Looking for decent, affordable housing in Richmond can be incredibly difficult. Finding somewhere that is close to campus and isn’t extremely expensive is hard enough let alone getting rental agencies and property owners to actually contact you back. Since it’s getting to be that time of year again, here are some apartment hunting tips that will make your housing search more organized, straightforward, and trouble-free.

1. Ask for reviews of rental companies before you look at their properties

Although there are some decent property management companies in Richmond, more often than not, the current tenants have some complaints. Ask your friends, co-workers, current tenants while you are on a tour, and ask around on social media. It’s way better to realize a company isn’t for you before you actually rent from them.

2. Make a spreadsheet

I know this sounds like a little much, but I promise you will thank yourself for it later. After looking at a ton of different places they all start to blend together. You won’t remember why you liked one place or disliked another and this way you can keep it all straight.

3. If the building provides internet, try it on your phone during the tour

Let’s be real, having decent wifi is a huge deal. Even though it’s exciting to find a place that has internet included in rent, a lot of the time it is free for a reason. If you can, check your wifi connection throughout the apartment to make sure you could live with it.

4. Turn on the shower while you are on a tour

Much like the wifi, having warm water and decent water pressure is something we often take for granted. Not every shower is the same and no one wants to spend extra on their electric bill for water that doesn’t heat up enough or have to spend 30 minutes in the shower because the water pressure isn’t enough to actually rinse shampoo conditioner out of your hair.

5. If you like a place you are touring, take measurements

On the off chance you find a place you like, you want to make sure your furniture is going to fit in the places you want it to go. There’s nothing worse than having to get rid of stuff that doesn’t fit or having to find new furniture to fit in your apartment.

6. Bring a notepad on your tour

It’s easier to keep each individual place in mind if you take notes about your likes and dislikes while you tour. This is also a great place to keep measurements if you take them as well as overall questions or comments you come up with and want to ask about!

7. Don’t believe the estimated electric cost

A lot of landlords will give you an idea of how much electric will cost in a certain property if you ask. That being said, they are likely to either sugarcoat it, or just make a general guess based on the size of the place. It’s better to ask a current tenant if you can but if not, you’ll have to monitor your electric usage when you first move in to make sure the cost isn’t crazy.

8. Never underestimate the value of having windows

Plenty of apartments are either extremely dark because of their position in the building, or extremely light. Although having windows may make your apartment a little hotter in the summer, you will be very thankful for it essentially heating your apartment in the winter and lowering your electric costs when it comes to not having to light the apartment yourself.

9. Be as friendly and pleasant as possible

Although you may not think it would affect your housing opportunities, it definitely does. Whether you are dealing with just one property owner or a while rental company, everyone is so much more likely to go out of their way to help you or even choose your application over someone else’s if you make an effort to just be nice.

10. Don’t ignore Craigslist

It may seem a little sketchy, but you will find that a lot of the listings are from rental companies you have already heard of or individual owners who have a handful of properties that are popular rentals. If you have a lower budget, this is definitely a good place to start looking. Rent is typically lower when dealing with an individual owner and more often than not, they are ready with pictures to show you and just as much information as any other rental company has to offer.

11. Check out the neighborhood on more than one occasion

Having decent neighbors is a much bigger deal than you’d think. Visiting more than once if you can will help you get a better idea of who you are living next to. Whether it’s the amount of noise they make on a daily basis or just seeing if they have a dog that is going to bark all of the time, it’s best to find these things out earlier rather than later.

12. Test out the walk to and from your place on a crappy day

I know this sounds a little miserable and hard to convince yourself to actually do, but you will be happy you did it. If you can’t stand the walk on a rainy or cold day, then maybe it isn’t the place for you.

13. Have all of your information readily available

This is insanely important if you are looking at individual houses or kind of late to the apartment hunting game. A lot of the time people are looking for someone who is ready to immediately start the application process. Alternatively, you may have to compete with a handful of other people looking at the same houses that you are. Having everything ready to send to the landlord is a huge advantage and just might make the difference between you getting the place you wanted or not.

14. Ask as many questions as you possibly can

Don’t worry about bothering the rental agent or the landlord. When you meet a good rental agent, they will be more than happy to answer any questions you have and even landlords would love to clear up any uncertainties as soon as they arise. You never know where a deal breaker may pop up so ask, ask, ask!

Looking for housing can be a stressful, long, and complicated process but if you use these tips, I promise your search will be much much easier in the long run. Happy hunting!