How to Choose The Right Bachelor Pad
We'll make this short and sweet by breaking down 3 of the most important aspects of renting.
What can you afford? Rule of thumb: Your rent should be less than 1/3 of your monthly pay. Therefore if you earn $4000 per month, budget a maximum of $1320 for rent each month. Of course you must factor in your spending habits. Be smart and think about your lifestyle - don't be that guy spending all of your rent money at the bar on pay day. I have had the most luck using Padmapper for finding awesome apartments within my budget in the past.
This should probably be number 1, but nonetheless these are some things I have had to learned from experience: Check for insects -Inspect the corners of the kitchen cupboards for any sign of bugs, such as poop -Browse the Bed Bug Registry Read the contract - then read it again -Don't be afraid to highlight anything that doesn't make sense to you -Take pictures and document any damage that you see upon moving in -Note that depending on where you live, damage deposits may no longer be legal for landlords Survey the area -This can be done in person and virtually - ask neighbors what they think of the area and do some browsing online for crimes, property values, and local political scandals that could make you the butt end of jokes Some of these tips may seem old hat to experienced renters, but for those just moving out of their parent's basement - it is better to be safe than sorry.
1. Budget
What can you afford? Rule of thumb: Your rent should be less than 1/3 of your monthly pay. Therefore if you earn $4000 per month, budget a maximum of $1320 for rent each month. Of course you must factor in your spending habits. Be smart and think about your lifestyle - don't be that guy spending all of your rent money at the bar on pay day. I have had the most luck using Padmapper for finding awesome apartments within my budget in the past.
2. Location
Let's think about places you might want to live near: School or Work Nightlife Coffee Shops Easy Public Transportation An excellent resource for this is Walk Score. They have an algorithm which will give you a rating for the location based on how far away it is (walking distance) from popular destinations.3. Do your Due Diligence
This should probably be number 1, but nonetheless these are some things I have had to learned from experience: Check for insects -Inspect the corners of the kitchen cupboards for any sign of bugs, such as poop -Browse the Bed Bug Registry Read the contract - then read it again -Don't be afraid to highlight anything that doesn't make sense to you -Take pictures and document any damage that you see upon moving in -Note that depending on where you live, damage deposits may no longer be legal for landlords Survey the area -This can be done in person and virtually - ask neighbors what they think of the area and do some browsing online for crimes, property values, and local political scandals that could make you the butt end of jokes Some of these tips may seem old hat to experienced renters, but for those just moving out of their parent's basement - it is better to be safe than sorry.
