letterblade: (ohnoes)
[personal profile] letterblade
Getting shown at least one apartment tomorrow.

This will be the, um, third apartment showing I've ever done in my life. First was in a neighborhood so freaky we'd already decided not to take the place; second was in a neighborhood we'd already fallen in love with, and we were pretty much pre-sold when we saw the size of it. And both times I was pretty much hiding behind Cyn. This one's solo.

So, er, any tips? Please with many thanks?

Crashing soon. (Well, must poke that fic first, 'cause I just saw Iron Man again and have things fresh in my brain.) <3 y'all.

Date: May. 17th, 2008 06:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cwoolard.livejournal.com
Test the faucets to see if they work. Lights, too.

Walk over the entire floor to check for loose/"bouncy" floorboards.

Depending on the neighborhood, ask how often they call the extrminator.

Eh. None of these may apply to your situation: I've spent most of my life in scary low-income neighborhoods and tend to be paranoid.

Date: May. 17th, 2008 11:04 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nevacaruso.livejournal.com
You probably already knew this, but: Make sure to ask (not only your landlord, but people you know in the area, if there are any) about the safety of the neighborhood.

Good luck!

Date: May. 17th, 2008 02:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] heavenscalyx.livejournal.com
Seconded! When Akycha and CallunaV moved to Boston the second time, they found a fabulous apartment in Dorchester. When the landlords found out they didn't have a car, they refused to rent to them because, while their immediate street was all right, streets they would have to navigate to get to the T were not.

Depending on where you're looking, you might want to start reading the local crime reports/police briefs in the newspaper (that's how I've found out that we were insanely lucky not to buy a house in Fitchburg).

Also, look in nooks and crannies: the area between the fridge and counter, the kitchen drawers, the pantry, unswept corners. Keep an eye out for rodent droppings and/or dead bugs.

And think about laundry facilities -- if the only washer/dryer available is in a horrid wet filthy basement, and the rest of the apartment isn't completely fucking brilliant, then don't get the place. It will only make laundry even more of a chore than it already is.

Ask about the upstairs neighbors, if any (downstairs neighbors are, in general, less disruptive unless they set off the building fire alarms... repeatedly... over the course of a few days... not that I have any experience with this...)

Ask what the usual electricity and heating bills are like. Watch for windows that will accomodate your window AC -- or windows that *won't* (as in Lediva's apartment). Ask what kind of heat there is -- gas, oil, electric? Oil and gas are, I think, equally expensive right about now, but at least gas can't run out on you in the middle of a blizzard.

That's what I can think of off the top of my head. I'll post more as I can think of things.

Good luck!

Date: May. 17th, 2008 02:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mytheria.livejournal.com
Things to check:
-If there is laundry in the building, look at it (don't just take the guy's word, and also then you'll know how dangerous or not the basement stairs are).
-Things to ask the current tenants, if they are around: what the utilities run, how long does it take the landlord to return a repair call.
-Things to ask the agent if they're not: Type and age of heating system (oil is much more expensive than gas, newer is more efficient, radiators might clunk/hiss but forced air is evil if you've got allergies, etc),
-Do all the windows have shade/blinds (these are required in Cambridge at least)
-Open all closets (good to know if there is a water line running through it before hand)
-Outdoor space and storage: shared or private

Things to keep in mind:
-Don't let them rush you
-The rules are different if it's a landlord or an agent showing the place
-If it's an agent, find out what the fee is, and it never hurts to ask if the landlord would split it
-Ask what the total due upfront is (find out if it's due at lease signing vs. move in)

I know it's daunting but you'll do fine.

Date: May. 17th, 2008 03:02 pm (UTC)
ext_79737: (smile!)
From: [identity profile] auronlu.livejournal.com
Hmmm. Trying to go back through my own mental checklist, here's the things I looked for...

Don't be embarrassed to be picky, ask lots of questions, and take your time.

Check the water pressure by turning on the shower. If you're still long-haired, you'll need lots to get the soap out.

Check storage space. Having places to put stuff is almost more important than places to put you.

Check windows for draft (or, better, look and see if they're double-paned). I can get by in an apartment with a broken heater and lousy insulation. You north folks can't.

Look for mold spots, especially in bathroom. Mold baaaaad.

What are laundry options?

What appliances does it come with? Are they functional? Or will you come to hate them?

Any sort of yard/patio/outside area?

STORAGE SPACE.

If you drive, what sort of parking options are there? And where will friends park who come to visit you?

This being Boston (?), where's the nearest T or bus stop?

What's the nearest grocery store? Other stores/food sources?

Cigarette smells? :(

Consider how much you want LIGHT. I just bought a place largely because my current apartment is a cave, and I wanted more light.

Look for signs of things in good repair or NOT good repair, inside and outside the apartment. Landlords make or break a rental.

You won't be there long enough to be sure, but listen for thumps, voices from next apartment over, noises outside. How much noise factor is there?

Traffic flow isn't a make-or-break, but it's something to keep in mind. Do closet doors open so that you have to duck around them? If there's a dishwasher, does its door open and block you into the kitchenlet area? Will you be able to put bookshelves in hallways or on walls, or will that make it too tight? Are there a lot of getting-from-this-part-to-that areas, or is space maximized so it's all "livable" area?

Date: May. 17th, 2008 03:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] natbudin.livejournal.com
When we were looking for apartments last year, [livejournal.com profile] v_cat and I were concerned about neighborhoods, because we'd never lived in Somerville before and had heard some sketchy things. [livejournal.com profile] v_cat actually went through the police log for the past 9 months and made a Google map with pins for all the logged crime incidents. It was pretty nifty and gave us a relatively good idea of where it was probably safe to live.

Mostly, the impression we got was "stay away from Assembly Square"...

Date: May. 17th, 2008 04:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] heavenscalyx.livejournal.com
Oh, yeah. We used to live about 6-8 blocks from Assembly Square (3 blocks from Sullivan Square). Our area was fine -- I never once felt unsafe walking through it (though we were made to feel unsafe in the apartment by a peeping tom). But you couldn't pay me enough to move any closer to Assembly Square. It was probably nicer when there was actually, you know, a mall there. But a big echoing mostly empty building? Not so much. (mumble grumble STUPID SOMERVILLE PEOPLES keeping IKEA from moving into Assembly Square growl snarl hiss spit)

Date: May. 17th, 2008 04:29 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] natbudin.livejournal.com
You might be happy to hear, then, that it looks like IKEA will be moving in after all - they got their permit.

Date: May. 17th, 2008 07:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rivenwanderer.livejournal.com
Here's a totally overkill checklist:
http://web.mit.edu/foley/www/housing_form.pdf . If I hadn't had Susannah with me when looking at apartments (landlords' kids make great apartment-checkers!), I would have looked over that checklist to figure out what criteria mattered the most to me and kept an eye out for them in the apartments I was looking at.

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