the first thing to consider is the amount of money that can be spent on rent per month. a person has to take in to consideration the rent, food, utilities and any other bills that reoccur monthly. it's easy to forget monthly expenses like gasoline, clothing, medical bills, and household items like toilet paper. most people say that rent should only be 2/3 of your monthly income but from experience I know from experience that it doesn't really matter if you budget correctly.
once you know how much you can spend for rent look at that price point and LOWER! see what amenities are available with what's currently available and make a list of what's common and what is different. items on this list should be square footage, washer/dryer in unit (or building), on site maintenance, pools or workout rooms, etc.. once that list is made go through it and decide on what you absolutely need!
items that were on my list included:
decent square footage (at least 900)
washer and dryer preferably in unit
walk in closet
dishwasher
playground on site
swimming pool
clubhouse
dogs allowed
and I could find most of those items in a new apartment. but after visiting apartments, I understood what I actually needed in a new apartment! I didn't need a swimming pool or clubhouse. I needed more room then the average apartment in this area. my revised list focused on the actual apartment space and not the extras that most apartments include.
the general ambience of an apartment complex also plays a crucial role in deciding where to live. just like purchasing a home the "neighborhood" is incredibly important, especially with a small child. so many apartments we looked at were adult focused so much to the point that I felt incredibly uncomfortable with my child living there!
rather then focusing on the extras think about how the space makes you feel, and how welcoming it is to your child. even though I might have felt good about an apartment, if my son isn't comfortable, I won't be either.
viewing apartments are incredibly important. pictures cannot do justice to the real space and vibe of a place. in fact, I am now renting a place that I was apathetic about when viewing the online pictures, but as soon I stepped into the apartment I knew it was what I needed for me and my son.
going back to the list of wants in an apartment, don't let it dictate the way you feel about a space! my new place meets about half of those requirements extremely well and failed on others! it's still a wonderful apartment. it has other features I didn't even know I wanted.
this is a very basic starting point that has worked well for me! it's all about knowing needs vs. wants and accepting that I can't have everything. but I can have a space that allows me to be me and be the best mom I can be.
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