The Apartment Hunter's Guide: What to Look for During Your Search

Apartment hunting can be a fun and exciting process, but it helps to be prepared. If you start the process with knowledge of what it is you are looking for, things will run more smoothly and you are likely to be more satisfied with the apartment home you choose. Regardless of whether you are searching for an apartment for the first time or the tenth, you should pay close attention to the following details.

Location

Location is important to just about everyone, but not always for the same reasons. What is your ideal neighborhood? Do you want to be a short walk away from restaurants, bars, theaters, and sporting venues? Or would you prefer to be in a quieter, less congested part of town? If you feel strongly about the type of neighborhood you live in, let this dictate your search for apartment communities to check out.

Amenities

Apartment residents often benefit from shared amenities that few homeowners have such convenient access to. If you do not plan to spend much time at your apartment and do not care about the amenities it offers, then a bare bones apartment community may suit you just fine. Otherwise, look for an apartment with an attractive pool and Jacuzzi area, a well-equipped fitness center, and any other amenities you think you would use on a regular basis.

Special Needs

One way to narrow down the apartment listings you are considering is to eliminate those apartments that will not work for you for one reason or another. Do you already have or hope to soon own a pet? Do you have a physical impairment that necessitates you move into an accessible property? Do not waste your time looking at apartments that are not pet-friendly if you have a small puppy or tempt yourself to consider living in an apartment that does not meet your needs simply because you are duly impressed with one or two of its features.

Reputation

Word-of-mouth is one of the best ways to gain reliable information about an apartment community. Ask friends and relatives if they know anybody who has lived in the apartments you are considering, and reach out to those people to find out what life in the community is like. Read reviews online, and consider living in an apartment managed by an experienced multifamily company. When you choose to rent an apartment owned and managed by a well-established firm, you can realistically set high expectations and not have to worry about facing disappointment.

At AMLI Residential, we make finding the apartment of your dreams easy. With more than three decades of industry experience, we know real estate and we know how to please tenants. To learn more about the beautiful, amenity-rich apartments we manage in Chicago, Dallas, Florida, New Jersey, Seattle, and elsewhere, visit AMLI.com.