Last night, my mom was explaining that I need to do something with my address and my car and pay some sort of fee. Honestly, it was all very confusing. Anyway, I got frustrated and told her that I wish I could have just turned the tassel at graduation and have all the knowledge I would need to be a functioning member of society. Well, unfortunately, my mother didn't need to tell me the world doesn't work that way. There's no innate way to just know all the intricacies that will help you get by in life. You have to learn as you go and trust those who care about you to help you figure out all the forms you need to fill out to file your taxes, how often to renew your license plates and how to get that coffee stain out of your favorite blouse.
I wish there was some resource to help me get through all the challenges I've faced in my first year living on my own. In that spirit, I've decided to start a segment on my blog dedicated to helping you guys work through some of the challenges facing girls fresh out of school and their parents' houses.
First up — and arguably the biggest change in my life — how to find your first apartment.
Select your location
If you live in an even a moderately sized city, there are thousands of apartments available for lease at one time, and it can be so overwhelming to comb through page and page of craigslist ads or Google search results, so choosing a few neighborhoods you want to live in really cuts down on looking at apartments you'll never sign a lease for. "Location, location, location" isn't the mantra of house hunters and realtors for nothing. It is SO important. First and foremost for safety reasons, but also because you want to live in an area you can see yourself in for at least a year. I'm a 23-year-old who likes to run, go out to eat and have a few drinks on the weekends, so I made sure my neighborhood gave me access to parks, bars and restaurants. Once I had a few neighborhoods in mind, my apartment search became immensely easier.
Ask an expert
Or in my case, mom. Although I've lived in the St. Louis area my entire life, I wasn't totally familiar with a lot of the city when I was looking for my place. While I was looking for apartments, I would always run the location by my mom to see if it was an area I would enjoy and where I would be safe. She was able to shoot me down or give her stamp of approval within seconds of looking at the map. It was incredible. If you're moving to a new city your mom isn't familiar with, find a friend who lives there, ask your future boss, pay a visit to scope out some areas, anything to give yourself an understanding of where you're going to be living.
Soak in the culture
As a first-time city dweller, living in a place that had a little something going on was so important. I always made sure my parents and I had dinner or a drink in every neighborhood I looked in. It was easy for me to see myself living it up in a lot of areas of the city, so I also paid attention to the parking situation, traffic, how loud the streets were, etc. It really helped me narrow down my search even further.
Go house (apartment) hunting!
This is the fun part! I recommend looking into any place you have an interest in at all. Maybe the pictures were totally misleading and the bedroom is teeny tiny (darn wide-angle lenses!) or maybe the pictures were taken on a cloudy day and the place actually has tons of natural light. Looking at a ton of places really helped me learn what I liked in a place and what my priorities were. I learned that I wanted something with a little character, but maybe I didn't need a totally updated kitchen. You have nothing to lose by looking at as many places as possible.
Be Aggresive
And after you've narrowed down your location and found that place that has everything you're looking for, it's time to lock it down. Give yourself a couple days to make sure you're making the right choice, but don't hesitate too long. If you want the place, make sure you let the landlord know as soon as you do. Call, email, text, carrier pigeon until they get back to you and you sign that lease. If you're trying to lock down a place during a busy time (right before school starts) this is especially important. I looked at my would-be place on a Friday afternoon only after my mom and I called the office all afternoon and pleaded with them to fit us in that day. And then, two days later, my roommate came to town to see the places before we were to sign a lease. The company didn't show places on Sunday, but the guy who showed me the place Friday said the unit wouldn't be locked, and if I buzzed someone and they happened to let me in, it wouldn't be a big deal. Well, you can bet I took him up on that, and my roommate agreed we found the perfect place.
Finding my apartment and moving in was one of the most stressful things I've ever done, but it was also so fun. And, ten months later, I know I made the right choice. We love our place so much we're getting ready to sign a lease for another year.
Have you been through apartment hunting? What tips & tricks helped you get through the process?
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