7 Things I wish I knew before renting my first apartment

"Ah, I'm renting my first apartment!" Renting your first apartment can be a stressful process to be sure, but it can also be the beginning of your adult life, which is a beautiful thing indeed.

If you are in this state of mind, with butterflies in your stomach but excitement in your chest, you are probably looking for tips for first-time renters. No need to fear. With the 7 tips below, you will be well on your way to renting an apartment that's best suited to you and your specific needs.

1. Don't Forget to Plan Way in Advance

Unless your current house burned down and you have to move in a jiffy, you will probably know well in advance that you need to find a new apartment and move out of your parents' or current place. Either way, don't leave everything till the end when renting an apartment.

It's not like choosing a pair of shoes or coat. Renting an apartment can dictate your level of happiness and standard of living for the next few years. You need to spend time choosing well and planning surreptitiously. Don't leave it up to your roommates (if you have them), or your partner (if you are moving in with them).

You want to spend time choosing an apartment in the perfect neighborhood that's right for you. No one will know what feels right except for yourself. That's why you need to take the time out of your busy schedule to do this.

Some things you will need to plan for are (and some questions to ask):

• Finding the right (and in your budget) apartment furniture
• How you are going to move all your stuff over
• Will you eat out or take away - are there restaurants around to serve your needs
• How far will you be from a hospital or other medical centers, in case of an emergency
• Where is the nearest grocery store
• How far are you from your friends, family, and other acquaintances - you don't want to get lonely
• And so much more

As you can see, you have a lot to think about and plan when renting an apartment. Don't take it easy and procrastinate until a month before you move. Ideally, you should start planning for your move at least 6 months in advance. That will give you enough time to think about all eventualities and have the easiest move ever.

2. Have a Budget for Your Move into Your Apartment

Too many people get overexcited about apartment shopping and forget about sticking to their budget. You don't want to end up overspending on your apartment move and rental, and then have nothing left over for essentials or fun. Or worse, get into debt for your move and end up spending the next 3-4 years paying off that debt.

Start by building a budget of your fixed monthly expenses. These include your rent, utility bills, cellphone bills, transportation costs, rental insurance, and groceries. These are all the items that you cannot do without. You need them to survive in this world.

Once you have an idea of your essential expenses, you will know how much you will have left over for anything else (for fun and recreational items).

This is important because at first, your budget might be a bit tight as you learn to navigate your newly found freedom. You might spend too much on takeaway the first month as you learn about cheap grocery stores or restaurants in your neighborhood.

Also, you will want to budget for all the apartment furniture you will buy and the moving expenses, like the cost of renting a truck or buying boxes for your move.

Try not to spend all that you earn every month, and if you can, it would be a good idea to start saving up for the first few months of your living expenses in advance. If you know you are going to be moving out of your parents' place (or your current place) in six months, start saving up for your potential rent right now. This way you have a little bit of cushion to work with.

3. Get Referrals from Friends and Family

There are many ways to search for new apartments nowadays. RentLingo is one great resource for that. It's a great idea for you to search for an apartment on your own because it will give you that sense of independence and freedom.

But don't forget to use your social network to confirm that the neighborhood you are choosing or the apartment building that you wish to move into, is a reliable one. This way you can give your heart a bit of solace that you are not going to spend the next few months regretting your choice.

It's also good to talk to people in your chosen neighborhood to see what the noise levels are like, if there's too much construction noise or if there's a club or bar that gets rowdy at night.

4. Don't Forget to Focus on Specific Neighbourhoods

This is in keeping with the previous point. It can get overwhelming when first apartment shopping because there are so many cool neighborhoods to choose from. But you can get bogged down in analysis paralysis if you don't narrow down the choices right away.

Of course, you can talk to friends and family about this, as they might already be familiar with certain neighborhoods and be able to give you good advice on that. You can also go online and check out reviews by other renters on what neighborhoods they like and which ones they avoid.

Once you have a particular neighborhood in mind, it will be easier for you to find that perfect apartment.

5. Make Sure You Have a Reliable Landlord (Ask Current Renters)

The main relationship that can make or break your life in your new place is the one you have with your landlord. You don't want to spend the next few months fighting with your landlord about every little thing.

If possible, have a conversation with current renters to gauge what your potential landlord is like. Are they easy-going, or do they seem to nitpick at everything? Are they communicative or do they take forever to answer your messages? Do they seem like they care about their tenants or do they seem overworked, uncaring, and aloof?

Your new life as a renter will much easier if you can have a landlord who understands your situation and tries to accommodate your needs.

6. Don't Overspend on Decorating Your Apartment

Rome wasn't built in a day and you cannot decorate your apartment in a day or even a week. It takes time to buy all those little pieces of apartment decor that make up your perfect apartment space. You will want to make a game out of it, as well.

Walk around vintage or antique markets and pick out unique pieces for your place. Go around your neighborhood and see if anyone's left paintings or other apartment stuff out for free. Talk to your parents or other older adults in your family and see if they have any apartment furniture they don't use anymore.

Bit by bit, little by little, you will notice that your apartment is filling up with pieces that you can call uniquely your own style. There's no rush here. Take your time with this new and brilliant experience of decorating your first apartment.

7. Realize That You Can't Account for or Plan For Everything

Too many first-time renters put so much pressure on themselves in their desire to make their move absolutely perfect. Don't do that to yourself. This is your first time moving into a space that's truly your own. It will take you several tries to ensure that you get it absolutely right.

Even then, you might make silly or terrible mistakes. That's what being human is all about.

That's why remember that no matter how much you plan, and how much you budget, you cannot account for everything. That's life. Unexpected expenses or unaccounted delays will occur.

Perhaps you will spend months searching for the perfect apartment and not find anything until a week before your move. Or you might the perfect apartment right away, but then the landlord might change his mind a few weeks before your move (this is highly unlikely, but we are just speaking about hypotheticals right now).

That's why it's important to have fun with this new adventure of yours and take everything in stride. Don't take yourself or the move too seriously!

"Wow, My First Apartment" - You Are Almost There

If you still can't believe it and you are pinching your arms in disbelief, don't. You are finally here. If you followed the tips laid out above, you will land a great apartment that you will be able to enjoy for years to come.

"My first apartment" - it's a big first step in your life, but it's also just the first step. You will move many times your life and you will have many more beautiful apartments to contend with.

If you are searching for apartments or houses for rent, check out RentLingo today!

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