My laptop fan is whirring right mad right now, trying to keep up with the twenty-zillion browser tabs I have open for apartment complexes in Future City (each loaded with pictures and videos and so on). They're all running together by this point, stainless steel appliances and pools and fitness centers and move-in specials melting together into a great big pool of stressful things.
I have flights into and out of Future City booked for next weekend. I talked to my classmate who currently lives there. I've called a few places, all of which basically told me to come by whenever I'm in town.
This whole process is just such a huge time suck. Perhaps the worst part is the apartment rating websites. I don't even know why I keep reading them, because about 90% of the people who post on these sites hate EVERYTHING EVER about their apartments. The sites are like the Rate My Professors of apartments, but I can't look away. The things I've decided I can't take seriously: all the people saying that people in the management office are evil/mean/rude/greedy. Those complaints sound way too much like saying a prof is mean/unfair/too hard, and you're getting only one side of the story; I'm sure some office people are rude and mean and so on, but I'm sure people who pay their rent late or want special treatment or bust up their apartments feel being held accountable for that stuff is rude and unfair, too. I just can't tell which one is happening.
There are also a LOT of people who complain about there not being enough parking who aren't willing to pay the extra for a reserved space. I know, money is tight and all that, but still, I don't quite get the unbridled ire about the company's trying to make money off their parking spaces. It's a company. Their purpose is to make money.
Also, the noise issue: I just think every apartment building built between, say, 1970 and 1995 sucks in terms of sound insulation. You are going to hear your neighbors. That's what happens when you live crammed with a whole bunch of other people into one building.
On the other hand, when people talk about roaches, I get wigged out. Maybe it's because I've never really lived anywhere with chronic roach problems. (Former City gets flying cockroaches, but thankfully I only had one wander in once - nothing endemic. We got some ants there, but little teeny ones, which gross me out much less than the big black ones from New England. And we had teeny ants here, too, but again, not too horrifying.) But when a number of people talk about roaches, I am way more likely to back away.
But again, these sites are so problematic, because some people are just never happy, and they're the ones who write apartment ratings. And yet I keep reading the damn sites anyway. Instead of doing other things that would be WAY more productive.
I write this while realizing that you've probably already thought of it, but I've had good experience with calling a realtor who specializes in rentals. It was much easier than combing through the listings. Didn't cost me anything either.
Your mileage will vary, obviously.
Posted by: Susan | Monday, July 09, 2012 at 07:15 AM
We spent 3 full days (9am-9pm) looking at places in person before saying F-it and just picking one to be done. Because we can always move again if needed. I get sucked into those rating sites too, but in the end the only one that really made us stop in our tracks was place that had frequent complaints about bugs and heat. (bugs of all kinds wig me out.) The heat was controled by them, not by the renter and it's always always set at 72. No thanks.
After day 2 of looking I made myself a sheet--who had which appliances, what utilities were included and sq ft, and of course, rent. We referenced that sheet a lot.
Posted by: rented life | Monday, July 09, 2012 at 08:20 AM
Had the same experience with buying a washer dryer. Everyone on rating sites hates their washer dryer.
Posted by: RG | Monday, July 09, 2012 at 08:38 AM
So how long will you be in new city or is this a semi-permanent gig.
Posted by: loyal reader | Monday, July 16, 2012 at 07:35 AM
Susan - that's a good idea! I didn't end up leaving myself enough time to find such a realtor, though I think it would have worked really well, given the way the housing market seems to work there.
rented life - isn't finding a place horrible? I wasn't as systematic as you were, but all the places I was looking at had the same basics.
RG - that's hysterical. So much for the usefulness of rating sites!
loyal reader - it's a year-long gig.
Posted by: New Kid on the Hallway | Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 07:10 PM