Guide to Finding the Perfect Apartment
You’re an adult now, and part of being an adult is living on your own. While having a place is fun – total freedom, meeting new people, hosting parties – the steps to getting an apartment can be pretty confusing and a little overwhelming. We’ve learned a lot in the last 2 years through our own experience apartment hunting twice and settling into Indy. Here’s our guide to finding the perfect apartment.
Finding the Perfect Apartment
Finding the right apartment can take more than a few Google searches – and trying to find a place while living out of state is even more of a challenge. I actually found our apartment through a friend who had been living in the complex through med school. Hearing about the community from him gave me an honest overview of what I’d expect living there-great location on the canal, super reasonable rent, but maintenance is a pain. All of this has held true (going on week 4 without a dishwasher).
Remember: Apartments don’t always open up exactly when you’re looking to move. It’s not like college where everyone moves in at the same time and rent periods extend for the school year; people move in and out all the time. Even if you have your heart set on one place, depending on your move-in date, you might have to be flexible. We were on the wait list in August and very narrowly snagged our apartment in the middle of October. Because Caroline and I weren’t tied down (I was living with a friend in Fishers, Caroline was living at home), we were willing to adjust our moving plans to get our apartment.
*Tip: Have a few backup places in case your first choice doesn’t work out! This might mean filling out another application and potentially losing the fee, but it’s better safe than sorry so you don’t end up suddenly homeless 🙂
Co-Signer
Something that slipped my mind while in college was getting my own credit card. While getting a credit card might sound like a parent’s worst nightmare, it’s the perfect time to start building credit. Otherwise, you’ll end up needing a co-signer. Without a credit score, there’s really no way around it.
Each apartment complex is different in the options they offer a co-signer. Instead of having my parents fill out an application (including having to pay an application fee), they decided to “pay” a full month’s rent that acted as a second security deposit. So if I pay my rent on time throughout my lease, my parents will get that amount back in full. Doing so actually saved Caroline and I money because it lowered our security deposit!
Changing Residency
This is one thing I didn’t give too much thought to until right before moving, but make sure you do your research because every state has different rules. For example, in Indiana you have 60 days after moving to change your residency. Also, see what documents you’ll have to take with you to change your residency because I brought everything with me except the title to my car (which let’s be real…I’ve never seen this piece of paper).
Renter’s Insurance
Every apartment complex will require that you have Proof of Renters Insurance before moving in. There are so many insurance companies that it can be hard to know where to start looking. Google and compare rate quotes (you’ll find it ends up being pretty cheap to get decent coverage). Also, make sure you look into the lease agreement or details in your application because most apartments will lay those out (like naming them in your policy).
*Tip: Sometimes your car insurance agency will offer a discount if you get bundle insurance (car + renters), so it might be a good idea to start there.
Want to find more tips on living in Indy? You can find our guides to Thriving in Indy here.
