Something I find even more stressful than even finals is apartment searching in Madison. Okay, not really, but it can be a huge burden. With all of the different options, prices, and locations, it can be hard to narrow down your search. To help make it a little easier, here are five tips when looking for your first apartment.
- Be upfront with your roommates. Something I’ve found to be really hard when apartment searching is keeping feelings mostly out of it. You’re looking for someone to live with, not be best friends with. Set up ground rules early to avoid issues in the future.
- Plan. Meet with your roommates and have a set plan for everyone’s budget, number of rooms, location, etc. You don’t have time to tour a hundred places, so make sure everyone is on the same page ahead of time!
- Have everyone pick a place to tour. That way, you get to see multiple places and can decide as a group what will work best.
- Ask lots of questions when touring! It’s important to get all of the information. Don’t worry about being annoying- it’s their job to sell the place.
- Take pictures (if allowed). It can be hard to remember just how big the bathroom is when trying to apartment shop a few months later, so if you can take pictures, definitely do it! Most rental companies don’t have great property pictures, and you’ll want the record later on.
I hope this helps when looking for your first apartment- happy searching!