Apartment Hunting: My Checklist Before Saying Yes

Renting an apartment can be a big decision and one has to take his or her time to find a good place to enjoy their stay for as long as they want to live. There are several things to look for so one doesn’t regret later. Getting a perfectly imagined apartment can be an impossible task at times. It's surprising how they build each room now that you hardly would have two people staying in a kitchen at the same time with how small it's built.

I have seen many people complain about the apartment they rented, mainly complaining about their landlord and landlady making the whole stay unbearable for them. I haven’t had such an encounter before, and I tend to avoid a house where I would live with the owner of the house. I don't like unnecessary problems thereby depriving me of my peace of mind. I only rented an apartment, not for the purpose of inconveniencing my precious life.

I don’t like to get into trouble with landlords or agents because they can be cruel if care is not taken. One may see their good sides, but wait until it’s time to pay the next rent, especially when it's taking longer. This is why I always plan ahead and would have gotten my next rent before it expires. I don’t like to be embarrassed.

There are things I actually look for when renting an apartment and they are:

Proximity to my workplace, school or frequent destinations: When an apartment is going deeper and away from common areas where I could easily get something, I wouldn’t take it. My current place is kind of cool because I get most of my stuff around here, except on certain days I want to visit the big market in town, but still, taking transport is not hard. I don’t like an area where I would have to spend more than 5k daily to go to work or visit any place in town.

Safety of the neighbourhood: This is very important because I wouldn’t want an area where I am not safe to go out, stay indoors, etc. Before I got this place, I made sure to make inquiries about the safety, and when I was told things are safe, I felt relieved.

Thank God my building has a wired gate and security is employed to protect us even though it is God who protects. At least, I could leave my door open while I get some stuff outside without the fear of someone sneaking in to cart away my belongings.

Having good neighbours: I was happy the first day I got this apartment, and the tenants were cool to talk to. I have never had to live with bad neighbours, and even if there are, we mind our business, and as long as we don’t step on each other's toes, we’re good.

Besides, I tend to make peace wherever I go and stay indoors. Sometimes, it’s good to maintain peace within yourself as that can be easier to make peace with others around you. I have beautiful neighbours and for over 5 months of my stay here, I haven’t come across a problematic person.

Steady electricity and water supply: Water is life, and even stable light gives a lot of vibe. Before I got my apartment, I was sure of steady electricity and water because those two are very important to me. Why would I stay in an apartment where water is an issue? No.

Seeing that my apartment had solar to pump water made me excited about living in this place, though the solar isn’t working again, and our agent refused to sort it out, can you imagine what I am saying? Fortunately, we have steady electricity to pump water and use.

Moreover, I have a solar panel that generates 24/7 light for me, and I don't bother about electricity in my room except for the purpose of charging my laptop, powering my fridge and then pumping water for the building.

Rent Affordability: The way agents are putting apartments on sale these days is insane, and they know no one would have a choice because you don't want to sleep under the bridge, do you? Getting an apartment with a reasonable amount is rare, and even if you come across one, you're either going to have to look for water outside or you're going to have to live with other creatures in your room, even though you are paying the rent alone.

This is why an individual must not go for rent that exceeds a reasonable percentage of their monthly income because you wouldn’t want to be chased every now and then to pay up your rent when it’s due.

Lastly, and something I consider very important, is the condition of the apartment you are renting. Check for leakages, faulty electrical sockets, switches, etc. I don’t miss checking these because I wouldn’t want to move in and then discover those issues later. Some agents can be bad at not informing you about it until you move in.

The worst of it is how these agents won’t listen to you again once they have collected their money until the next year when your rent is due. So far, where I live is still a new building that isn’t over a year old and everything in it is new.

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_{All images are mine}