Real Estate Community Forum

When looking for an apartment, many people look at the over all appearance of the apartment, such as the number of rooms, the size of the closets, kitchen appliances, etc. However, there seems to be other, more important things that potential renters should be looking at when searching for an apartment. Some of these include checking the drainage from sinks to make sure they are draining property. Examine the ceiling for any water damage. Find out if there have ever been any water leaks coming from the ceiling. These are just a few things that renters need to carefully investigate. Are there any other things to consider?

If you are looking at apartments, I suggest that you look at the windows to see if they open and close properly. Check for any broken or cracked windows. Also look to see if the windows have screens and storm windows. This is important is you want to avoid paying high gas bills during the winter season.

You may also want to make sure the thermostat is working properly. You can simply turn the thermostat up all the way and listen to hear if the furnace come on. This simple test will help avoid sitting in a cold apartment, waiting for a service man to fix your thermostat come winter time.

When I'm looking for an apartment, I always make sure there is a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector inside the apartment. My life is important to me and if my future landlord does not have these items installed, then I'm looking elsewhere for an apartment.

In addition, if the apartment comes with appliances, check to see they are working properly. This includes checking the burners, opening the refrigerator, and turning the oven on to feel if it gets warm. I've had an apartment in the past where my appliances never worked properly. It is best to find this out before you decide to move in.

Looking for a good apartment is almost the same as searching for a home. You really need to check to see if everything is working properly. Of course, you should be able to rely on your landlord to fix things when something breaks down, but sometimes landlords are not efficient when it comes to maintenance.

I strongly suggest when looking for an apartment that you check to make sure your door has a good secured , properly installed working lock. This is something that can't wait to be replaced or fixed. I once had my belonging stolen because of the terrible, cheap lock that was installed on my door. You don't want to go through the stress of having your belongings taken from you. It's an awful feeling.

One of my top requirements when looking for an apartment is security. I was living in an apartment not too long ago and was robbed. This is a terrible thing to experience. Ever since then, I always look for an apartment that has excellent security such as a security guard in the entrance of the building, cameras on the premises, or having locked doors to the entrance of the building. This is an important necessity for anyone these days and several places apartment complexes have top of the line security features that are worth considering.

Yes, security is an important feature when looking for an apartment. I usually look at the neighborhood to see if the place looks safe. Usually you can go on line and find statistics on certain neighborhoods to see the crime rate in that area.

In fact, a few years ago I found a nice apartment, but was unfamiliar with the neighborhood so I decided to go into the police station and asked them about the crime rate and if this place was safe for a young college student. The police were very friendly. They reassured me that the place was safe and there wasn't much crime in the area. I felt much better after talking with them because I felt as though I had the best reliable source for any of my questions.

Not too long ago i was searching for an apartment that was advertised on craigslist. The ad had a few pictures of the apartment so I could get a look at the place without going there. I was very interested in this apartment since it looked very nice in the pictures. I decided to make an appointment to see the place and I was very disappointed once I saw the place. The bathroom floors were very weak and I could tell there was water damage along the side of the tub. The tile over the bathtub was about to fall off once someone was to take a shower. Immediately I was ready to run out the door. If a landlord is willing to show a place that has a bathroom in need of repairs, this could be major problems in the future.

One of the major things that I suggest is to look for a place that is quite and peaceful. There are too many young people especially college students who are busy partying, having fun, listening to load music, and being mischievous.

I once lived next to a home that was full of college students and everyone in the neighborhood were complaining about them. There are some college students that are responsible and keep to themselves, but lately they are becoming fewer. Maybe it has something to do with being away from home and no longer under the control of their parents. This is just my opinion.

The first thing to look at when searching for an apartment is the overall appearance of the place. By this I mean are the walls painted? Is the carpet new? Are there any odors in the bathroom? The answers to these questions determine if the landlord is someone who is concerned about their property and will be there if something happens.

I have experience too many horror stories where the landlord never came to the apartment to repair event the simplest of repairs such as a new light bulb for the hallway. Don't let this happen to you.