Hunting for a suitable apartment in New York is not a walk in the park. There are so many different neighborhoods with a totally different apartment price range. It will require a lot of your time and patience to find an apartment in NYC. Still, while it may be hard, it’s not impossible. There are some great tips that can help you find a perfect apartment for a new start in Big Apple.
Start looking for the apartment before the relocation
It goes without saying that you will have more luck finding an apartment in NYC if you start to look for it early. Way early, even before actually moving to NYC. That will be beneficial for multiple reasons, while it’s not always doable.
The best way will be to come and look for an apartment on the spot. It will also give you a chance to explore the neighborhoods that interest you in person and to feel if you like the vibe of the city. That’s why is always recommendable to take a trip and stay in the city that you plan to move before you even start to organize your relocation.
Still, judging by the NYC costs not everyone’s moving budget can afford this expense. If you are moving on the tight budget, this probably won’t be on your agenda. However, even if you can’t look for apartments in person, visit some real estate websites, and search for suitable long term accommodation. Make a list of apartments that fit your criteriums, and narrow down the hunt once you relocate.
Find an apartment in NYC after the summer season
If you can avoid moving and finding an apartment in the hectic summer months in New York, you’re in luck. That will save you so many nerves and time.
During the warm summer day, college grads are coming to NYC in search of a job in great numbers. Right beside them are the tourist that want to experience this amazing city while the weather is dry and sunny. The demand for apartments in that period of the year is significantly increased, but so are the rent prices. All that means that if you do find an apartment in NYC during the summer, you will be paying for it a lot more.
If you can wait until the autumn or preferably the beginning of November to start your relocation, do so. While you won’t have the same amount of available apartments, there will be much more room for negotiating the terms of the lease.
Also, summer is the part of the moving seasons, which means that your moving costs will be way up at this time. That changes with the beginning of autumn when movers don’t have much work and are more open to give you great discounts. You can find amazing reliable and very affordable long distance movers NYC when you move offseason.
Determine your budget and stick to it
Assuming that you’ve already calculated that you can afford NYC monthly living costs, you may notice that prices in this city are high as they can be. As one of the most expensive cities in the world, New York isn’t affordable for many. In fact, that’s the main reasons why people are moving out of Manhattan, as one of the priciest NYC boroughs.
The apartments prices in this town are varied greatly from neighborhood to neighborhoods.
Before you even start looking for suitable accommodation, you should determine what’s the highest monthly rent that you can afford.
Once you have access maximum amount that you can pay for the apartment, start to look for housing in your price range.
Hire a real estate agent
The best chance to find an apartment in NYC from your dreams is to hire a real estate agent. Reliable professionals will know exactly where to look and which apartments to offer you.
Communication with your real estate agent
The key to successful cooperation with your realtor is, to be honest. You need to be upfront and clear when explaining all the features that you wish to have in your new home.
Watch out for these things when you’re communicating with your realtor.
- Unrealistic budget. If you miss representing your budget limit, your realtor will waste a lot of time searching and showing you the places that you can’t afford. There’s no point in that, just frustration for real estate agent and a total waste of time for both.
- Your pet. Never hide the fact that you have a pet! You need to disclose that you are looking for the pet-friendly apartment. When you do, your realtor can find an apartment in NYC that allows you to keep your furry friends.
- The animosity for certain part of the town. If you can’t picture living in certain NYC neighborhood, you need to pint that out to your real estate agent. That way, he can know which part of the time to skip when searching an apartment for you.
- Features that your building has to have. If you don’t mention that you absolutely have to have a doorman or gym in your building, you realtor will show you the housing options that don’t have these features.
Consider sharing the apartment with a roommate
Let’s be honest, monthly apartment rent in New York can be skyrocketing. If you find the perfect place in the neighborhood that you desire, but you can’t afford on your own, think about getting a roommate.
In the pricey NYC neighborhoods like Manhattan, you can’t even find studios that are under $1,500 mark. If living there will mean so much to you, then finding a roommate is a great solution.
It goes without saying, that a lifelong friend will be a perfect choice, but life often doesn’t work out that way. You can find a roommate by visiting a forum and getting to know people online. Luckily, there are a lot of useful tips for finding roommates in NYC.
The most important thing is to make sure that both are on the same page. That you agree on specific terms concerning location, cost, and manner of living. If you choose a roommate that is totally incompatible to you, the dream of the NYC life can become your worst nightmare.
