Apartment Tips From Me!

I got the keys to my new apartment today and I'm so excited to get all moved in and set up! It'll be a Spokester Bachelor Pad in no time! Or, what do they call a female bachelor pad..? Either way, you catch my drift!

Since this is my third through the whole process of apartment hunting, lease signing and moving in-- I figured I should pass on some of my first hand knowledge to those of you approaching the process in the future!

ALL INCLUSIVE
This means you pay ONE price and that includes your hydro, water, heating, etc. An all inclusive price is easier for budgeting and saves you the hassle of having to pay separate bills, often splitting them with a roommate. Even if an ad outlines utilities extra, you can often negotiate an all inclusive price... and throwing in cable, internet and parking are HUGE bonuses!

CHOOSE YOUR ROOMMATE WISELY
Haven't we all heard endless horror stories about awful roommates? I've been fortunate to have had great experiences with roommates, so I can tell you it's all in how you pick them! I know best friends who have roomed together that ended up never speaking again. Try to look past the mutual excitement of having an apartment and decorating etc, and really try to make sure you know whether you can live with that person or not. This is why residence in post-secondary is so great because you're thrown together with a bunch of strangers, and from there you'll weed out the people you can't stand and find good future roommates in the process.

GOOD LANDLORD
Sure, the price may be cheap but if your landlord isn't going to come unclog the toilet or fix the pipes when you need him/her to, then it might not be worth it. A friend of mine had mice in her cupboards and a skunk chillin' out in her yard and her landlord took weeks to even come by to check the situation out. Something tells me she would've paid an extra $50 a month to avoid those scenarios, but it's all a matter of choice!

AVOID A LEASE
Signing a lease guarantees that you'll be paying for an apartment for the amount of time outlined. It's best to try to go for as short a lease as possible, because there are things you can't forsee in the future that could make you want/need to leave a particular place. Landlords are sometimes flexible with students and will offer 8 month leases, but a year lease can be iffy. Try for 6 months, so you have the option to give notice and leave if anything major happens. 

AVOID CREDIT CHECKS
Landlords will most likely want to check your credit to ensure you are safe to rent to. It's important to ONLY allow a credit check if you are 100% sure you want the apartment- because credit checks affect your overall credit score! Or if you know you've had a check done recently, you can offer the landlord a copy of that check as reference, to avoid hurting your credit history. If you decide on a place and a credit check is done, make sure you get the copy of it to keep for future inquiries.

MAKE FRIENDS WITH NEIGHBOURS
Preferably before you sign a lease! Head next door, see what's going on there-- make sure there aren't any super creeps you should avoid living next to. Apartments in rough areas are often cheap so beware! But as long as you're safe and aware of what's going on around you, you'll be alright!

KEEP YOUR NEIGHBOUR FRIENDS
Friends are never a bad thing-- and I guarantee neighbour friends will come in handy if you ever need something and you can return the favour! It's also good for your safety to know some people in your building, in case something bad should happen to you they would recognize and take some action.

There ya go, my top tips on all things apartments!
What are some other things YOU would reccomend to new apartment hunters? 

Kaylie

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