Apartment hunting is fun and exciting, especially if you are searching for your first apartment. The hunt, however, can also be stressful if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Before you start your search, try to figure out what features are most important to you. Maybe good parking is a must, but you don’t need gym access because you already have a gym membership. Maybe you want hardwood floors, but you would be willing to give them up if you find an apartment close to work or school. Figuring out how your needs and wants rank in order of importance will help you pinpoint your search and find the best apartment for you.
A smart way to organize and find out what features you actually need is to rate the importance of potential features. Start by imagining everything you would want in your dream apartment. Then, make a list of everything you can think of from location to flooring and price to gym access. Once you have this list, rate each item on a scale of 1 – 10, 1 being the least important and 10 being the most important. After you rate each item, you will see which features are most important to you and which features can be optional or can be left out completely.
Below is a list of 25 potential features to get you started. Think of what other special features you may want, and add them to this list to help you find your perfect apartment.
- Price
- Location/neighborhood
- Parking
- Gated community
- Gym access
- Pet friendly
- Availability of public transportation
- Easy commute
- Close to work/school
- Close to town
- Close to favorite hangouts
- Washer and dryer in the apartment
- Laundry room in building
- Hardwood floors
- Updated kitchen/new appliances
- Updated bathrooms
- Pool access
- Access to common areas/game room/outdoor grill
- On-site management
- On-site super
- On-site security
- Doorman
- Apartment layout
- Design features/character of apartment
- Residents close to your age
