Apartment Hunting 101

Updated 3/24/2022

When you’re moving to a new house there are a lot of things to think about. If you need affordable out-of-state movers, you’ll need to start searching for them as soon as you can. Movers can be very expensive and the farther you’re moving, the more expensive they tend to be. To find affordable interstate moving companies, start looking for them early in the process. Call different places and ask for quotes based on how much you’re moving and how far you’re going. Even if your plans change, contacting affordable long-distance moving services now will give you numbers to work off of in the future.

To find affordable cross-country moving companies, look for them online. You can visit websites or search for reviews for different companies. See what previous clients have to say, both the good and the bad things. This can help you avoid unethical or careless movers. From there, you can find a few to contact and get information from. Don’t agree to work with any until you know exactly what you’re going to be doing.

Although your friends and family might happily move you for the chance to share a pizza and a few beers, furniture moving sometimes requires the services of professionals. If you own more than will fit in a couple of pickup trucks, ask area moving companies what specials they have for crosstown moves. However, if you need to move out of state or across the country, you should look up the best full service movers. From that list, you can compare the services offered by the best cross country shipping companies and read their customer reviews.

Look for regional moving specials. For example, if you live along the Atlantic, examine the best east coast moving companies. Request discounts. Ask for senior citizen discounts for elderly relatives or military discounts when your deployment changes, for example. Other potential discounts exist for students, teachers, essential workers, and emergency services personnel. In addition, moving between October and April or choosing a midweek moving date may help you trim your moving costs. Finally, update your memberships in organizations such as AAA, AARP, your trade union, and other social clubs since many offer moving discounts as parts of their benefits package. Good luck with your move!

Searching for and securing a new apartment is an exciting adventure. You get to paint the walls whatever color you want (if your landlord approves, of course), stay up as late as you want, and basically, just do your own thing. Whether this is your first apartment or you’re looking for a new pad to call home, hire moving guys to help. A professional mover will move all the big stuff – like couches, beds, bookcases, desks, tables, and other furniture from point A to point B. This takes a huge load off you, especially since you won’t have to ask friends or family members to help you move. To hire local moving help, look online for companies in your area. Read the reviews and get some estimates. If you’re moving out of state, you’ll need to hire movers from state to state and this will definitely be more expensive than a local move. But certainly doable! There are many home moving solutions out there that will get you into your apartment quickly and efficiently, satisfaction guaranteed. Be sure to do your research and find the best moving company for your needs.

Journeying out on your own and breaking free from your parents’ house can be extremely exciting. You no longer have to answer to anyone, you can stay out as late as you want, and no one will tell you to clean up your room (other than the random bugs or rodents that appear when your place becomes so disgusting that you simply have to clean it).

When you start looking for apartments to live in, you will likely have a long list of local apartments for rent to choose from. This can be confusing, as there may be several places that meet your wishlist.

Here a few apartment hunting tips that may help you pinpoint the perfect new pad.

• What Do You Want? Before you even step foot outside of your parents’ house to visit any rental property, be sure you know exactly what you are looking for, and be firm about it. You will probably head out thinking that you would be fine seeing only one bedroom apartments, but landlords are famous for “just showing” you other options. Pretty soon, a two bedroom apartment that you thought you would “just look at” will start to look enticing, and put you over your budget. So stick to your guns, and don’t waver.
• What is Your Budget? That brings us to the most important consideration: how much you can spend per month? If you think about all the expenses that go along with an apartment — utilities, food, parking, etc. — that two bedroom apartment may be a bit out of reach. Be sure to solidify how much you want to spend before you talk to any landlord, and also keep in mind that just because you have $1,000 to spend every month, it shouldn’t all go to a $1,000-a-month rental; leave some buffer space for other expenses.
• What Does the Place Look Like? You can tell a lot by just taking a peek at an apartment. If you notice any distinct unpleasant odors, you may want to ask if the place has been cleaned recently. Better yet, forget about that place — you will want to find something that is well-maintained, vacuumed, and freshly painted. This will assure you that the landlord actually cares about the rental, and that you won’t have any infestation problems.

With the help of these apartment hunting tips, you will be on your way to new found freedom.