What are some things a first time apartment buyer should know?

Question

Im planning on moving into an apartment for the first time and Im hoping that some people here can give me some useful advice or tips :)

Answer 1

If you are moving into a second floor apartment go talk to the neighbor underneath you and get a feel how they are about noise. (I had a neighbor underneath me who complained about my bathroom fan being on!)

If you are moving into an apartment where your on the first floor and there is someone above you, ask the landlord if you can come by at a later time at night to see about the noise level of the people above you.

Seriously, if you can afford it just rent a house....so much less hassle with neighbors!

Answer 2

I just 'bought' (seeing as to how I'm renting it) my first apartment last year and so I figured I'd offer my two cents.

Since this is your first place, I would recommend something simple, something that you can maintain yourself. Look for something that you can afford to live in (you can even use a calculator online to do this). Find out what bills you have to pay (water, gas, electric). Some places, you have to pay for every utility. Others are selective.

If you have specific interests or a job, look for something close to it. If you want to have or already have pets, this is very important.

I live by a train and that wakes me up all the time. So, look out for places near busy roads and other loud noises. Get to know your surroundings, ask people who live there about their experiences (don't base it primarily off what the management says).

Find out about security, parking. Basically, do you feel safe? Would you if you had to walk from your car to your door?

Also, find out if the apartment you like is being rented month by month or if you have to sign a lease. Leases are very difficult to get out of and they last a specific amount of time.

Those are basically what I was thinking about. Hope my experiences help!

Answer 3

Are you a buyer or rentor? The wording is strange and so I'm not sure how to proceed. There are lots of precautions each way.