Apartment-Hunting Checklist

Kelly and I were talking recently about how there are always those handful of bullet point items you overlook when looking for a new apartment. Such as: Does the building provide cockroach-extermination services? And if so, in what manner? It’s always different and a good thing to know in advance. At my old apartment, the exterminator would hit every apartment the first Saturday morning of each month. Andie’s place has a sign-up sheet in order to schedule a time. And Kelly’s bug-buster only seems around in the early afternoon weekdays, when normal people need to be at work.

I thought it wise and helpful for the future to list some of these questions and points of consideration. Let me know what I’m missing.

General

• Is it an elevator building? A walk-up? Is the stairway wide enough to move furniture easily?
• Top-floor apartments are generally quieter but less convenient. Ground-floor apartments are generally noisier but more convenient.
• Is the apartment located near a potentially noisy stairwell or elevator?
• Are there security bars on the windows that have fire escapes?
• How many electric outlets are there per room and where are they positioned?
• What’s outside the windows? (e.g. parking lot, fire station, busy street, brick wall, peace & quiet, etc.)
• Positioning of windows: Will there be regular sun and is that something you’d want in a given room?
• Rap on the walls: Are they drywall, plaster or concrete? Good to know for noise transmission and hanging stuff.
• Try the faucets and the shower, and flush the toilet: gauge the building’s water pressure.
• What is the number of closets and space inside? Will your wardrobe and other stuff fit in there?
• Are there laundry facilities on the premises? If not, where’s the nearest Laundromat?
• Do the closet doors and others open and close property (e.g. they don’t stick or close completely)?
• Try to visit the apartment at least twice, during different times of the day, to gauge noise levels, light, etc.

Outside

• Where do you dump your trash? Check out this place: Is it neat and clean? If it is, this is a sign of a good super.
• Is there graffiti on the walls of the building or on nearby buildings? If so, it perhaps indicates the level of neighborhood thuggery/annoying teens.
• What is the apartment building’s proximity to subway/bus stops? Proximity to grocery shopping, restaurants, bars and other places you’d attend frequently? Walk around the neighborhood and check it out.
• Parking (even if you don’t have a car, it could be good to know this for guests who may have one): Is there a garage, meters, free spots on the street, etc.?

Kitchen

• Will a kitchen table actually fit in there?
• Are kitchen faucets mounted high enough to accommodate big pots and water pitchers?
• Are the shelves in the cupboards a proper height for whatever you’re going to store in there?
• Is there enough countertop space for food preparation?
• Is the fridge door mounted on the preferable side?

Bedroom

• Will your queen-size bed actually fit in the bedroom with room to walk?
• Will it be quiet, regarding its position to other apartments and the outdoors?