4 Things to Remember When Apartment Hunting

If you go to one of the larger universities across the world, chances are after your freshmen year, you will have to find off campus housing. Finding off campus housing that isn’t in a dangerous neighborhood or obscenely expensive can seem like a daunting task, but if you follow my tips and advice, this task will be much more pleasant.

1.     Ask Upperclassmen for Advice: If you find yourself having trouble figuring out where to start on your search, then ask upperclassmen where they recommend living. Chances are they know the best places to live.

2.   Research the Neighborhoods: Learn about the neighborhoods surrounding campus. Find out how safe the neighborhoods are, the average pricing of apartments for rent, the average price for utilities, and how far away these apartments are from the places you would like to go. You’ll need to know if living in that area will make you happy.

3.   Search the Student Housing Website: If your school has a student housing website, then they probably include available apartments in your area. The listings on school websites tend to include housing off campus that is created exclusively for college students, so you can feel like you live on campus and have the benefits of your own room.

4.   Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions: When you first start searching for apartments, it may be overwhelming to try to check for everything included on a tour. This is why it is good to ask questions about if utilities or internet is included in your monthly rent, because it may be cheaper in the long run to choose the more expensive rent if it includes these amenities. You should also find out where the washers and dryers are and if there is any form of security because your health and safety is very important.

I wish you guys luck on searching for your apartments and hope you found these tips helpful. Check out my blog post next week for four healthy meals to make on a college budget.