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Looking for a new apartment can be fun or stressful, and to make sure it’s a pleasant experience, people should prepare a list of must-have items.
This list can vary from person to person and some of the things to consider when looking for your next apartment are as follows:
- Location – Perhaps the most important thing to look for is a good location, one that is close to work, public transportation, convenience stores, as well as family and friends. Once they see an ideal apartment, they can search for it on Google Maps to determine the time it takes to travel to their favorite places.
- Storage: When touring the apartment, they should inspect the closets to see how much space there is. This is because they are sure to bring a lot of things to the new apartment, so the closets should be able to accommodate them all. If not, they can ask if there is another store in the building so they can see it.
- Appliances: Although washing machines and dishwashers are not considered essential, they can surely make life a lot easier. There are people who use the laundry services in the building, but some prefer to use a washing machine in their unit. Whatever your choice, you can include it in your list.
- Heating and Air Conditioning: Tenants could not live without the comfort of heating and/or air conditioning regardless of the weather. They can check if the air conditioner is centralized, one in each room, or if there is none, and ask if they are allowed to install window units when needed. If there are tenants nearby during the tour, they can ask questions about temperature control and average heating bills so they know what to expect come winter.
- Pet Policy: If you have a pet, you should first check the landlord’s policy. If pets are not allowed, they just need to find another place. On the other hand, if the building accepts pets but they have allergies and can’t stand the barking of the dog next door; this place may not be an ideal home for them.
- Parking: Convenient parking space is crucial when tenants have a car. They won’t want to spend too much time hanging around after a tiring day at work, even if it’s a very nice place. If they visit the apartment on a weekend, they can spend a busy day to see if it is easy to park or ask the other tenants if they have difficulties.
- Security: When the main door of the apartment opens to the sidewalk that does not have a common entrance or fence, it may not be secure. If a tenant lives alone, it would be best to look for a building that has a lobby or doorman. A smaller building with higher floors is sometimes safer than garden or ground floor units.
- Noise: The noise that tenants have to put up with depends on the location of the unit plus the thickness of its walls. When the place is located on a busy street, above a bar or next to the train tracks, tenants know what to expect. They should also consider the number of surfaces they share with the people next door, such as the ceiling, the floor, and the walls. It has to be at least on the top floor so there are no neighbors upstairs making noise with their heels.