Making the Decision to Change Apartments Part I
Since we’re still renting we have the freedom to move around if we can find a better deal after our lease is up. We are currently in a nice 1100 sq feet apartment nestled in a quiet neighborhood. The complex has been great for us but we think we can find something that will fit our needs for less money. So Tim and I discussed what was important for us in finding a new apartment and here are some criteria we came up with:
1. Has washer/dryer hookups or comes with a washer/dryer
At this moment we don’t have washer/dryer hookups in our apartment so once a week I load up our son and our laundry and drive the short distance to our apartment complex’s laundry building. Besides the hassle of doing laundry outside our apartment (especially when our son was sick), laundry also eats into our budget as we spend $25-$35 on laundry/month, not including detergent. Since we will have another child in August, I just don’t see how I can arrange laundry around two children’s schedules, or justify paying over $40/month in laundry.
2. Is relatively close to Tim’s job
Since we share one car, a short commute to Tim’s job is worth a little more in rent. In addition, gas prices fluctuate so much that we decided living close to work can help our gas budget.
3. Is in our church congregation’s boundaries
We have made very good friends over the past year in our congregation. We belong to an organized, large church which divides congregations similar to school districts, you are asked to go to church at a specific time in a specific building depending on where you live. If we moved too far away from where we currently are, we would most likley be in another congregation’s boundaries and have to make friends all over again.
4. Is affordable
This criteria is key as we are trying to save money to build up an emergency fund and then save money for a down payment on a house. If we were to stay in our current complex and move to a unit with washer/dryer hookups we would have to upgrade to a townhouse and spend an extra $50/month. We would really like to reduce the amount we spend on rent, not increase it.
5. Is safe
Since we live on the outskirts of a large city, we are also looking at complexes that are in safer parts of town.
6. Space
Space is last on our list, because even with adding another child to our household, you can be creative and find ways to use small spaces. We also know that if needed we may be able to store a few boxes at Tim’s parents.
So here are our criteria in looking for an apartment to rent. Everyone’s criteria may be different and you have to make your choices on what is best for your family. Now that you know your criteria, I will later write about tips on finding an apartment that fits within your budget and criteria.
Similar Posts:
- Making the Decision to Change Apartments Part I
- Making The Decision to Change Apartments Part II
- The Simple Life: The Night Before
- Homemade Baby Wipes
Making The Decision to Change Apartments Part II | On One Income on Mon, 11th May 2009 11:48 am
[...] we wanted to rent a small house but either the prices were too high or it didn’t fit our criteria. So we then started looking at other large complexes in the [...]
Our New Piano | On One Income on Wed, 6th Jan 2010 8:40 pm
[...] started saving in early January and waited to buy a piano until after we had moved apartments, so that we would only have to move a piano once. While we were waiting I frequented craigslist.com [...]
What To Do When You Don't Have a Clothesline | On One Income on Tue, 12th Jan 2010 12:46 pm
[...] paid a lot more for drying when we had to go to the laundromat in our last apartment. I wish I had seen this nifty indoor clothesline that Apartment Therapy [...]