How to Find the Right Apartment for Your Budget

You’ve made it. You’ve made the choice to live in the big city. Whether it is New York City, Sydney, or Tokyo, there are going to be new people, new cultures, and new food for you to explore. Already, you can see yourself living the best version of your life: from landing your dream job, to eating at the hottest places in town, there are so many things to explore.

But before you can fully dive into the goodness of all your new city has to offer, you will need to find the right apartment without breaking your budget. As CNBC reports, while most personal financial experts recommend not going above 30% of your personal income, it can be tough to do so in some of the most popular cities, as the rent is sky-high. In cities like Boston, San Francisco, and New York City, on average, one bedroom rent costs can be anywhere between $2,900 to $3,680.

So how do you find the right place for your budget? Here are some tips to help you out:

Know Yourself

The first step to being able to refine your search is to know your deal-breakers. What are the factors that are most important to you? It might be best for you to list out various filters in order of priority and acknowledge that your dream one bedroom apartment may not be the first one you rent. When you admit this to yourself and begin to lower your expectations, you may find that you don’t need your dream apartment in order to have a good life.

Some of the factors to consider:

• Commute time to work and other areas of importance
• Smoking/non-smoking and pets/no pets
• Access to public transit and walkability score
• Quiet or lively neighborhood
• In-place stove, oven, dishwasher, laundry, and accessibility

Expand the Search

There is a common truth that speaks to the increased probability of being able to catch a fish when a wider net is cast. The expansion of your search for housing could include new places to look online as well as being open to new neighborhoods.

Almost every city will have Facebook groups that focus on housing availability. Sometimes, the groups will be more specific, with a common interest or belief binding together like-minded people. Joining a group like this will not only mean the space would be open to be used as an artistic place but could also potentially open the door to new community.

There are also a number of great search engines, besides real-estate brokers, who list apartments and would help to filter out the needles from the haystack in finding the right apartment. All of these resources should be utilized in order to give you the best chance at being the first one to see the right place at the right time.

Make it Yours

In the end, life is 10% what happens and 90% how we react to it. While your first apartment, like your first car, may not be the one you ultimately dreamed of renting when you started your search, there are always ways you can make it your own.

By knowing yourself, expanding your search, and making the place you end up renting your own, you will find yourself living your best life in any city!