Apartment Hunting Tips!

My boyfriend and I are moving in to a new place together, so we're trying to find an apartment that's closer to both of our offices, in a new neighborhood. Here are a few tips that served me well in our search:

• Keep track of each apartment that you're interested in! I used Trello - I created a board specifically for this, and gave my bf access to it. I made a card for each place I contacted, and included relevant info like address, website, rent, amenities, and whatnots. I also put when and how I contacted them, and then the time of the appointment as well. After visiting the place, you could also put your thoughts for each place there as well, so you can easily compare all the places you've seen.

• Broaden your horizons! Try looking in areas that maybe aren't within your exact boundaries, but adjacent to it. Consider raising your maximum rent amount, or looking for 1 bedrooms with a loft instead of 2 bedrooms, or a one bedroom instead of a studio. You might miss something great if you are locked into this idea of what you want.

• Review the attributes of each place before you go in. Make sure you know everything you already know so you can ask relevant questions. When you get back to your car, write down everything you thought about the place. If possible, take pictures while in the apartment, especially of things you really like, or even don't like.

• Give yourself enough time between appointments. You'll want enough time to adequately see the apartment and the grounds, as necessary, as well as travel time between each place. I'd rather have too much time than not enough! Plus, that way you can drive a few blocks around the area and see what's there!