|
What to look for in an apartment
Your first visit is the right time to inspect the premises. Check to make sure the place fits your criteria. If you like the place, look at it three times as hard as any other apartment. You don't want to get all hot and bothered over nothing. Appraise all contenders by the following requisites, and you won't find yourself feeling like an inmate in your own home.
1. Size: When it comes to your apartment, size really does matter. The size of each room should match your living needs. If you have a tendency to eat and watch TV in the bedroom, why worry about the paltry kitchen? If you're into entertaining, then make sure the living room or bedroom is large enough to house the guests — it all boils down to your needs. Planning to move in that four-poster canopy? The door portals may have other plans. Measure all large furniture and doorways — you don't want to be sawing off any irreplaceable parts on moving day.
2. Light: Ensure that you're never stuck reading by lamplight at noon. Talk about depressing. Are the windows large enough to let the sun shine in? Are you getting nothing but a northern exposure?
3. Security: If the front and back doors aren't sporting deadbolts, see if they can be installed free of charge. Otherwise, well... the words "sitting duck" come to mind. Check about smoke alarms, and if the stoves are gas powered, ask about carbon monoxide detectors.
4. Noise: If you've chosen a centrally located address, expect some noise to filter in. When visiting the residence, pry open the windows and listen to what the streets have to say. They may just be telling you to keep looking.
next
Leah and Elina Furman are freelance writers living in Chicago, and are currently writing The Everything After College Book, to be released by Adams Media in the fall of '97.
© 1997 Tripod, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
|
