College season is upon us, and whether you want to stay on campus, or you want to rent your own place, there are some factors that you should consider when you’re looking for a place around campus.  Before you start, you’ll want to ask yourself these questions, to ensure that you find the perfect place.

Is it close to campus? You don’t want to travel more than 5-10 miles, if you’re going to go to school every day.

Is it within your budget? If you can only afford $500 for rent, don’t get an apartment for $650.  If you need to, get a roommate, which I highly recommend.

Is it safe? If you’re unsure of the area, make sure that you drive around it first, before you sign the lease.

Did you check the rating? Great sites like ApartmentRatings.com have ratings from people have stayed at the apartments before.  If the rating is lousy, you may want to steer clear.

Did you check more than 1? Like house hunting, don’t sign up with the first apartment.  You’ll want to check out more than 5 before you go out, and sign the papers.

Researching your apartment

When researching your apartment, I strongly suggest that you use great tools online like Apartments.com.  A site like this is 100% free ,and you’ll find all the apartments in your area.   You can sort by distance, the amenities, and the price.

If you’re finding that Apartments.com isn’t your cup of tea, and it isn’t working out for you, you may want to check out services like Craigslist.  The only thing that I warn about this site are the scams.  If it sounds too good to be true, you’re going to find that you may give someone your deposit, and they run away with it.

Use your head, and as long as you don’t go over your budget, and you find a place that you like, searching for an apartment isn’t that hard.  If you’re having a hard time, run around, and ask people on your campus where they are living, and if they like it.