Renting an apartment for the first time is one of the most important milestones in life. You will be looking for a place to call your own and live the way you want without anyone getting in your way. However, like with anything you do for the first time, the process can be confusing and complicated, as you don’t know all the important details.
To help you avoid mistakes, we have decided to make this post that will explain all the essentials you need to consider when renting an apartment. After all, you don’t want to move in somewhere and realize after a month or two that you’ve made a mistake. So let’s start.
Figuring out what you want
The first step is to think about your needs. First of all, consider the location of the apartment. Is it close to your work, college, and all the things you need? There is no point in renting a cheap apartment if its a one hour drive away from your work. The second thing you need to consider is the size and how much space you need.
Do you plan on using it alone or would you like your boyfriend or girlfriend to move in sometime in the future? In the end, consider the furniture that you would like to have. Of course, things like dining table, chairs, bed, couch, fridge, and washing machine are essential. Think about additional things you might need or those which you can buy later.
Renters insurance as a basis
When looking for an apartment, you will find a lot of people that demand renters insurance, while others don’t really care. Renters insurance, or tenant insurance is an insurance policy that protects the belongings of the tenant. At the same time, it protects you from liabilities such as fire, or if the apartment you are living in suddenly becomes uninhabitable.
Some renters’ insurance policies can cover additional living expenses and it is up to you to find the one that suits you, take a look at the ultimate guide to renters insurance coverage to help you with this. Always make sure to get renters’ insurance, as this is how you’ll protect yourself and your property against abuse.
Initial costs vs long-term costs
The costs around renting an apartment don’t only come down to paying the rent. First, you will have some initial costs before even moving in. This includes application fees, deposit, and maybe even paying rent in advance. Make sure that you have money for at least two months of rent upfront. A general rule of thumb is for the rent to be around one third of your monthly budget.
On the other hand, the long-term costs apart from the rent also include utilities such as electricity, water, gas, heat, and so on. In some cases, these costs are included in the rent so pay attention to every ad. Additionally, renters insurance also costs money and even though it isn’t expensive, you need to take this into account.
Paperwork
Renting an apartment also involves paperwork. It might be annoying and confusing, but all this paperwork provides more security and ensures that you won’t get scammed, so make sure to avoid landowners who want to skip the books. To make it easier on yourself, make sure that you have all your personal documents such as ID, driver’s license, application, and references if you have any.
This is how you can instantly deliver your future landlord with all the necessary information. At the same time, ask them to deliver their paperwork so that you can also be sure that you can trust them. This is how you will make the process faster and convince the landlord that you are the tenant they are looking for.
Conclusion
After you’ve found the right apartment, the final step is to prepare yourself for the moving process. Make a “moving plan” and organize yourself upfront to make the move as painless as possible. If you can, ask your friends or family members to help you with the move and if not, think about hiring a moving company if you can afford it.