Apartment-hunting can be an arduous task — scanning through the classifieds, setting up appointments with landlords, being disappointed over and over again… All this can leave you emotionally & physically drained. But that’s how ordinary people look for ordinary apartments. You are looking for an apartment of your dreams – did I get that right?!
I’ve spent the past 2 months haunting every rental site in search of a place I could envision myself living in for the next 12 months. In the process, I learned things you couldn’t read anywhere else and no one will tell you, things I’d like to share with you. Read on to uncover my Top 6 Secrets to finding an Apartment of Your Dreams (AOYD)!
- Tip #1: AOYD is located in a city of your dreams.
You can move anywhere you like, so travel around and find a city that you love! It didn’t occur to me that I could leave New York until I visited the West Coast. Make some friends out of state and go visit them. Spend some time doing things they do — not just the touristy stuff — to get a feel for the pace/tone of the town.
- Tip #2: AOYD is more affordable with a 30-day notice.
Be sure to give your soon-to-be ex landlord a minimum of 30-day notice before you move out. Any less and they can legally keep your security deposit (which you need for AOYD, of course)! I didn’t know about this in my first apartment and only gave a 2 week’s notice (seemed like a reasonable time frame) and never got my money back. Learn from my mistakes, don’t do it!
- Tip #3: AOYD is probably listed on Craigslist.org.
Every apartment I’ve ever lived in (I’m on #3) came about as a result of a Craigslist listing. (I’ve even found jobs there back when I still did day jobs!) For the uninitiated, it’s a free classifieds website and a bottomless resource for all things buy/sell/trade/connect. Go get acquainted!
- Tip #4: AOYD wants you to solve the neighborhood riddle.
Are you familiar with the neighborhoods? Before I moved to Los Angeles, I knew nothing about the city, so I emailed all my LA friends for advice and read up on various LA neighborhoods on Wikipedia. You can learn such things as history, demographics, crime rate, and more. For instance, I learned that Toluca Lake was an affluent neighborhood with residents such as Miley Cyrus. Woot woot!
Google Maps is another brilliant resource. If available, you can throw in an address & ‘walk’ through the streets (keep zooming in until it turns into a picture). It’s like a free 360-degree tour in the comfort of your own home! Keep in mind that Google Maps is NOT a substitute for a real-life experience — I’ve seen neighborhoods that looked good on Google that turned out to be less than pleasant — and you should never make a decision just based on what you see on-screen.
- Tip #5: Know what you want.
In other words, have you decided what your AOYD looks like? Even if you haven’t, a good place to start is by looking at what’s available on the market. Set your price limit and look at every listing (don’t forget to enable a ‘has image’ box, listings without pictures are a waste of time!). Some apartments will make you cringe (skip those) and some will pique your curiosity (print those out*).
You & AOYD will reunite sooner if you know exactly what you’re looking for aesthetic-wise. Do you picture yourself in a Spanish-style bungalow, a 1930s Art Deco gem, or a sleek modern apartment? When examining the photos, pay special attention to kitchens and bathrooms — these are the rooms you’ll be able to modify the least, so be sure they look like something you could live with.
*A few words on printing. There are times when saving trees is appropriate, but this is one of those occasions when it’s so worth the ink. Having all the listings physically in front of you will keep your search organized, plus you can take notes right on the sheet such as square footage, owner’s phone number, address, etc. Also, remember that Craigslist listings expire in 7 days — having a hard back-up copy saved my hump on more than one occasion!
- Tip #6: Be ready to act fast.
It may take a month to find an AOYD, or it might take a day. Whatever fate might have in store, be prepared to act fast! When you see something you like, call/email the owner immediately and ask when you can stop by to see it. I don’t recommend *seriously* looking for apartments remotely, unless you know you can commute in – I missed out on several what seemed like amazing LA places because I was stuck in NY and couldn’t check them out (and cried over it!). If you’re from out of town, ask a friend if they may kindly let you stay with them for a few days while you look.
How to dress for an apartment sighting
So you’ve got yourself an appointment — congratulations! So how do you dress to make a good impression? I always recommend looking like yourself, although slightly on the conservative side. If you’re an artist, you don’t want the landlord to think you’re a businessman, and vice versa. Present yourself accurately and respectably. I chose white hair over blue because while I know it’s just my way of self-expression, some people may misinterpret it to mean ‘party’ or ‘late rent’. Once I’m settled in and they get to know the wonderful & reliable me, I’m sure no one will care if my hair suddenly turns lavender. :)
To paint or not to paint?
As someone who loves color and re-decorating, I’ve learned that it’s always a good idea to ask the landlord upfront if they’re ok with your re-decorating prior to signing on the dotted line. Some landlords won’t care, some will even allow a paint budget, others will be dead against it; either way it’s good to know in advance. My new apartment comes with horrible coffee-brown walls; I’m happy our landlady let us paint!
A word on landlords
Don’t sign the lease if the landlord seems mean/pushy/untrustworthy — no apartment is worth it!!! This is the person you’ll be dealing with for the next 6-12 months, depending on your lease, and they can, literally, make your life a living hell. A good landlord is open, reasonable & accommodating and keeps your happiness high on their priority list.
GOOD LUCK & HAPPY HUNTING!
I’ll be searching for an apartment in the next few months and this post was very helpful! Thank you :)
Doe Deere Reply:
February 21, 2011 at 12:59 pm
Glad I could help! :D
Haha you are such a business-woman, Doe! Everything is so organized and systematic. Love it and totally referring back to this when it’s time for me to start hunting for apartments (hopefully in LA)
<3
I’ll remember this when I look for a place of my own in 6 or 7 years!
my boyfriend and I are shacking up come June, I really look forward to it! We’ve got the neighborhood thing settled at least, but I don’t think we’re likely to find any landlord as awesome as my current one… :( oh well.
This is helpful though! hope you guys love LA!
A few words about pets: Ask up front and make sure your lease spells out exactly what the rules are about pets. Depending on what applies to you, make sure to find out:
-Can I have more than one pet?
-Does a fish tank count as a pet?
-Do cats have to be declawed?
-Where am I allowed to take my pet outside, especially for going to the bathroom?
-Is there a size/weight limit for dogs?
-Is there a monthly pet fee?
-Is part of the security deposit non-refundable if I keep a pet?
And remember, don’t break the rules about pets unless you are willing and able to handle a sudden eviction!
A friend of mine got kicked out of an LA apartment when the owner found out about her small dog. The manager had given her the ok verbally, but without any proof to show the owner, she didn’t have a leg to stand on. Leave nothing to chance!
Yay, I was hoping from a post like this from you! The boy and I are moving to a new city near the end of the year. I’ve only been there once and he hasn’t been there at all. So this is going to be helpful. =)
But it’s exciting! New start, new people, new life!
Are you planning on driving to California? If you do, I hope you do a guide on traveling with pets! I have one kitty and thinking about how we’re going to do it is kind of scary.
Awesome article! I just got my first apartment this summer and I can vouch for just how important it is to pay attention to they way the landlord acts. One of my friends got stuck with a landlord who has tried to charge her twice for turning in a rent check late even though she always turns it in a week in advance!
Also, when you go to look at apartments pay attention to where the wall meets the floor, particularly in the corners. Do you see steel wool? Or patched up holes? The apartment probably has a rodent problem that the landlord isn’t willing to spend much money on. Either keep your food and valuables up high, or invest in some kittens ;]
I do Cragislist a bit as well, but there can be a lot of competition. I highly recommend walking around the neighborhood you want to live in, look for the For Rent signs.
Doeee, querida, também estou me mudando, moro no Brasil, estado do Ceará, cidade de Fortaleza, acabei de me casar, e nosso apartamento (comprado na planta) só ficará pronto em março, por isso ainda estamos morando com a minha sogra… Mesmo assim foi muito bom ler suas dicas, porque logo logo, dois anos pra frente, estaremos procurando uma casa maior, provavelmente para termos nosso primeiro filho, assim, vou repensar se é em Fortaleza que quero continuar morando… o trânsito me cansa, a criminalidade me assusta, penso que uma cidade menor seria o ideal.
I wish I would have read that last tip before I signed my current lease my landlord is so all of the above ESPECIALLY untrustworthy! It drives me nuts hes always bugging me because he thinks we’re going to leave without notice and loses track that we pay him and tries to make us pay extra every month even took us to the magistrate then realized he didnt keep track of rent and that was the whole issue I really think he needs to learn quick books or get an accountant. eeeergggg I always get the slumlords :(
if it’s a privately managed/owned building, don’t underestimate the power of face to face contact. I found an aomd when I lived in Portland and even though I had 0 credit, since I interviewed with the landlord himself, I was open about the lack of credit but how enthused I was about the apartment. they pulled out a lease 5 minutes later.
I will say this…after seeing the photos at the beginning of this post, my dram apartment will DEFINITELY be furnished with black and white stripe wallpaper. I won’t be able to stop thinking about that until I actually do it.
Helpful article, but renting in NYC is a totally different world. Craigslist in NYC is crazy with thousands of apartment rentals posted per day and a lot of renters complain that there are fake listings on Craigslist to grab renter attention. (Brokers have to pay $10 to post a rental on NYC Craigslist.) There are some NYC only sites which are a lot easier to use. Streeteasy is popular and so is NakedApartments. They both have their pluses and minuses, but are great for NYC apartment renters.
Doe Deere Reply:
February 22, 2011 at 11:05 am
Thanks for the tip, Stacy!
As far as traveling with kitties, I have done cross country with my kitteh boo! But I started her off early by taking short mini trips with her first in the cat carrier, and then in a specialized cage that they sell for dogs in the back of an SUV. Shortly there after she was fine to travel with the cat carrier in the back open and she was not scared or willing to venture into the front seat while I drove to Michigan from Texas. For a cat/ dog who is not acclimated to a car ride, I recommend kenneling them in a well ventilated area with water and food accessible. If you have a dog, make sure you take frequent restroom breaks for your dog, with a cat, make sure that you have a large enough kennel to fit a mini litter box in it. I’ve spent years traveling cross country with animals. The hardest….a Ferret, they get restless being in a box all day and they start to get restless once let out! My current ferret Dagger would knock his food and water dish over after about an hour!
Hope this helps! <3
Melinda
Samantha Darko Reply:
February 23, 2011 at 10:59 am
Thanks for this information! We are a little stressed about Boston to New Orleans with out 2 cats.
Thanks for the tips. You absolutely right in the fact that you should always be yourself, no matter what.
Doe, this post couldn’t have come at a better time! My current contract is up in March, and I am meeting my potential roommate in about a half hour. If we decide to room together, we’ll be looking for the AOCD (apartment of our combined dreams)!
Natasha Reply:
February 21, 2011 at 7:04 pm
Also, I’m SO SO grateful you mentioned that 30 day notice. I had no idea, I still have enough time to put mine in, you’re a life saver!
Olivia Reply:
March 4, 2011 at 1:30 pm
You should really look into the requirements on the lease. I know in Philly you have to give a minimum of 60 days when you intend to move out. We have to know 2 months before our lease is up what we plan to do and tell the landlady then.
Thank you SOOOOO much for this advice! My roommates and friends and I are currently looking for apartments in DC to live in next year before we finish college. You rock and you are so kind in sharing this advice with all of us!!!!
My mom and I only just secured a new apartment! It was a one-day deal where the listing was posted, my mom was the first to check it out, and she paid the down deposit right then and there :P It really does depend on luck and fate!!
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/trying-on-the-bright-makeup-trend-2455391/
Look who is linked not once, but twice on an article on the Yahoo! main page :]
Good advice, I’ll try to remember this in a few years when I’m done college and need to move out! :)
Check out my blog if you’d like, I was inspired by you and a bunch of other bloggers to start my own because it looked like fun! :) Principessa Gabriella
The AOMD is in New York city,but since they don’t give green cards to whomever,i guess i’ll have to stay here in the italian smalltown where i live now :(((
i have intentions of moving over to LA someday.
;A; but i am from the other side of the world! ;A; how am i ever going to find friends who live in LA!! ;A;
Don’t necessarily rule out postings without an image!!!!
When I was looking for my apartment, I had a very strict budget and I wanted to live as close as possible to my school. When I saw a listing that was just in my price range and a block from campus (but no image posted) I called immediately! It turned out to be my dream apartment and for the right price too :)
my dream apartment isn’t an apartment, it’s a small house. i hate renting, it’s much more convenient to own. i want to decorate, paint, renovate how i want without constraints. and i need a yard for my dogs.
Since I am also making the move to another city, New Orleans in my case, with my husband and 2 kitties also in tow, I can totally relate to this post. I found that when looking for AOYD the first thing that you have to do is to evaluate the things in you current living situation that really don’t like. Make a list of the things that could make where you live now better. Ask yourself do you have a washer and dryer in your unit, or on the premises and if so is it coin-op. Wouldn’t you rather have a wash & dryer in unit (that is if your landlord is paying the water bill, which is another consideration). Would you like to finally have a dishwasher? I know in 32 years I have never lived anywhere that has had a dishwasher. How is the water pressure in the shower? Ask the landlord and don’t be afraid to turn on the shower when touring the house just to make sure (you do not want to move into a house where the shower drips on you). Do you want central air and it the place has central air does that mean none of the windows open? I know fresh air is a must for me. Every city has a specific type of architecture that it is known for, do you want to live in the type of place a city is famous for? LA has bungalows and art deco, I live in Boston so we live on the 2nd floor of a Triple Decker with a view of Boston Harbor. With the move to NOLA, we are looking to live in a Shotgun house since this is the popular style in most of the city. Other things to consider are off the Doe Deere plan for getting the AOYD!
I’ve found that if you have the time, you’re in the area, and it’s neighborhood that’s in enough demand it can be a lot more productive to just walk or ride your bike through the whole area that you’re interested in. If there’s enough demand for apartments in particular areas, often landlords won’t list them on Craigslist or anywhere else, they’ll just put up a sign in a front window and figure a bunch of people will call.
I got my last three really good apartments this way (the latest one had the phone number listed incorrectly on the sign, but a friendly neighbor told me what the area code should actually be).
Also, most landlords work on weekdays, so searching and calling on weekends is best unless the property is being handled by a third party in which case be aware that you might have to leave work early in order to meet with them to see the apartment or sign paperwork because they’re on a 9 to 5 schedule too.
And bring your checkbook. I paid a credit check fee with rolls of quarters once and it was super embarrassing.
My dream appartment has a large living room that I’d paint aqua/absinth green, a turmeric yellow kitchen large enough to invite friends to dinner, hardwood floors, wood in as many places as possible actually, was build before 1950 (I love old things), and has plenty of light. And it’s in Montreal.
Tips for appartment search: know what you want, and ask as many questions as possible over the phone so you don’t visit for nothing if it turns out, for instance, that the living room doesn’t even have windows.
So great you post this topic, Doe, because searching for my dream appartment is exactly what I’m doing these days!
Cute apartments! But where is the source for the photos? I’m intrigued!