4 Qualities to Look for During Your Apartment Search
When you’ve got a decent budget and a reasonable amount of time to search, shopping for a new apartment can be exciting. Once you’ve found a worthwhile unit, you’ll have the benefit of fresh paint, clean, unblemished floors, and an all-around sense of newness. Before making any binding commitments to lease a space, however, you want to make sure that your new apartment has these four qualities.
A Good Walkability Score And Reasonable Access To Key Commute Routes
While many apartment shoppers are largely concerned with unit sizes and overall building aesthetics, location and various location-related factors will ultimately prove far more important. Make sure that your new unit provides reasonable access to essential commute routes. Unless you work at home or don’t mind long daily drives, you shouldn’t have to travel for 30 minutes or more before accessing a main street or major highway.
It’s also important to check out the walkability rating for the neighborhood. Walkability determines how easy it is for area residents to reach key businesses on foot. Some of the best apartment buildings are positioned right near major grocery stores, post offices, restaurants, and pubs. Look for easy-to-access shops, delis, parks, and other community features that suit your lifestyle.
High Levels Of Overall Safety
Always check to ensure that apartments are located in safe areas. Read up on local crime statistics and take a tour of the community on foot. If you don’t feel safe walking through an area in broad daylight, odds are, you won’t want to be there at night either. If an apartment building has a covered parking area or a separate parking garage, this space should be well-lit and have various security features in place. Not only will you feel more comfortable in a building and neighborhood that prioritizes safety, but you’ll also qualify for lower renter’s insurance and auto insurance premiums as well.
Excellent Communal Features
You may want an apartment that has modern and efficient appliances, and a wealth of convenient, in-unit amenities. To get the most from apartment living, however, you should also look for a building that’s rich with well-planned communal features. More than just the unit itself, remember that the entire building matters. For instance, if you have a small pet, consider looking for a place that has an onsite dog park that’s solely for residents. Some buildings have swimming pools, saunas, hot tubs, comprehensive fitness facilities, and meditation gardens among other things. These are all additions that will greatly enhance the amount of enjoyment that you get from your new living space.
Good Management And An Accessible Maintenance Team
Among the most important things to look for in an apartment are good management and a reliable maintenance team. When things go awry, you should have the benefit of timely and professional responses to your complaints and inquiries. This is a factor that you can check by reading online reviews from former building residents. If a building management team has established a reputation of being slow to respond, or entirely non-responsive, you may want to keep looking.
Taking the time to carefully vet an apartment before signing a lease can save you loads of cash and a lot of frustration. Factors such as closet space, flooring type, and square footage are always of concern. By taking the time to look for the four above-mentioned qualities, however, you can ensure that your new home is optimally suited to your lifestyle and needs.