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Hello, queens!
I've recently found a job that finally allows me to leave my parents' house and rent a place to live - a dream I've had since my teens. This is probably the most important step in my leveling up journey!
I've started searching and it's been difficult to find a place I even want to visit... The rent I can afford is not a lot, so I'm aware that I won't find the beautiful house/apartment of my dreams. But I want to be able to see the sunset. The house where I currently live has this perk and it really makes a difference. I work from home most of the time, so it needs to be a pleasant place. I live in a moderately small town and I love it in here. So the "view to sunset" thing isn't a luxury for the rich. I've been considering different cities, but I don't know... I feel so attached to this place.
I'm very excited about the possibility of living by myself, but I'm also very inexperienced in this whole "adulting" thing and a bit scared too... So I think it would be nice to see what y'all have to teach me about living alone (I don't want room mates).
What are some red flags I should be looking for?
What are some green flags as well?
How do I know which one is the right home for me?
What should I prioritize in terms of furniture and stuff?
What should a single woman who wants to live alone look for in a home?
Thank you!
I’m with pusskat1 on not worrying about furniture until you have the new place. Every place is a different size and shape you’ll need measurements before getting furniture.
I’m with Erythrura on the avoiding male roommates. Also be careful of apartment buildings with lots of bachelor suites as the main demographic who rent them are sad single men and suicidal divorced men.
Try to get a self contained apartment over a room in someone’s house or apartment if you can afford it. Sharing common areas with the owners or other tenants can result in a lot of interpersonal conflict and potential spying or cameras. Having your own laundry is really nice. Shared coin laundry results in a lot of bullsh*t as does sharing machines with a house owner or a couple —I’ve never had the homeowner not be weird about sharing their machines.
I’d personally rather be alone or go into a new place with a roommate at the same time —not move into a space someone’s had before you because they can treat you like it’s not your space and have a long list of rules and preferences they think you have to follow.
Make sure everything is in good repair as that is a reflection on how good or bad the landlord is. If it’s clean and free of damage, mould, mildew, etc it means the landlord actually looks after it. Run down, dirty, holes in walls and doors, water damage equals a slumlord. When renting, nothing should be a fixer upper. That’s not your job.
Make sure drugs and drug dealing isn’t an issue in the area or the apartment itself. Low prices can mean high drug or crime rate even in small towns. A previous landlord didn’t disclose my apt had been rented to a drug dealer for a decade before me and having strange men somehow break into the locked building and pound on my door for drugs was very unsafe.
If you don’t have a pet, don’t get one (especially cats and dogs). An astronomical amount of landlords are refusing pet owners these days —especially in big cities. It can really limit your options for some of the nicer places to rent.
Look at what services and stores are close by —how close is the grocery store, restaurants, public transit, parks, trails, library, health clinics, etc? Can all your needs be easily met without having to travel far?
Look at cost of living for each area you consider moving to. Are the rents lower? Are the groceries cheaper? Why? Is it because there are no jobs and all the locals live in poverty or is it because it’s just not a sought after place to live right now?
Maybe consider a doorbell camera. Many are wireless. They’ll record if anyone tries to get in when you’re not home —creepy tenants, landlords, repairmen, etc. Landlords have to give you 24-48 hours written notice before they or a repairman they hire can enter your apartment.
Avoid scams. Don’t pay any money until you’ve signed a written contract. Do not agree to verbal contracts. Don’t pay any deposits to “reserve“ a place. Look up prices of other rentals in the area to see if the price of the place you want is fair. Price can be negotiated if you have proof they’re over charging.
Happy hunting! Go in person to view for sure before agreeing to anything —it can be really fun to look at new places, even the bad ones to make fun of them and have them to compare the good ones too.