Whether you are completely new to finding a place to live on your own or you are changing from a mortgage to a by-the-month rental in a different city, you should have a plan before beginning your apartment search process. Finding the right apartment near you that fits your exact needs can be an exhausting task. Let us help create your apartment hunting plan so that when it comes time for you to move in to your new place, you’ll know you have picked the perfect one.
Our team of licensed real estate professionals have built close-knit connections over the years with the property managers here in Fort Worth Texas. Our constantly-expanding database of thousands of apartment communities throughout the area lets us cross-reference multiple properties based on your exact specifications. Once we’ve pulled all of the appropriate apartments for you, you’ll be able to see all the personalized information about each of them including photos, floor plans, maps, pricing, lease terms, amenities, pet policies, and other important information for you to consider. Save yourself time and money by using our FREE service to help locate the best apartment near you.
Here are some things to consider when brainstorming for your apartment hunt process:
Determine Affordability
It is recommended by finance experts to keep your rent at 20-30% of your monthly income. For example, if you make $6,000 a month you should try to keep your apartment’s rent under $1,800. Planning out your personal budget beforehand helps in determining your price range as well as helping you see areas in your budget that you can cut back on.
Find Ways to Reduce Rental Costs
Fortunately there are some things you can do to help keep your apartment budget low:
Look Outside of Urbanized Areas. Oftentimes the rent of apartments closer to the city center have higher rents. Although living in the city might seem essential for your commute to work, it’s not always worth the extra money if you can find viable transportation from the suburbs.
Transportation Costs. The downside of living away from the city where cost-efficient public buses and subways help with your commutes is a higher transportation budget. Consider the amount of money you will be spending on gas or bus passes when creating your apartment hunting plan.
Find a Roommate. Although living with a roommate can be an unsettling idea to some, there’s no mistaking the immense amount of money you would save by living with one or more people. Be sure to get the landlord’s approval before deciding on a roommate and also consider having a written agreement with your roommate to make sure everyone understands each other.
Explore Subsidies and Other Benefits. Check with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to see if you qualify for assistance in paying rent. Other benefits to look for include employee discounts on living arrangements, such as with Lockheed Martin.
Plan for the Living Space You Need. While it would be nice to have plenty of square footage to spare in your apartment, excessive living space only means a higher budget for you to deal with. Determine how many square feet you really need based on the amount of people living there, your lifestyle, potential visitors, pets, and areas you need to store things in.
Check Your Credit
Most apartments in Fort Worth require a credit check to make sure you are reasonable about paying your bills on time. Some even do background checks. Running a credit check on yourself can help you spot any possible issues as well as errors you can contest. Although it takes around three weeks to get your credit report back, you can request one free credit report each year from the three credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion).
Start Hunting
You should start looking for apartments roughly three months before you are required to move out of your previous place of living. This will ensure that you have enough time to complete all of the necessary steps before moving in. Make sure to keep in mind several features when hunting:
- The price of the apartment and whether or not it is outside of your budget.
- The transportation available around your apartment, especially if you don’t have a car.
- The convenience of the location and how far away it is from your work or school.
- The safety of the apartment complex as well as the surrounding neighborhood.
There are a lot of details that often get overlooked when finding a new apartment near you. Don’t get overwhelmed by all the rules and fine print – let us do the work for you at no cost.
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