This week I reached a new milestone - I moved into my first apartment. With the help of family, friends, and of course the boys next door, my four roommates and I successfully managed to move ourselves and our many things into our new home. Between deciding whether we want to bundle cable and internet, and making sure we don’t end up bringing 4 coffee makers, it has been quite the journey up to this point. After 3 days of moving in and 3 months of planning to move in, I thought I would offer up some helpful hints that I wish I would have known before making the transition from dorm life to apartment life.
1. Start planning way in advance.
Whatever you do, don’t wait until the last minute to start apartment searching. This means, whenever you think is a good time to start looking...start a month and a half sooner. Between who’s sharing with who and places far beyond your price range, be prepared to spend most of Spring semester on the hunt for the best apartment out there.
2. Pick a budget and stick to it.
During those late night roommate meetings where you’re discussing the fine details of who can afford how much per month, decide on what your maximum budget is, including both rent and utilities, and don’t even look at a place that exceeds it. (No, you can’t send it to the group message as just a suggestion either).
3. Don’t get your hopes up until you sign a lease.
I mean it. Until there is a pen in your hand and a contract in the other, don’t get your heart set on a place. This process is unpredictable - the landlord might have sounded promising or it’s $200 under everyone’s budget - but landlords can be shady and Zillow isn’t always accurate.
4. Ask tons of questions.
Be sure to ask the landlord what’s included in the price of rent, what the neighbors are like, if they need co-signers, etc.
5. Sell yourselves.
I’m serious - you’re competing with other college students, families, and other adults who have their lives together better than you do. Ask your RA for a letter of recommendation and write a cover letter explaining the details of everyone’s campus involvement to show any potential renters you mean business. It sets you apart from the rest of ‘em.
6. Don’t forget to celebrate.
So you did it, you all finally found a place within your budget, with enough bedrooms, a killer kitchen, and a landlord who doesn’t hate college students. That’s something to be proud of, be sure to treat yourselves to a movie night or ice cream run to kick off a new chapter of your college career.
7. Get used to the group message blowin' up.
Buzz buzz. There it goes again, there will never be a dull moment in the “Roomies” group message. But don’t worry, you’ll become accustom to texts like “My third cousin twice removed says we can have his toaster!”.
8. Measure your rooms.
The last thing you want is to arrive on moving day with a couch that won’t fit in your living room. Bring a tape measure along with you during one of the walkthroughs and measure up what can fit where.
9. WARNING: Bank account may reach critically low levels.
If you weren’t already pinching pennies, get used to it. Between purchasing renters insurance, security deposits, and first month's rent, you’ll be scared to log into your bank account app for the next few months. I shouldn’t have to tell you this but save, save, save.
10. Take pictures when you move in.
No, I’m not talking about cute pics by the front door for your Instagram. I’m talking about pictures of the knicks in the wall and the door hinge that wasn’t fixed before moving in. Channel your inner CSI - you don’t want your landlord blaming you for that later.
11. Be prepared to compromise.
Didn’t think the couch should go that way? Wished the spoons were put on the left side of the utensil organizer instead of the middle? Get over it, there’s bigger battles to be fought.
12. Figure out your grocery shopping system.
Are you all buying groceries individually? Splitting the cost of some of the staple items? Figure that out either the first couple days you move in or in that beloved group message. This goes for more than just groceries, make sure you have a gameplan for who's paying what bill and when.
13. Steal stuff from your parents' house before you head out.
Hate to break it to ya, Mom, but I took a few rolls of toilet paper. In all seriousness, if you see an extra bottle of Windex in the garage or snag a few Tide Pods on your way out of the laundry room... do whatcha gotta do.
14. Enlist the help of your friends and family.
Chances are, you’re pretty awesome and your family thinks so too. Don’t be afraid to ask for help on move in day or for them to drive an hour or two to drop off a dresser they’ve been holding onto for you.
15. Make friends with your neighbors.
Lucky for us, we’re already friends with our neighbors. This a not so small shout to the four lovely gentlemen next door who let us invade their living room for Bachelorette Nights, help assemble our IKEA furniture and act as on call bug squashers. If you don’t happen to already be pals with your neighbors, make sure to introduce yourselves and make nice. They’ll probably be less likely to make a noise complaint.
16. Establish house rules.
You’ve got ‘em with your parents, why not here? Whether it’s as simple as “take out the trash when you notice that it’s full” or a party rule like “if you don’t live here, you don’t change the music”. Take them seriously but don’t forget to have fun with it.
17. Make it feel like home.
This is it - your home for the rest of your college career. Hang framed pictures, put out some candles, and make it feel like yours.
It’s only been a few days into my new apartment, so I’m sure there are more lists of handy advice to come, but for now, I hope this is either helpful for the future or far too relatable to your own experiences moving in. If you take anything away from this, it’s to be proud of yourself. You just lunged into adulthood - it’s frightening but it’s pretty cool too.
