Your First Apartment: What You Need to Know

By VanLines.com

A few weeks from now and you’ll be leaving home to live a life of your own. You’re very excited about it – new things, new home, new environment and new adventures. But for sure, you must also be feeling overwhelmed of the preparation. You’ll be moving to a new apartment for the first time so you’re a bit worried. So what do you do?

Whether you’re still looking for a new apartment or you already have one (maybe your parents have chosen it for you), there are some things you need to figure before you call those long distance moving companies.

Location: Is my apartment built in a strategic location? As much as possible, you want an apartment that is near to your school or place of work. If you’re the type of person who easily gets bored, you want to reside somewhere that is near to the city if you can’t find an apartment in the city itself. An ideal apartment is one that is strategically close to the church, supermarket, and other important places. You see, the cost of gasoline is going up. Driving a mile just to buy some goods can is not practical.

Security: Is my apartment a place safe to live? The biggest thing you should find out when it comes to an apartment is the safety of the place. Well, the very reason we need a house is to have shelter not just from the storm and sunlight but also from bad people. You need to check the doors, windows and all other areas wherein someone can get it. It’s ideal if the apartment has its own security personnel. Check the doors if the locks are still in good condition. Otherwise, you have to report it immediately to the landlord so he or she can have it fixed for you. The windows should be covered with grills.

Structural Foundation of the House: Is it strong enough? If you’re planning to stay in that apartment for a very long time, you want to make sure that it stays in its good foundation until you leave. It’s always a must to do a home inspection not just to check the facilities but also to examine the structural foundation of the building. If you have a friend who’s an architect or an engineer, you may want to ask that person to accompany you during the inspection. These people can tell right away if the apartment was constructed properly. This should also include the drainage system.

Facilities/Utilities: How are the facilities? Are the electrical wirings properly installed? How about the plumbing system? How about the cooling and heating system? Does the gas pipe leaks? These are important aspects in any apartment that should be well scrutinized.

Neighborhood: Am I surrounded by nice people? Even if you’re the most private person in the world, you will still need to live with other people. Animosity between neighbors can be a big problem which you don’t want to have. Your neighbors are the people you can turn to during emergencies so it’s always best to be in good terms with them. Be sure you live in an apartment that is surrounded by nice people.