College Apartments: How to Choose Off-Campus Housing
There comes a time in every college student’s life where the appreciation for the dorm rooms comes to a halt and a new housing becomes a necessity. Selecting the right off-campus housing can be a bit of a challenge because it is a new experience that takes plenty of consideration. One has to think about locations, budgets, needs vs. wants, and the responsibility while dealing with school. Which can be very overwhelming at first. So here are some tips to help guide you through this process of finding your very own college apartment.
College Apartments: How to Choose Off-Campus Housing
Image via: Tiffany Farhad Design
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Make a Wish List
Think about your needs when making a wish list. Such as do you need to be close to public transportation, how far is it from the school, what’s the distance from the grocery stores, banks, and library or mall, or perhaps you have a part-time job how far will it be from there. If you want pets think about that, how many rooms, perhaps you may want a roommate. This will help you to narrow which places work for you.
Create a Budget of Monthly Items
Set a budget of monthly expenses. Try looking for apartments with utilities included or that are having specials for students or first-time apartment renters. Then think about, if the apartment does not have utilities included, about the, water, electric and internet and work them into the budget. Also, factor in groceries and any extras like school supplies for the year or semester. Most apartments will ask for a down payment so to hold it for you. Reflect over your budgeting expenses for your college apartment that way you will be better prepared before and during the process.
Image via: Allen Kilcoyne
Check College Classifieds
One great way to find great off-campus housing is by looking in your schools classifieds section. The school’s classified section is built around the needs of the students. So you will be able to find off-campus housing that should be more fit to what you may want and need. From the location, to the budget, to the safety of the student; so take a look around at the classifieds and see if something jumps out at you. There should be contact information for each classified so you can email or call about whichever one you are interested in.
Finding your first apartment can be a great process however, there are some things you should be practical and aware of when making this decision. Having a wish list, budgeting and taking advantage of your schools resources will all help you when you go through the process much smoothly. So what’s stopping you now, Stagetecture readers? Also, do you have any other tips about finding the perfect college apartments? We’d love to hear about them.
For more college tips on Stagetecture, click here.
