2 Tips to Guide Your Apartment Search
Finding a new apartment can be a daunting task. Especially in a big city.
As you embark upon this mission, the best advice is to be Prepared and Consistent in your search.
PREPARED
Get all of your paperwork together from the outset so it’s accessible when you find the place you want. At that point — you’ll need to fill out an application and provide some documents to the property manager.
The documents typically required are:
- Proof of employment (a letter from employer)
- Your last two… pay stubs, tax returns, W-2s, & bank statements
- Reference letters (employer and/or previous landlord)
- Photo ID (license, passport, etc)
Apartments, especially awesome ones, won’t be on the market long. Don’t lose out on your dream spot because you were fumbling for paperwork.
CONSISTENT
People typically fit into one of these two groups:
- The “Do-It-Live” Group.
These peeps wait until a few days before they have to move and quickly do a big search. They see a bunch of places over the weekend and pick the one that sucks the least. - The “I-Have-Plans-Next-June” Group.
Attempting to not force it like the group above, these ultra-planners jump the gun and hit every real estate website a full month before their move.
Neither approach will net the apartment you want.
The former leaves you stressed and rushing, settling on something just to have a place to move your stuff. While the latter shows you a bunch of places that won’t be on the market when you’re actually ready to move.
Instead…
Begin looking within a two-week window of when you want to move. Start by doing a huge search and keep track of the apartments you like.
Then — do it again the next day. And the next. And the next. And the next… etc.
Do it every single day. Make it part of your routine.
It sounds crazy to run a full apartment search each day, but it’s not. Once you’ve seen everything out there, each day you can quickly identify what’s new on the market.
Make it a daily habit for two weeks and compile a list of your favorites. When you find the place you love... JUMP!
You already have your paperwork ready (Prepared) and you’ve seen everything else that’s on the market (Consistent). So you should feel confident that you’re getting good value and the best apartment for you.
Apartment hunting doesn’t have to be crazy. Doing the above can save you time, stress, and a whole lot of headaches. Happy Searching!
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