into consideration as study’s show long commutes cause not only physical impacts but emotional strain on your body.

We hope these tips will be beneficial to your decision-making process. If you find that in fact apartment living is for you, we anticipate your visit soon, as we would love to share all of the benefits that come with living here at Pinhook Flats apartments! See ya soon!