Don't Stress We've Got You Covered, Ask the Questions, Get the Answers

Renting a new apartment can and should be an easy, exciting fun- filled event in your life.

So before you begin your search for your dream apartment, you may want to read through the information on this page to help you get a better understanding of some of the more important aspects and considerations involved.

Rent: How much can you afford to pay for monthly rent? A safe bet would be to try and not exceed a total monthly rent of more than half of your total gross monthly income. When calculating what you can afford, make sure that you total all your monthly expenses and that you budget enough for utilities which costs may be affected by circumstances beyond your control, such as an extremely cold winter.

Utilities: Allow your self a budget range or average for these. Find out what you pay for and what is included in the rent. Ask whom to call to find out what the past average costs were. The gas and electric companies will give you an average usage for the apartment you are considering and most private oil companies will be glad to do the same.

Location: Consider this in terms of your lifestyle. What do you want close by? Public transportation? Stores and Restaurants? Jogging/Bike paths and Parks? Do you care more about inside things or outside things?

Size: How many square feet or rooms do you really need? Be sure to take a digital camera, tape measure and notebook with you to each apartment that you look at to get as much information as you can about each and allow you to keep and evaluate the features of each apartment separately.