Finding Your Perfect Place
You’ve had the perfect apartment in mind for as long as you can remember. It’s so spacious you could do cartwheels in the living room. The balcony, which holds your outdoor grill and patio set, looks out over a quiet wooded area with plenty of room for parties. You and your roommate (your best friend since the fourth grade) each have your own bathroom and identical size bedrooms. The kitchen looks generally like the one at your parents’ home—dishwasher, counter space for preparing big meals and a big stove—but it also has the marble countertops you saw in a magazine. You have a driveway next to your apartment and don’t have to worry about carrying loads of shopping bags up the stairs because that’s what the doorman is for, right? After work you head over to the in-building gym or maybe hit the sauna. Your high-speed Internet was installed for you before you moved in and the cable has every channel imaginable.
Those of you who are giggling, stop. You’re experienced enough to know that this apartment is probably more like the one waiting for you in heaven than the one you’ll find for rent this year. Those new to the rental market haven’t yet discovered that for a dream apartment, you’ll need to have a dream salary as well. We don’t want to disappoint you, but we do want you to be prepared when you go out to rent for the first time. On Apartments.com, you can search for the exact amenities that you want and only get results that match your needs. Because our site allows you to pick and choose which amenities are important to you, you should do your prioritizing before you go out and rent a place. Once you realize how much that deck or extra bathroom is going to cost, you may not want it so badly anymore. At least you’ll have realistic expectations for what you can and can’t afford. Happy hunting!
Type of Housing: High-rises are generally more expensive than low and mid-rises because they often have amenities like a doorman, elevators and a variety of centralized facilities. Of the low-rises, walk-ups and gardens are usually the least expensive.
Size: A large one-bedroom may cost you more than double a studio apartment in the same neighborhood.
Location: City units are usually more expensive than suburban and rural apartments but low-cost urban rentals are available, too. The apartment is likely to cost more if it is near retail and entertainment areas.
Number of Bedrooms: Plan on spending around 1/3 more for each bedroom.
Number of Bathrooms: Your selection will be very limited if you are looking for a bathroom for every bedroom. This floor plan is usually found only in high-end apartments.
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