Renting

5 Ways to Search for an Apartment

Searching for an apartment can be overwhelming – with so many options, places to tour, and people to talk to, where do you begin? It’s important to start the process by knowing what you want – will you need a studio or 2-bedroom apartment? What about pets? How far are you willing to live from work or school? How much can you afford? Once you figure out the details, you’re ready to print a few of these FREE apartment hunting checklists and start your search!

5-Ways-to-Find-an-Apartment

Here are 5 ways to help you jump start your apartment hunt:

  1. Word of Mouth

    Ask your family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. They may be able to provide you with valuable recommendations, stories, and advice.

  2. Craigslist

    Craigslist.org can be very useful when looking for room, apartment, home, vacation, and even office rentals. You can also search for roommates or try a housing swap.

  3. Magazines

    Pick up a free magazine! You can usually find them on the shelves or boxes right outside the grocery store. You’ll be able to browse through these on your spare time or during a long wait to the register. If you happen to have a tablet or smartphone, you’ll be happy to know that Homes.com now has a mobile-friendly rental app!

  4. Reading Reviews

    If you’d rather learn about other people’s personal experience at the apartment community, you may want to read reviews on sites like Yelp, Bing, and check out social reviews on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

  5. Google+ Local

    Use a resource like Google Plus Local to assist you with finding apartment reviews from people in your circles, browse photos, and even find the community’s contact information, photos, business hours, address, and much more!

In addition to the 5 ways to help you search for an apartment, you can enhance your experience by downloading the Homes.com rental app. This app allows you to:

  • Quickly find rental homes with a simple slide and tap
  • Sort by commute times to work, the gym, grocery store, school, or wherever you go!
  • Use a custom search to filter by price, whether the community is pet-friendly, offers a washer & dryer, and anything else that may be important to you
  • View full-screen photos
  • Save and compare your top choices
  • Check availability by connecting you instantly with a rental property manager

For more useful apartment hunting tips on how to create a budget, signing paper work, settling in and more, download the Renter’s Guide for a complete resource to help you through the search process.

Be sure to leave a comment below to share what apartment search method works best for you!

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