All of you homeowners have it made so I'm not really worried about y'all BUT for those of us in apartments, what makes or breaks it for you? What are your must haves? What things can you NOT deal with at all?


How many bedrooms MUST you have?

Do you prefer a certain floor of the building?

Does the # of closets/closet size matter?

Any bathroom rules? (i.e. tub AND shower, with sink or separate sink area)

Neighbors/neighborhood - pro's & cons?

Balconies - a must?

What about parking?



If those questions suck just name your top 5 concerns when it comes to apartment hunting



.
[Edited 5/6/07 21:10pm]

How many bedrooms MUST you have? 1 or 2.

Do you prefer a certain floor of the building? I do! I could not live on the 4th floor or past that!

Does the # of closets/closet size matter? It matters to me. Have to have space for the shoes.

Any bathroom rules? (i.e. tub AND shower, with sink or separate sink area)
I think I am happy with a shower.

Neighbors/neighborhood - pro's & cons?
Maybe apartments that are strict on noise, visitors, high security.

Balconies - a must? I don't really care for those.

What about parking? I think assigned parking is great!

i'm so not picky right now. the main reason i picked the studio i'm living in this fall is that it's right across the street from my school, so i can walk there

it's not the dorms, and that's all that really matters.

How many bedrooms MUST you have? 1, I live alone right now... I'll take a big bedroom over a big living room any day...

Do you prefer a certain floor of the building? I prefer top floor as long as there's an elevator - lugging groceries up flights is NOT cute. Bottom floor is cool b/c there's less worry about the noise YOU make but it always sucks living below someone (see my Stompy McBitch thread)...

Does the # of closets/closet size matter? YES... I wanted a loft for so long until I realized I've yet to see one with any closet space I have a walk in now that I truly can't imagine being without (there's racks & double shelves all around ), a good size one for linens & a small coat closet. Decent cabinet space in the kitchen/dining & a huge cabinet/drawers in the bathroom

Any bathroom rules? (i.e. tub AND shower, with sink or separate sink area) The sink must be IN the bathroom, not separate. And I prefer a shower curtain to sliding doors, those things make cleaning the tub so much harder! But I have doors for now & there MUST be a tub, no shower only bullshit...

Neighbors/neighborhood - pro's & cons? No schools too nearby, no kids/animals above me... No restaurants too close (traffic) - I like neighborhoody feeling places without too much business. Food businesses have too many critters...

Balconies - a must? No, but they're nice to have since I finally got one Now if I'd just get all that shit off it & USE it

What about parking? a must for me, for the sake of convenience & the fact that I work strange hours. There's no way in hell I wanna be searching for a park all the time, I may never leave the house Covered parking with good size spaces


I also like my mailbox INSIDE the building, not outside so I can check it whenever. And I don't want to be too close to the trash shoot (for when it gets clogged & smelly!). Laundry on every floor, not that basement shit where you feel like you're gonna be killed

& modern shit - dishwasher, electric stove/oven, disposal... That's not too picky, is it?

evenstar3 said:

Yea, I think in school mode it's a different set of rules b/c you have so much other shit to worry about That's cool to be so close

Paradisekiss03 said:

So no high rises for you I guess Why not?

Frankly I wouldn't feel comfortable in a very tall building b/c I'm in an earthquake prone area. I'm on the 2nd floor now, but considering moving to the 4th floor if something opens up

CalhounSq said:

yeah, pretty much. a bedroom would be nice, but not nice enough to pay that much more in rent

CalhounSq said:

I live in Texas so we get hurricanes once in a while so I guess I could live one the 3rd of fourth floor. We don't have too many high rise apartments here. Most of the buildings here don't go past the 4rth floor.

* must have good sunlight in either the bedroom or the living room (preferably both)

* MUST MUST MUST have good water pressure

if it doesn't have either of these things, it better be some kind of offer i'd be an idiot to refuse.

Oooh, I like this thread, it helps with my marketing.

1 No housemates.

2 1 bedroom. Walls. None of that one-room-studio B.S.

3 Nature. At least a tree. A park nearby, a hiking trail, lawns, landscaping SOMETHING. I can't deal with the miles-of-cement thing.

4 Public transport nearby. BART.

5 Parking.

6 Sunlight.

7 Architectural charm.

8 Quiet. I once lived on Market Street in San Francisco and would have dreams of sleeping on the center island between lanes. I also hate the sound of the highway however distant. Currently, though, I live relatively near the traintracks (but not too near) and I LOVE hearing the train whistle at night.




The above are all requirements. Hardwood floors gets points. A view would get major points. I currently live in a self-contained cottage, so not sharing walls gets a lot of points. Being able to play loud music.
[Edited 5/7/07 6:59am]

Anx said:

Both of those are so important I didn't realize how much I need sunlight until I moved into a dungeon a while back It was so damn gloomy - one window in the bedroom & a sliding door in the living room BUT the sunlight was blocked by the above balcony & a damn concrete wall next to it I used to just veg all the time there, never wanted to do jack shit - it was depressing!

And the water pressure is key b/c who wants to wait an hour to run a bath? A good flush doesn't hurt either

heartbeatocean said:

I'm with you on the roomates & the studio situation Luckily I've never had to suffer through either

How many bedrooms MUST you have?

I prefer two.

Do you prefer a certain floor of the building?

It doesn't matter, really, although, I prefer to not live in the basement of a building.

Does the # of closets/closet size matter?

Yes. I prefer at least one closet in each room, a hall closet and a front closet.

Any bathroom rules? (i.e. tub AND shower, with sink or separate sink area)

Tub and shower, please.

Neighbors/neighborhood - pro's & cons?

Decent, clean, no crime neighborhood. Non-arsonist, stable neighbors, please.

Balconies - a must?

Doesn't matter.

What about parking?

As long as I have somewhere to park, I'm cool.

Back when I was renting...I had to have my own washer/dryer.

There is nothing in this world more disgusting than cleaning someone else's pubes out of the lint trap.

Ooh, I have to move soon b/c my current building is being demolished. (Rent stabilized and the owner wants to tear down and build condos.) Looking for apartments in New York City sucks; things that are completely unacceptable everywhere else (bathtub in the kitchen) become unfortunate realities.

How many bedrooms MUST you have? One, unless it's a studio with a good layout like what I had in Chicago. (L shaped, with the bed area being 2 ft higher than the rest of the apt.)

Do you prefer a certain floor of the building? Anything but the first floor/street level, cause I'm female. And if it's a walk up, then 2nd--4th floors only.

Does the # of closets/closet size matter? Yes, but in NYC beggars can't be choosers...

Any bathroom rules? (i.e. tub AND shower, with sink or separate sink area) Clean; with good water pressure and hot water quickly; not located in the kitchen.

Neighbors/neighborhood - pro's & cons? Must have a laundromat, grocery and public transportion within 3 blocks. Neighbors are hopefully not crazy.

Balconies - a must? A luxury I'll probably never have.

What about parking? n/a I don't drive.

Must have windows that actually get sunlight, hardwood floors, and full size kitchen appliances (no dorm-size fridges; which yes, really exist in NY apartments!).

Unfortunately for me, price is the main dictator of what my apartment will be like. I would love to live in a cute apartment in a fun neighborhood, but my paycheck won't allow that, so I'd rather have a nice, clean apartment in a boring neighborhood than a tiny crappy apartment in a hip 'hood.

CalhounSq said:

a good flush is EVER SO IMPORTANT, actually.

oh, and yeah - being near public transpo is a must for me, too. i have so many options where i live, including a bus stop right outside my door, that it's gonna be hard for me to move.

CalhounSq said:

I strongly prefer at least one bedroom, but I'd live in a studio with a good floorplan.

If I can't be high enough to have a nice view, I prefer the ground floor. Who enjoys hauling groceries upstairs? But it's not a huge thing for me.

My current place has exactly one closet, in the bedroom. It's a pain in the ass. It'll be a higher priority when I look for another place someday. I would at least like a teeny broom closet and a coat closet in addition to the bedroom closet.

I require a bathtub. I'd give up a kitchen before I'd give up a bathtub.

My ideal neighborhood would be the rich old people street in a very urban neighborhood. I currently live in the poor young people area of a very urban neighborhood, and while I adore the neighborhood, the neighbors are fuckin' animals and they bother me.

A balcony is only worthwhile to me if it's large enough for a table and has a decent view and enough seclusion that I wouldn't feel stupid out there in pajamas. Where I live, that's rare.

And a parking space would feel super posh, but I'm fine with street parking.



What I would really love in an apartment is a great bathroom with a big tub, a nice view, decent closet space, hardwood floors, a gas stove, good laundry facilities (preferably on my floor), and necessities within walking distance. And they have to allow pets.

I currently only have the nice view, gas stove, and the necessities within walking distance. But, it's cheap, so whatever.

I think my only absolute dealbreakers are to be able to take baths and keep my dog.
[Edited 5/7/07 9:31am]

How many bedrooms MUST you have? 3 bedrooms. One for me, one for my son and one for guests.

Do you prefer a certain floor of the building? 2nd floor would be my first choice. No highrises.

Does the # of closets/closet size matter? Absolutely.

Any bathroom rules? (i.e. tub AND shower, with sink or separate sink area) Must have a full bathroom with tub, shower and separate sink.

Neighbors/neighborhood - pro's & cons? As long as it's child friendly and relatively crime free, I'm happy.

Balconies - a must? Nice, but not a must have.

What about parking? Must have.


Must be pet friendly.

Must have a large living room.

Must have laundry onsite.

Must have hardwood floors.

Must be allowed to paint/redecorate.

Must have front and rear exits.

Must have good water pressure.

Must have fridge/stove.

Must have lots of natural light.


I've got everything I listed except a 2nd floor apartment.

My preferences have changed over the years. I used to love my crypt-like apartment with dark-coloured walls and a corridor-like floorplan, but now I'm looking for:

* A bright apartment with big windows and preferably a high ceiling.
* Not the ground floor because it's important to me that no-one can see in.
* No building right across the street, again because I'd like privacy.
* A few trees or bushes outside the window or at least nearby.
* Non-noisy neighbours and a quiet street.
* A roomy bathroom would be nice. The kitchen is not as important.

Of course a balcony and a fireplace etc would be very nice too, but that's luxury that's not completely necessary.

i've never lived anywhere with more than one bedroom

my specifications were...

could i afford it?

did it look halfway decent?

was the bathroom gross?

did i think my car would get broken into in the parking lot?


sunlight is a double edged sword because with light comes heat.
the last apartment i rented i finally had air conditioning
but i also had paper thin walls and neighbors that were
constantly either fighting or having sex on the other side of the livingroom wall!

I just like to have a way in. Preferably a way out, too.

How many bedrooms MUST you have? 2

Do you prefer a certain floor of the building? I like the upper floors yet, I hate being really high(afraid of heights)

Does the # of closets/closet size matter? if I can fit my MJ, Prince, anime collections AND my clothes, that's all that matters

Any bathroom rules? (i.e. tub AND shower, with sink or separate sink area)Don't matter, as long as I can get clean in private

Neighbors/neighborhood - pro's & cons?I like quiet neighbors! No more loud and stupid bitches for me. There was a Cinco De Mayo party the other day at my old apartment and that shit ran into the 7th!

Balconies - a must?Balconies are coooool

What about parking?hmmmmm, has to be close

AND I HATE CATS!!!!! well, not hate, I have a fear of them

Cloudbuster said:

I've got that for ye, free of charge.

How many bedrooms MUST you have?
Less bedrooms equal lower rent. Though I own more shit that can fit, I've been more than happy in studios.

Do you prefer a certain floor of the building?
The lower, the better. Easy to move (as I move frequently), easy for groceries.

Does the # of closets/closet size matter?
I'm not big on clothes or shoes, so fuck it.

Any bathroom rules? (i.e. tub AND shower, with sink or separate sink area)
No preference. Like Calhoun mentioned, glass shower doors are a pain in the ass to keep clean and MAN I hate scooping scum out of the metal tracks. But it's not a dealbreaker. I don't take baths, so having just a stall would be neat.

Neighbors/neighborhood - pro's & cons?
I like to live near restaurants and/or markets. Easy, close food is nice. Even better when it's available 24 hours. I'm too lazy to cook and I practically live on take-out.

Balconies - a must?
The cat insists on a balcony, but I could care less.

What about parking?
I've never lived anywhere with at least a one-car garage or covered parking for one. So it'd be nice to always have that, because the whole having-to-park-three-blocks-away-when-you're-half-asleep-and/or-shitfaced-at-3-AM-in a shitty neighborhood is well, shitty.

At the end, I insist on having a washer and dryer. That's all, really.
[Edited 5/7/07 12:36pm]

INSATIABLE said:

Or carrying groceries, or 40lbs of dog food, or furniture, or your shitfaced-at-3AM friend. . .yeah. My current place is the first place I've lived without a parking space. I don't drive my car that much, so it's not a huge deal, but when one of the above scenarios is in play, it's annoying. Especially Friday/Saturday nights, when my block is part of Super Gay Party Parking Land. . . it's not unusual for me to have to walk 10 blocks if I get home at the wrong hour, and if I'm carrying stuff, it sucks.

HereToRockYourWorld said:

Good grief. That's a workout, especially when it's been a long day.

Yeah, it's the pits dragging flimsy groceries up stairs. Lock the car, put keys in pocket, grab two trips' worth of overstuffed bags, which are slowly ripping, taunting you more and more with each painful step. God forbid I just make a couple more trips instead of being forced to stop halfway there and reinforce my grip on the once-fluffy loaf of bread, flailing and walking with my back bent sideways as not to drop the dishsoap.

And why is it always the embarrassing purchases that I'm kicking to the doorstep?! It never fails: tampons and condoms become soccer balls halfway through the trip because if I lean to grab them, everything else drops.

INSATIABLE said:

I just did the Grocery Bag Retard Walk a few minutes ago. I was carrying overloaded paper bags, and the handles start to pop one by one. . .

What's REALLY great is carrying paper bags several blocks through the rain and having them start to disintegrate because I'm too stupid to remember my canvas or ask for plastic. . . doing fuckin' paper mache as I'm walking down the damn street, trying to keep my groceries in one soggy ball long enough to get them upstairs. . .

HereToRockYourWorld said:

Grocery Bag Retard Walk, yes. I am too familiar. Ugh, nothing tops the canvas bags, especially in the rain! Plastic bags rip if you put more than one can inside, and the paper handles can't "HANDLE" shit!

See why I live off take-out?