Finding a college apartment can be a scary, but exciting process. This is probably going to be your first apartment and you want it to be perfect. You will find out that locating the perfect apartment is easier said than done. Every apartment has its good and bad points. One might be close to campus, but very expensive. Another might be cheap, but really tiny. The important thing is to find the apartment that’s going to be perfect for you. In order to obtain this perfection, you have to do some research and consider all of the options. Do you really need to have a big space? Or do you absolutely need to live in a pet-friendly building? Depending on what your priorities are, it’s possible to find the perfect apartment for you. Here are a few college apartment options that can help you think through your decision:
College Apartment Options
- Space vs. Location. Keep in mind that you might have to compromise on one of these two things. In general, apartments that have a better location are smaller than those which are located farther away from things. Is it important for you to be close to school or to the downtown area? In that case, you’ll probably have to compromise when it comes to space. If you want a lot of space, you might have to compromise location and get a place that’s farther away from school or from the downtown area.
- On-Campus Housing vs. Off-Campus Housing. Before you even get an apartment, you might want to ask yourself whether you’re better off with on-campus housing. This is not to discourage you from getting your own apartment, but just to make sure that you consider all of the options. With on-campus housing, you’re going to have very little space, but you’ll have a lot of convenience because you’ll be on campus and close to all your classes. However, off-campus housing also comes with a number of advantages, such as more space and the option to cook your own meals.
- Living Alone vs. Living with Roommates. You’ll need to decide which of these options works best for you. When you live alone, you have more flexibility. You don’t have to coordinate showers with your roommate or refrain from making noise in case it disturbs them. You also won’t have to tolerate anyone else’s habits that you don’t like, such as playing loud music or eating your food. On the other hand, living without roommates can get a bit lonely. If you have a roommate, you can always walk over to their room for a cup of coffee and a chat.
- Furnished vs. Unfurnished. Most apartments come unfurnished but occasionally, it might be possible to find a furnished apartment which is being sublet by its owner. The advantage of a furnished apartment is that you don’t have to spend money on furnishings, which can really make a difference on a student budget. In an unfurnished apartment however, you get to decorate it according to your taste.
- Elevator Building vs. Walk-Up. The advantage of an elevator building is that you save time and energy walking up to the floor where you live. The advantage of a walk-up is that you get some exercise every time you come home. Keep in mind, though, that a larger building with an elevator is also likely to have more security in the form of someone sitting at reception and buzzing people in. In a walk-up, there’s just a main door and your door, with no human security guard to watch over things.
There are many other things you might want to consider when it comes to finding a college apartment. For example, do you want to go through a broker or directly meet with the owner, thus skipping the broker’s fee? Do you want to live in an apartment with cross-ventilation or are you ok with smaller windows? Is it ok if there’s a building or a wall visible from your windows or will this make you feel claustrophobic? Everyone has different requirements when it comes to finding an apartment. So make sure you consider what’s important to you before making your decision.
What factors are important to you when deciding where you want to live? Let us know about them in the comment section below.
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