Congratulations! You are thinking about renting the best Philadelphia apartment your budget can allow. So what do you do now? Here are some expert ideas for finding the best Philadelphia apartment and a helpful checklist to make moving day easy…
Find the best Philadelphia apartment in the best neighborhood. Try to narrow your search for an apartment in Philadelphia to a few areas. Searching too far and wide can get overwhelming. When looking at areas in which to move – think about how far it is to travel to work, the grocery store, etc. If you have a car, distance it won’t matter as much unless you are fighting traffic for 30 miles or more to a job, but if you need to use public transport, make sure you are in safe walking distance to the bus or train, etc.
Safety of the Neighborhood. You can often tell if a neighborhood is safe by simply looking at it. Does it look downtrodden? Does everyone have bars on their windows? Are the lawns mowed? Is there a lot of trash on the street – is it a neighborhood where people take pride? Look at the nearby -school districts’ reports (online) to see how well the schools are rated. You can also search online for any recent criminal activity if you are truly worried about a specific area.
Do you need a realtor? If you are in a city where even renting requires a realtor, the Board of Realtors can help you find one who specializes in the neighborhoods and the type of housing you need.
Make a checklist of Administrative Tasks. If you are renting a Philadelphia apartment for the first time – you will be amazed at all the “moving” pieces. Making a list of all the calls and online administrative tasks you need to keep track of it all. These tasks include the following:
– Reading over your rental contract very carefully so you know all the “ins” and “outs”
– Changing your address at USPS.com
– Calling your utilities company to set up water, gas, electricity
– Calling your local cable company to set up wireless, basic cable, etc.
– Call or go online to your bank and creditors to change your address as well
– Calling a moving company or renting a truck for moving
– Making sure any furniture you ordered is delivered on or near the day as you move in
– If you have pets – board them or have a friend watch them for moving day as it can be very stressful for dogs and cats to move their environment
Moving Companies. If you have a lot of furniture and think a professional moving company is necessary to help you get all your stuff to your apartment in Philadelphia, then do your homework by calling at least three to get estimates – you will be charged by the amount (weight) of furniture and boxes (the weight) and how many rooms plus the moving mileage. You can also look online at the Better Business Bureau to determine which moving companies are best. Renting a truck and getting help from family and friends is obviously the cheaper option, just make sure to provide plenty of pizza and drinks as a thank you!
Great tips! I’ve never been to Philadelphia but I think all these golden rules apply to moving to pretty much every city!