You might have found the perfect three-bedroom apartment or house you were looking for, but ask yourself this question; are you ready to move in? have you ensured that you have all the essentials ready? Is your apartment good to go or is there something missing?

Finding a decent place to live is just one aspect, making sure that it will be ready to accommodate you and your family is just as important. You don’t want to move in and find out that the furnishing is not to your liking or the bedroom has too much light, maybe the hall is too dark and so on.
Of course, you might have taken all these factors into account before you went ahead and signed that lease, but did you manage to check them off from your checklist?

Here are a few essential must haves for your three bedrooms.

There are a number of things you should buy and stock before you move in, like a first aid kit, fire extinguisher, flashlight and batteries, some duct tape and wall seal in case of a few minor leaks and whatnots. Having a tool set with the basics will come in handy even if you don’t have much use for them regularly.

Since it’s a big apartment, make sure your closet is stocked with all the essentials especially cleaning supplies. You might hire someone or a cleaning service to take care of the day to day tasks, but having supplies in hand in case the cleaner doesn’t show up someday will be helpful.
In case of an apartment, there will be a laundry room in the basement which will of course save you money. Make sure you have a good laundry detergent, some bleach, a couple of dryer sheets and if you don’t like creases in your favorite shirt, an ironing board. Doing your own laundry will save you time and money.

The most important must haves are for the bathroom, which also happen to be some of the frequently missed items. The list is not very big, make sure you have a plunger handy to avoid calling the plumber every time there is a clogged toilet. Make sure your utilities like a shower curtain, liner and rings, with a bath mat and adhesive stickers for your bathtub are in place before you indulge in that first hot shower.

The bedroom, kitchen and living are furnished accordingly as per your requirements. You might not be speeding a lot of time in the kitchen and may not plan on playing host to guests anytime soon. The furnishing will again depend on your requirements.

Having a budget and ensuring that all the necessary documents for renting an apartment are in order is just one part. The most important being how convincingly you can handle the landlord to make sure you get a good deal. As they say, first impression should be the best impression, this applies for real estate also.

Just as you are looking for a decent place to live, landlords out there are looking for decent tenants to let out their property. You might think that looking for an apartment is challenging, but when you think from the landlords point of view, the other side of the spectrum is just as grim. He has to deal with people who are looking to rent out, but find that the place is not suited for their purpose or maybe the rent is too high or maybe the lighting was not so good or appealing. This are the little things that just might annoy the landlord, which in turn can cause you to lose a good deal, if ever there was one.
Here are a few tips which will help you make a good deal with your potential landlord.

Generally, make sure you look for apartments that fit your budget. Nothing pisses off the owner more than someone coming up to them after inspecting the entire apartment and not taking it, because the price was out of their budget. Know your spending limit before you even ring up the landlord to fix an appointment.

Credit history will help you in this matter, that is if you have a good report to present. Credit history affirms faith in your ability to pay dues on time and thus convince the land lord that you will never be late with rent or any other payments.

If you have fixed an appointment, be there on time to meet the owner. Dot be late or tardy, citing that you were stuck in traffic or missed your train. The landlord himself might have moved around a couple of other appointments to accommodate you in the given time slot, ensure you reach on time. also dress properly for the occasion, house hunting may sound like you can just wear a pair of shorts and a flappy t-shirt and get the job done as long as you have the money ready. This is not how it’s supposed to work, dress for the job as they say, even if the job is just looking for an apartment.

Looking for an apartment to rent is one of the major challenges you face when you are new to the city. Apartment prices will depend on a number of factors like area, the neighborhoods around, construction and more. but not all apartments prices are sky high, in fact here are five cities where you can rent apartments starting at just under $550 on an average monthly basis.

Detroit, Michigan: Apart from the cost of making some minor changes and renovations to the apartment you are trying to rent, Detroit homes can certainly be rented for cheap. The monthly median rent ranges on an average between $550 to $560. Apartments are cheap and affordable according to the cost of cost of living standards of the city, even cheap to purchase at just an average of under $43000.

Shreveport, Louisiana: Probably one of the cheapest cities in the State of Louisiana, since it offers the lowest real estate tax rates in the country. The cost of purchasing a home is very expensive here, but the average monthly home rent is just under $578 with a cost of living standard which is a little less than that of Detroit.

Akron, Ohio: The city which his also know as the rubber capital on account of the rubber tire industry which manufactured most of the country’s stock. Akron boats a number of research and development facilities, even after most of its rubber factories were shutdown. The real estate is also right on point with an average median rent of just $541 per month.

Birmingham, Alabama: The largest city in Alabama, but houses only 60% of the population compared to what the number was back in the day. This has helped boost real estate where the demand is low and thus prices are within budget, for both purchasing and renting for that matter. The monthly median rent is just under $520 which makes it a cheap place to live.

Buffalo, New York: In New York city, you might just get a decent apartment for an average of $1000 a month. But here in Buffalo, you can easily afford a decent place for almost half the price. The cost of living standard is right around that of Shreveport, but that doesn’t majorly affect the price of renting apartments and the median range is right around $512.

There a number of cities where you can rent a decent apartment for less than $550 dollars.

Renting an apartment can be a challenging task, especially in the city. There are a number of things you should look out for if you are renting an apartment for the first time. This doesn’t necessarily include the general ambience, but the bare essentials.

Here are a few things to look out for

The basics: This might sound a bit weird but the first couple of things in your checklist includes if your new apartment has sufficient water pressure. Check how long it takes for cold water to heat up and ensure all the washroom outlets are in proper working order and whether all the fittings are in order.
Sometimes you may rent a posh place, but find out suddenly that there is no cell reception. The second thing is to ensure you have cell reception in every room and corner of the apartment you are about to rent. Chances are the apartment was marked down from the original listing price because it might be an old building. Or these are the factors which would have caused a decrease in the value.

Power outlets: Another thing to ensure are the number of power outlets in the apartment. You might be living all alone, or might be sharing the apartment with a couple of people, in any case it wouldn’t hurt if you a couple of three pin and two pin outlets. Just because the apartment is cheap, doesn’t necessarily mean that you will have to compromise on the necessities.

Take a drive through the neighborhood, ascertain whether the commute time to your workplace or university takes longer than you want. Cheap apartments tend to be in areas and neighborhood generally far away from the city.

You can easily get apartments for under $400, but chances are you might face horrible rush hour traffic in the morning and evening for that matter. Check with your neighbors and ask around in the neighborhood about rush hour and figure out the best possible routes to avoid the same.

It is advisable to hire a building inspector to come and look around the apartment you are planning to rent. There might be a number of things you would have missed, which an expert will be able to spot professionally. The expert’s observations and recommendations will go a long way if you are planning to rent out for a long time.

You can find out more about cheap apartments and apartments which can be rented for under $400 dollars on major rental websites or through agents and property consultants.

House hunting is one of the activities that not many of us enjoy, in fact it is a tiresome job to go through he same drill over and move when you move to a new city. Good apartments are hard to come by and cheaper ones are even more difficult to get if you are not willing to compromise.

Trying to get the best of both worlds, as in getting an apartment for cheap rent and also being the best investment you ever made. Here are a few tips to find out how you can get apartments for cheap rents and rentals which are available for listing of less than 400.

New buildings v/s old buildings: Condos and apartments in new buildings will be relatively low priced as compared to older buildings since the constructions is new. Newer constructions will price will be competitive to increase the number of sales firstly, which will in turn affect the rent at which the flats will be priced.

Be flexible: Having room for flexibility will help you narrow down apartments form a number of choices. Flexibility in terms of size, space, furnishing and even total occupancy, which are all factors that affect the cost. If you are willing to share the apartment with someone, this will save you a lot on the costs that you will incur to pay rent and maintain the apartment.

Expand your search: Location makes all the difference. Properties which are located in prime properties are always priced high, as compared to taking up properties in the suburbs or even downtown far from the city. Granted you will be spending a lot of time in the commute but you can easily get a number of apartments under $400 if you decide to move away from the city and find a place.

The right time to look for an apartment: Normally you would have to look for a place when you first move to any city, but there are sometimes to look for an apartment when the prices will be competitive and also you can get good deals within the city itself. Owners tend to time their listings based on a number of factors which ultimately influence the rent.

Of course, there are many other formalities which need to be done before you can actually move in someplace, but they are secondary unless and until you find a decent place to move.

Rental apartments by owners are listing which you can find online. The main feature of rental listings by owners is there is no involvement of a middleman or agent, wherein the terms and conditions are discussed between the owner and tenant directly. These are listing which feature a number of apartments and houses available to rent out. The particulars of the same can be found out by directly taking to the owner for that matter, but here are a couple of things that you should look out for on your own.

The main thing to realize is that there is no difference when it comes to quality of the listing by an owner, as compared to that of a listing posted by an agent. The difference being you will have to pay the agent separately for the services hired, but the agent will surely know what to look out for in an apartment.

However there are no guaranties even if an agent gives his seal of approval. Sometimes the listings for flats on rent by owners can prove to be the smarter option and can also save you some big bucks if you can manage to negotiate the price. Any direct relationships which are cultivated over time tend to prove fruitful for both the parties, in this case between the tenant and the owner.

Coming to a mutual understanding, finding common ground and agreeing to the terms and conditions of the lease to be signed will establish a good foundation between both parties, to benefit in the long run.

Normally the different types of residential properties that are available for rent by owner include town homes, condos and regular apartments. There are studio apartments, one, two or even three bedroom apartments which suits your purpose and budget for that matter.

Apart from building long lasting relationships, when it comes to the apartment, make sure that you check the following.

Check the layout of the apartment which includes the floors, carpeting, walls and the paint scheme or wallpaper, type of windows installed. Apart from the living spaces, check bathrooms and the kitchen. Ensure that the apartment is well ventilated.

Check if the building has power backup in case of a blackout, you wouldn’t want to miss that football game just when your favorite player is out there about to score the touchdown.

Temperature control and fire safety are next on the list. Make sure the thermostat is in proper working order and ensure that the fire alarm is active. Contact the owner and have him check these components, if needed replace them before you decide to move in.

Finding your dream house or apartment is a challenge in itself. But the buck does not stop there, there are several factors to be considered before you rent a house or apartment. Better yet, there are several important questions that you should ask any house owner before you decide to move in.

Here are a few simple ones to get you started.

The first and foremost is to ascertain the mode of payment for rent. Some owners insist on cash payments, others a very particular and ask for a cheque. Decide this beforehand to avoid any issues later on.

Also there might be any late rent payment fess which can be imposed by the owner. Ascertain how much this will cost you sine it has to be factored in with rent.

Read the rent agreement carefully and find out exactly what your notice period will be like in case you want to vacate. Owners are very particular about notice period and insist on some tenants staying for the initial few months after moving in, before they can even give them a notice period. Be careful of such conditions since you might just end up in an apartment which is not working out for you, where this condition would pose a problem.

Have a good talk with the owner, figure out what he likes and dislike in his apartment before signing a lease or an agreement. Find out what the guest policy is, whether you can have your friends over for a couple of days or put up with someone in your family. This policy is normally included in the lease agreement and something like this has to be discussed with owners before.

Ask whether you can sublet the apartment in case you cannot meet the rent and want to split the expenses with someone. Normally this does not create much of an issue, but some owners and the community you are part of might be very particular about subletting.

There are number of reasons in the end where the owner will sate and try not to give your security deposit back. One of the major reasons being the apartment was not given back to the owner just the way it was. Of course, there might be some wear and tear, but major damages or substantial damage to any property can cause you to lose out on your security deposit and worse, even pay for extra repairs.

There are many other factors which you as a tenant, should discuss with your potential landlord before deciding to move in.