Tips For Renting Your First Apartment
Renting your first apartment is a huge step for anyone. Whether you’ve been living with roommates in a college dorm for the last four years or you are moving out of your parents basement for the first time, your first apartment is a place that you’ll make plenty of memories that will last a lifetime. Along with that apartment comes your own personal decision to decorate it, choose it’s location and amenities, and pick anything else that you specifically desire.
Once you settle in, you are going to love your first apartment. However, it might take a few bumps in the road before you can sit back and relax in your new living room or bedroom. To limit those bumps as best possible, here are some tips for renting your first apartment.
Budget Wisely
The biggest consideration that you’ll have to make for your apartment is going to be the budget that you can afford for rent each month. After all, budget is what separates those who are living in penthouse sky-rises and those who are barely getting by in a one-bedroom apartment.
The term, “house poor” refers to not having any money left over after rent for you to be able to enjoy a lot of the extra things in life. When renting your first apartment, there are few better tips than to budget wisely so that you don’t end up being house poor. You don’t want to end up not being able to have guests over, or even go out with your friends, because your apartment costs too much. Instead, factor everything that goes into renting an apartment to ensure you can stay with your budget. Not only will you have rent to pay for, but you’ll also have utilities, gas, electric, insurance, homeowners fees, and other costs associated with renting an apartment.
While the costs may seem like a lot, keep in mind that renting your own place is well worth it. However, to make sure that it’s as enjoyable as it can be, just consider your budget and how easily you’ll be able to afford all of the costs involved with renting your own apartment.
Know What You Want And What You Can Live Without
The other big consideration for you to make when renting your first apartment is the list of things that you can live without, and the things you absolutely need to have. You may think that a nice view is a simple necessity that you don’t really need if it means saving money, but you instead might need to consider pet rent if you are brining an animal with you to your new apartment.
When looking for an apartment, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and even more headaches if you simply know what it is that you are looking for during your search. Take the time to make a list of “must-haves” and “would-likes,” and then determine what can be shifted around as you start looking for places.
Renting your first apartment is an exciting time that many people jump into without much consideration or thought. This leads to them making a decision that makes them regret their decision to get their first apartment. To make sure that this doesn’t happen to you, consider the tips for renting your first apartment.
I’m glad that you mentioned utilities when you said to budget wisely. My wife and I forgot about that when we rented our first apartment and ended up paying more than we could comfortably. I’d also make sure that you know how the utilities are paid and which ones you end up paying for. It’s something that a lot of first-time buyers forget.
Great post! I’m glad that I stumbled upon it because I’ve been thinking about renting my first apartment. I think you’re absolutely right: it’s important that you’re budgeting wisely. I’ll be sure to follow your suggestion by only renting what I can afford. Thanks for the helpful tips; they’ve been very enlightening!
I really liked what you mentioned about the importance of avoiding being “house poor” when you rent your first apartment. I think that many people, myself included, don’t consider all of the costs that come with renting an apartment! After I moved into my first apartment, I quickly realized that utilities and other costs were not figured in with my rent. I would definitely recommend that anyone renting an apartment for the first time consider all of the costs of renting and apartment before making a final decision on where to live! Thank you for posting!
I appreciate how you said, “The other big consideration for you to make whewn renting your first apartment is the list of things that you can live without, and the things you absolutely need to have.” That is a smart way to go about looking to rent an apartment. My wife and I are considering moving and I think something we really want this time around is a good view. We’ve been in a basement apartment our whole marriage and we are ready to be able to look out a window for a change. Thanks for the great suggestions! I think we will make our list tonight.
I liked your budgeting tips when renting an apartment. I’m moving out of my parent’s house to go to college out of state, so I need to find somewhere affordable to stay. Your tip for making a list of the things that I must have in an apartment will help me prioritize what I’m willing to pay for and where I can save. I’ll be paying my own rent and utilities, so doing this could help me save a lot of money so that I can pay for my tuition while still being able to pay my rent on time each month. Thanks for the tips!
These are some great tips, and I appreciate your advice to budget when renting your first apartment. I’m about to move out of the house to live on my own, and I haven’t really had to be too careful with my money until now. I’ll definitely try and budget well and stick to it so I can afford everything that I need to live comfortably. Thanks for the great post!
My daughter is about to go off to her freshman year of college and we are looking for a place for her to rent an apartment. I like the tip you give of making sure you make a budget so that you can fit rent into it. Like you pointed out, hopefully my daughter has learned what she can live without so that she will be able to budget for the most important things when she is on her own. Thanks for sharing this!
Thank you for the help. I am about to graduate and will be moving from dorms into my own apartment. I like your emphasis on know what I can live without. It should be a big space upgrade for me, but I don’t want to run out of room too quickly. Do you recommend trying to make an actual list?
These are some really good tips about renting an apartment or home. I like what you said about budget wisely. That way you can make sure that you won’t be house poor. When you good looking for a place to rent it would be smart to have a good budget set and not move past it when looking for a place to live.
I think you’re right about how I should consider what I need in an apartment while I’m looking for a new place to stay. There are other costs with rent that I need to calculate into how much I’ll have to pay to live in a new apartment. Budgeting these costs together will help me know if living at a complex will be right for me. Thanks for the tips!
Thanks for talking about the financial aspect of choosing an apartment. My wife and I have lived in a few different apartments over the years. Our first apartment that we lived in was not the nicest thing I had ever seen. However, it was very inexpensive, and once we got it decorated, it actually looked really nice. Being able to decide what things we needed and what things we could live without save us a lot of money. Thanks for sharing!
My little sister is moving out of my parents home soon, and she is starting the apartment search. I like your tip to know what you want and what you can live without. You don’t need to have everything when you are starting off on your own, and it’s good to establish what you are willing to give up early on. Thanks for these tips. I’ll make sure to pass them along to my sister!
I’m moving to a new city and am trying to find an apartment to rent. Thanks for the advice about budgeting wisely and finding an apartment whose rent you can pay easily. Hopefully, I can find an apartment that has everything I need.
Thanks for putting together some tips for renting an apartment. You make a great point about budgeting wisely. It seems like it is important to make sure you know what you can afford so you don’t go outside of your budget. I would think that it is also a good idea to factor in your deposit and any funds you will need to furnish the apartment.
You have shared very useful tips. I really need these tips because my son is moving out from house for further studies and looking for apartment. I guess these tips will help me to find right apartment for him. Thank you for sharing this.
I agree, when you’re renting your first apartment you have to put a lot of effort into balancing what you need and what you can live without. For example, if you have a pet you want to love with, then their rent and needs comes before things like have a nice view or covered parking. It helps to sit down and actually list out the things you want beforehand and then sort them into necessities and wishful thinking.
Thank you for the help. I am getting ready to look for my new apartment. I definitely want to have a priority list, as you suggested. How strict would you suggest that I be on sticking to that list?
Thanks for putting together some tips for renting your first apartment. My fiance and I are currently looking for a place to move after we get married. You make a great point about budgeting wisely. I think it will be a good idea for us to set a budget and narrow down our search to apartments in that price range.
Hi,
I love your post! I am really very happy to see such a wonderful post!
Its quite informative and useful. I totally agree with you. Renting your first apartment on rent is an exciting task to do when your higher studies are demanding you to stay away from your native place. If your budget is low and you are thinking to rent a big apartment, you will definitely face trouble in the near future.
Thank you so much for sharing such a nice post!
Regards
Tom Smith
I love that you mentioned several times how important it is to know what you are looking for. I know that when I have a list in hand of what I want, it helps narrow my search so I don’t have to look as long. A list also helps me to prioritize what’s important so I can make adjustments as needed.
Budgeting wisely is smart. It is good to set a budget before even looking at apartments to rent. That way you don’t end up getting an apartment that is out of your price range. That is just going to cause money problems for you down the road.
I really like how you mention that when you are looking for an apartment, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and even more headaches if you know what it is that you want. I’m picky when it comes to apartments, so this will really help me. I’ll be able to have a list of things I want and stick to that while I go apartment hunting. Thanks!
I totally agree with your tip on knowing what you want and what you can’t live without. Making a list of what you find the most important will help you narrow down your search to the most basic things. It will also help you in staying within your budget, since you’ll only be looking for the minimum of what you really need.
I really like your advice on learning what you need, and what you can live without. That way, if money gets tight, you already know what you can go without. I think that is really important, just so that you are prepared. However, more important than that, is if you budget right, than you won’t have to worry about that!
You have a really great point that when renting your first apartment, you should make a list of things that you can live without and the things you absolutely need to have. I’m looking for an apartment to move into and I’m having a hard time choosing. I think by making this list, I will be able to see the pros and cons of all the apartments I’m considering and make the choice that will be best for my life and my needs.
Wisely! 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Budgeting for your apartment is super important. You want to make sure that you have enough money for rent every month! Paying late fees and being stressed about rent is something that we don’t want to worry about. But it is a big step and will help you live a more responsible life.
I like how you mentioned figuring out what you want and what you don’t need. I’m going to be moving out to college, and I need to find a place to live while I’m there. I haven’t really thought much about what I want from a living space, but maybe it would be a good idea to compile a list of my wants and needs so I can find somewhere that fulfills those.
I agree with your point about making a list of things of “must-haves” and “would likes,” to help determine the absolute necessities for the apartment you want to rent. My sister did just that for her first apartment and she was able to find something that would meet her needs. I will for sure keep these tips in mind for the next time I rent a living space.
I agree that you would need to consider your budget when renting for the first time. I would imagine that it would be really important to rent a place that you can afford each month. I’m looking to rent my first apartment so I’ll have to stick to my budget when I do.
I hadn’t thought about the idea of making a list of needs and wants. It makes sense when you’re renting to look at things like the absolute necessities as opposed to things that would be nice extras. I like that you pointed that out picking what you can or can’t live without, cause that will help me really find a place I need!
Establishing a budget before you actually start shopping for an apartment sounds like a good idea. Having an established budget would also probably help you narrow down the areas in which you are going to look for a house. I’m looking to rent my first apartment out of college so I’ll have to figure out what my budget is first.
I would like to rent an apartment. It makes sense that budgeting would be a very important thing to consider! I wouldn’t want to risk not being able to pay the rent, after all.
I like your tip to budget well so that I don’t end up “house poor”. I’ve lived with my parents until now, so I’m not used to having to pay for everything. Fortunately, I’m a fairly simple person, so finding a cheap small apartment shouldn’t be too hard.
Thanks for keeping me in check to make sure that I consider what’s important to move into my apartment. Hopefully I’ll find the best apartment to be able to live alone. You pointed out my biggest concern, being “house poor”. I have seen that way too many times with my friends and they aren’t able to go out much. I’ll keep all of these ideas in mind while I’m working with my real estate agent. Thanks!
My daughter has been looking at apartments, and she won’t listen to my wife and I when we tell her things, so I’ve been looking for things online that we could share with her. I’m glad that you talked about thinking about things you can and can’t live without when it comes to apartments. I’m going to have to share your article and help her realize that even though apartments have a lot of nice amenities, they aren’t necessities! Thanks for the info!
I agree that you need to prioritize when you are renting an apartment. Knowing what amenities are most important would help you make a list of potential places sooner. I’m moving into my first apartment soon, so I’ll have to find one that has the things I really need in it.
I am getting ready to move into my first apartment but I’m having a hard time finding the right place. I like that you suggest not spending all your money on the apartment because there are still utilities and supplies you’ll need money for. I don’t want to be “house poor” like you mentioned so I’ll have to set aside some money for furniture and decorations too. Thanks for the tips!
I am looking to get my own apartment. Right now I live with roommates but I want my own space. I’ll be sure to make a list of my must-haves.
Thanks for going over some good advice for renting an apartment. I’m glad that you mentioned that it’s important to learn exactly what you want, especially since it can save you some time. My sister has been thinking of getting an apartment, so this article may help her out in the future know what she should do in this process.
You made a good point to budget wisely when choosing the right apartment. You want to consider all the expenses that you will be incurring either on a daily or monthly basis such as food, water, and utilities. You may want to create a checklist and make an estimate to prevent you from overspending. If I were to look for one myself, I will make sure that everything is right within my budget. Thanks.
I have finally reached the point of where I am ready to move out of my parent’s place and into one of my very own. It’s good to know that when it comes to looking for an apartment that there are some things that I need to keep in mind so that I will be able to find the right one. I like how you mentioned that I need to determine what I want and what I can live without so that I will be able to narrow down the options to the one I want.
You made a good point to “budget wisely” when choosing the right apartment. It is recommended that you create a checklist of your basic expenses on a monthly basis. This way you would have an idea of how much you should set aside for things like grocery and utilities. You certainly would like everything to fit right into your budget. If I were to look for my own apartment, I would definitely keep this in mind. Thanks.
I really like the advice you give about figuring out what you need in the apartment and what you can live without. After all, not everyone is going to need an apartment with a swimming pool or gym complex. It is best to focus on the base necessities first and then decide what you can upgrade later.
I like how you say that you would want to make a list of must-haves when choosing an apartment. It would be good to consider this because it would help you stay within your budget. My sister is looking for a new apartment, so she’ll have to make her list of must-haves first.
I think it is pretty great that one of your big suggestions is figuring out what you can live without. After all, when you are hunting for an apartment it’s likely that you won’t find everything you’re looking for immediately. Because of this, you want to make sure you know what you absolutely need in an apartment and what you can worry about later.