You’ve only got one chance to find the place of your dreams when moving into a new apartment. Once you sign the lease and take the keys from the management, that’s your space for a year. Moving into an apartment can generally trigger some stress from having to change addresses and turn on the utilities, so make sure that you fully check out the apartment before you sign on that line and lock yourself into a new unit.
Are you ready to make a move? Sweet Home Locating can help you nail down the details of your new apartment while you just take care of moving in and getting your new home set up.
Here’s a list of 10 things to be on the lookout for when you’re touring a new apartment.
1. How’s The Cell Reception?
Imagine taking the time to look at your dream apartment and move all of your furniture in, only to find that you couldn’t get cell reception from the bedroom or the kitchen! Terrible, right? Make sure you don’t find yourself in this predicament. When you arrive at the showing, take a few minutes to walk around the parking lot and check the reception levels. If you’re at 4 bars or above, there’s a pretty good chance that the reception inside of the building is strong. Once you get inside of the unit, go to each corner of every room and see if you can get a full signal. If you can stream a video from inside of a closet, your cell signal should be perfect for the duration of your lease. Cell networks tend to only get stronger, so this works out for you in the long run.
2. No bugs or pests
No matter how nice a complex is, there’s always a chance that creepy crawlies are living hidden inside of the walls or underneath the carpet. If you have pets, this is even more of a concern. You’d never want your dog or cat to be infested with fleas or deal with any sort of insect bites. So, how do you check for pests during the showing? Look for any sign of infestation such as stained walls, dark spots on the flooring, or dead insects. Units that have just been cleaned with any sort of insecticide will have a strong odor and could indicate a recent infestation. Check the seals on the windows, this is even more important if you live in a rural area where there are more plants surrounding the property. If you end up with a pest problem, you could be held liable if the complex finds out.
3. Talk to your neighbors
Try and take a walk through your desired complex and get to know a few of the potential neighbors. Ask them questions about the quality of the units, the noise level, and their relationship with the management. Many residents are happy to help a new tenant find the best place to live in town, so your questions shouldn’t come with any sort of concern. If their opinions aren’t the greatest, definitely look for a new place to rent. You never know what an apartment is going to be like until you stop by and check it out. Make sure you go during different times of the day to check out what the noise levels are like. Also, check to see if freight trains run during the night. They are required by law to blow their horns at intersections at any time of day! This can be very disturbing if there’s a night route on the line.
4. Fast internet
Just like the cell service, having access to high-speed internet is a necessity in this day and age. Make sure you do your research and check the ISPs that you can potentially sign up for in the area you’re looking to move to. Some locations may be deceiving in their ability to provide the fastest internet. If you’re moving into a new building, the proper Ethernet hookups may need to be installed before you get online. If the services offered can promise speeds of at least 500mb, you’ll be able to have strong enough internet to stream Netflix all day long from your new apartment. Remember, once you’ve signed the lease on your place, it’s yours for a while. Sweet Home Locating can make the search easier by helping you find the best apartments in Texas.
5. Hot and strong water pressure
Whether you’re taking a shower, washing the dishes, or doing laundry, hot water and good strong pressure are a must have in modern life. Apartments generally share water hookups and depending on where your unit is located, pressure issues could become a problem. If you’ve got weak pressure in the lines, you may be in for a cold shock once the winter comes. Hot water can also be something to look out for. When you’re inside of the unit during the showing, turn the shower on and let it run for a few minutes while you have a look around the apartment. If the water is hot and the pressure is strong by the time you come back, the apartment should generally be ready to move into.
6. Check out the kitchen appliances
Take a good look at the kitchen appliances when you’re doing the tour. Does the fridge run cold? What about the freezer? This is going to be your home for the foreseeable future, so you’ve got to have a place to make some delicious food. Be sure to turn on the stove, check the oven for cleanliness, and test the garbage disposal to make sure it works correctly. Turn on the microwave and see if everything works properly. It’s important to check everything for any problems that could arise later in the future. They may be hard to get fixed if the complex is large or the management stays considerably busy.
7. Test the power outlets
Bring a phone charger with you to the showing and check the outlets in the wall to make sure that they all work. Once again, just because a place is new doesn’t mean it can’t have issues. How frustrating would it be to move into a new apartment, only to find that the wall outlet next to your bed didn’t provide any power! Pretty annoying, right? Take a good look at the condition of the breaker box and check for any sort of frayed wiring or an indication that a fire could potentially start if a power surge came through. Speaking of power, did you know that you can research how much your power bill should be for each month? Just head over to Google and search for “power cost near me”. This should give you an idea of how much you’ll be paying every month, depending on how much power you use.
8. Check the porch or patio for safety issues
If you’ll be moving into a ground unit, then it’s super important to check the safety and integrity of the locks on the patio door. Even though many apartment complexes have gated entries, criminals can and do sneak into the complexes undetected, posing a safety risk to anyone on the ground floor. If the door is a slider, consider placing a brace that prevents the door from being opened from the outside. If you’re on the second floor above, check the railing of your patio to make sure that it’s safe and stable for people to go out on. If there’s any sort of issue, alert the management right away and consider looking at another complex.
9. Storage Space and Options
If you’re like us, you’ve got plenty of things that need to come with you on your move. What about the stuff that doesn’t get used too often, things like christmas trees and kayaks? Can you store your large items easily? Is there a safe and secure bike rack near the complex that you can park your bike in? Some properties have attached and unattached garages, this can make storing your stuff that much easier. Almost as easy as searching with Sweet Home Locating!
10. The Safety of the Neighborhood
While crime rates in Texas are much lower than they were years ago, it’s still super important to understand what the neighborhood you’re planning to live in is like. Is it safe for kids to play outside? You should be on the lookout for any type of drug activity or illegal gambling. Not only does this type of behavior attract criminals, it can be very annoying to deal with if people get out of control. Most complexes have security, but the best action is doing the proper research.
When it comes down to it, searching for an apartment has never been easier. Thanks to the help of Sweet Home Locating, you won’t be burdened with worrying about a bad recommendation for an apartment. Finding your dream home in Texas is just one search away with the help of Sweet Home Locating.
