September is coming, and that means one thing – many young adults are leaving the nest, whether it’s for college or a new job.
Leaving your childhood home to strike out on your own can be daunting enough without also worrying about finding your first apartment. Here are some tips to help you through this important life transition.
Prepare the Right Documents
Before signing a lease on your new place, you’re going to have to provide certain documents. Some of it is easy stuff like ID – just use your driver’s license, health card or passport. You might also have to provide proof of income, or a job contract to prove you will be able to pay rent. If you don’t have a job, or are only working part-time, you may be asked to provide proof of your parent’s income to make sure rent will be covered no matter what.
Ask Around
When looking for an apartment, ask around. Some buildings and apartment management companies have very good reputations – and some, very bad. Also be sure to check the bedbug registry before committing to any apartment – that’s the last thing you’ll want to deal with!
Arrange a Walk-Through
Never sign a lease for an apartment sight-unseen. There may be problem areas that can cause trouble later on down the road, such as leaky faucets or windows with poor insulation causing drafts. Speak to all the potential landlords and apartment managers and schedule a time for you to view the apartment.
It may be a good idea to bring your parents along. They have years of experience with home maintenance and will be able to check for problem areas you might not think about.
Measure, Measure, Measure
Bring measuring tape with you when you do your apartment walk-through. You’ll need to know exactly how much space each room has so you can plan accordingly. There’s no point packing and moving large furniture like your free-standing armoire or your parent’s second-hand dining room set if you won’t have room for them. Only bringing what will fit makes for a much easier moving day.
Moving into your first apartment can be both scary and exciting at the same time, but there’s no need to feel stressed or frazzled. If you make a plan and stick to it, you’ll have no trouble surviving your first real adult move.
Katie Dunn says
A few months ago, I helped my sister find her first apartment. We researched on Google and came up with a list of five apartments that she liked and then we did a walk-through of each of them. After talking to the managers, we also made sure to go and knock on some doors of current residents to get their opinion of the place and to see what the conditions were like outside of the models that were shown to us. https://www.gainesville-rent.com/