It’s your first time searching for an apartment and with so many off-campus properties at Temple, you aren’t sure where to start. Websites like Craigslist, Zillow, and Trulia just make the search even more overwhelming with thousands of listings. We’ve come up with some aspects to consider when looking for an off-campus apartment to help you narrow down the search and make it a little more manageable.
Talk to Someone with Experience
If you really have no idea where to begin with looking for off-campus housing, talk to someone who has already gone through the process. Most students at Temple University move off campus during their sophomore year, so there are plenty of people you can talk to.
Ask them about their experience and what they would have done differently during their search. How did they find their apartment? How did they decide which amenities were important to them and which were not? Talking it out with someone who has experience is extremely helpful at the beginning of your search.
Ask them about their experience and what they would have done differently during their search. How did they find their apartment? How did they decide which amenities were important to them and which were not? Talking it out with someone who has experience is extremely helpful at the beginning of your search.
Determine a Price Range
Your price range will help to narrow down the type of apartment and location you should be looking for. Get together with your roommates and cosigners to determine a price range you can all afford. Remember to factor in utilities into the monthly budget.
Location Preference
Where would you like to live? Is it important to you that you are close to the subway station so you can get back and forth to your job or internship in the city? Maybe it’s important to you that you are close to the building where all of your classes are held during the semester.
Walk around the neighborhood to get an idea of the different streets and blocks before you decide where you would like to live. Talk to people who live on the block to see what they think about living there.
Remember, the location will heavily determine the price of rent.
Walk around the neighborhood to get an idea of the different streets and blocks before you decide where you would like to live. Talk to people who live on the block to see what they think about living there.
Remember, the location will heavily determine the price of rent.
Number of Bedrooms
Before you start your apartment search, get a firm number of how many roommates you plan to have. This will help you narrow down the type of property you need by the number of bedrooms. If you only need three bedrooms, chances are that you will be looking for an apartment. If you need seven bedrooms, you should be looking for a row home.
Additional Amenities
Now that you have the location, price range, and number of bedrooms figured out, what else is important to you? This will narrow down your search even more. Do you want to be on an upper level apartment? Do you need to have a backyard?
Think about if you want to have the apartment furnished so you don’t have to buy furniture. If you want to find an apartment with all utilities included, this will narrow down the search. Figure out what is important to you!
Think about if you want to have the apartment furnished so you don’t have to buy furniture. If you want to find an apartment with all utilities included, this will narrow down the search. Figure out what is important to you!
Refine Your Search
Now that you have the perimeters for your perfect off-campus property, take it to the internet and input it to real estate websites and send out emails to local leasing companies or real estate agents to help you with the search.
Be prepared to give up some of your criteria, though. There are only so many properties around Temple and not all of them will have exactly what you want. These perimeters are only guidelines who what you want, so be flexible about what you find.
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