9 Surprising Things About Apartment Tours
Apartment tours can be a great way to get an up close and personal look at potential new homes. But there’s a lot to consider when it comes to taking a tour of an apartment.
I’m not super sure what I expected before going on apartment tours, but there were definitely aspects of the tour that I was not prepared for.
I took 6 apartment tours before deciding on the place I wanted to apply for. Keep reading to see what surprised me about the tours.
Surprising things about apartment tours:
Some apartments make you pay extra fees for amenities
The crazy thing about this is that the fees were unavoidable! Instead of including fees for amenities like the pool, gym, and common areas in the price for rent, some apartment communities had the fee listed separately (and you won’t know about it until you tour).
This wasn’t a huge deal, but the amenities fees weren’t information that was accessible online, which means the cost of living was underestimated for those particular buildings.
Parking is expensive
I figured parking would be a pretty penny, but I definitely did not anticipate paying the same for parking in the city as in the neighboring suburb communities.
Apartment complexes know if the community is easily traveled by foot or if a car is necessary. For places where they’re sure many tenants will need a car to travel to and from work, apartments can inflate the cost of parking slightly and still get by. Unfortunate.
Finding a good location is harder than it looks
There’s always something that could be better or more convenient. The goal is to find somewhere where all of your needs are met and any wants are within a good distance.
Some buildings had hotels blocking views, others were placed on the outskirts of up and coming neighborhoods. It’s about balancing your needs with you wants and finding the location and building that best fits those.
Interested in other post about apartments or apartment tours?
- 4 Valuable Things Not Everyone Thinks About Before Touring Apartments
- How to Avoid Hiring a Moving Company
- Reliable Places to Shop to Furnish Your First Apartment
- The Truth About How Far in Advance You Should Start Your Apartment Hunt
Most apartments don’t require 3 months rent up front
Depending on availability and demand, some apartments can really take advantage of the deposit and upfront payments at lease signing. Some places may even require up to 3 months rent upfront.
If you’re lucky, that won’t the case, the deposit will probably be around $500-$1000.
It is physically and mentally draining
There’s lots of information to digest during an apartment tour. Most apartments refrain from putting all the details in terms of deposits, extra fees, security, and utilities online which means there’s a lot of questions you’ll have to ask and take notes on to get the full picture.
Not only are you walking through multiple units, but you’re also potentially walking across entire apartment communities to get a feel for the property. In one building I toured seven different floor plans.
After taking notes, you may also want to talk through the experience with friends or family if they joined you on the tour. I suggest making a pros and cons list after each tour. This will help you keep all the information organized and it’ll be easier to keep track of your initial feelings/observations of the apartment building.
New doesn’t equal best quality
My personal preference was that whichever unit I decided on, I didn’t want major signs of someone having lived in there before (even if they have). Because of this, I focused on smaller details like scuffs and nicks on cabinets or stains on floors.
Even so, in new apartments I could tell when the details weren’t focused on. This could be a sign that if something were to ever come up and you needed the assistance of maintenance, they’ll take the quickest more convenient approach to addressing your concerns instead of making sure everything is right. No one wants to pay crazy amounts to not be given the best care and service when needed.
Apartments are smaller than you think
The visuals online definitely give the illusion of more space than you think. Most one bedroom apartments are the perfect amount of space to live and relax comfortably, but may feel cramped if you anticipate working at home or having lots of friends over.
The positive of a small space is that it can be cozy and prevents overspending on furniture or hoarding of unnecessary items. Units with taller ceilings can also help the place feel just big enough to homey but not compact.
You may have to wear protective equipment
When looking at new construction apartments, you may stumble upon some complexes that aren’t completely ready for move in. If the building is REALLY new, you may even be asked to wear protective gear like a hard hat to visit the construction site.
The best part about this is that you know the entire building will be brand new when you move in. The challenge with this might be making sure the construction completion dates align with your anticipated move in.
You might be walking into someone’s occupied apartment
In some cases, apartment communities may not have units specifically used for showing potential tenants. If that isn’t the case, there may be a clause in your lease agreement that allows leasing agents to show your unit once you confirm you aren’t resigning.
As a potential tenant, this is important to know because you’ll want to consider if you’d be okay with random people walking through your home in the future.
There are many surprising things that prospective tenants should be aware of when it comes to apartment tours. From extra fees to walking through someone’s occupied unit, it is important to be prepared for the unexpected.
By being aware of the potential surprises ahead of time, you can be better prepared for your apartment tours and all the decisions that may follow.
Comment any surprising things you didn’t know before touring apartments!
If you don’t know where to start on your apartment hunting journey try apartments.com and check out my post on when to start your apartment search.
