How to Find an Apartment in a New City

You aced the interview for that dream job, and you’re looking forward to starting your new career. But if your new job is 1,000 miles away, the anxiety of finding a place to live may overshadow your new-job excitement. Fortunately, today’s long-distance apartment-hunters have a world of resources at their fingertips to help them find the perfect pad.

Online Searches

Your apartment search should begin with exploring neighborhoods in your new city. Make a list of what’s important to you – do you want to live in a rural area? Would you prefer an urban area with plenty of restaurants within walking distance? You can learn a lot online about neighborhoods in major cities.

If you’re moving to a city like San Francisco or Washington, D.C., you may find that rent is more affordable outside of city limits. If you plan to take your car with you when you move, suburban living may offer more options for parking. But if you plan to rely on public transportation, look for an apartment that is close to public transit hubs.

Getting Results

Looking for a new apartment can be a time-consuming task, but you can make the Internet do some of the work for you. Many property managers – for both large apartment complexes and independently-owned buildings – will post vacancies on Craigslist. You can enter your preferences and set up an RSS feed, so that notices about suitable apartments come to your email inbox.

Precautions

Property managers always want to create a good impression online, but

sometimes the pictures they post to attract tenants don’t tell the whole story. If you want to get a good look at the parking lot and surroundings, check out the property on Google Street View. A complex that doesn’t adequately maintain its sidewalks and landscaping may be just as lax in responding to your service calls.

You might be surprised at how common crime is in apartment complexes. When you’re seriously considering a potential apartment, get a police report  for that property. You can also check online to determine the most common rental insurance claims for a particular zip code. You may find that theft is significantly higher in specific areas.

No matter where you move, you should have renter’s insurance. If you’re spending a night in a hotel during a cross-country move, your policy will protect personal belongings in your room. Talk to an agent to make sure you’ve got the right kind of coverage for your household and understand what your policy covers.

Starting a New Chapter

Once you’ve settled on a place to live, learn more about events happening in your new neighborhood. The best way to meet your neighbors and make new friends is to participate in community activities.

Depending on where you’ve moving, you may have to modify your approach to a typical workday. For example, if you’ll be taking the train to work every morning, you may want to use that transit time to catch-up on email or handle other business. You may also be getting back to your apartment late in the evening, so brush-up on quick, healthy recipes.

Looking for an apartment in another city can be difficult, but if you prioritize, make a list of what you want and do a little research, you can find a place that’s a perfect for you.