To help alleviate the aches and pains associated with searching for apartments in Hattiesburg, we’ve outlined the best process and tools to find that perfect new home. Below find our best apartment hunting information that will save you time, energy and dollars.

Step 1: Define Your Apartment Needs

Every good real estate professional knows that the first rule of apartment hunting is to define your needs before you begin searching. The reason for this is often times we get excited by the things with think we want, but once that excitement wears off we are stuck in a situation that doesn’t fit our lifestyle or budget. Avoid this by answering the below.

What is your budget?

Clearly this seems obvious, but ensure you don’t just factor in rent payment. Take the time to account for all monthly responsibilities, which include utilities (electric, gas, water and sewer, cable and internet), rental insurance, cell phone, credit card payments, car payments and car insurance. Also, make sure you don’t forget about moving costs. By providing yourself with an overall picture of your monthly financial responsibilities you will come up with a super accurate rent figure.

How long do you want to be in the car?

They say a person’s commute is the number one factor affecting their happiness. So, how long do you want to be driving from your new apartment to your work or school? When drilling down locations for an apartment in Hattiesburg ask yourself if an extra 10-minute commute is worth it. That answer depends on the person, but the last thing you want is to get excited over an apartment only to realize you have to spend way too much time driving to and from it.

What amenities matter to you?

Do you have to a pool? What about a gym? Are you planning on socializing a lot in a clubhouse? Does 24-hour security matter to you? Make a list of the amenities that matter most to you for that apartment in Hattiesburg and use that as a filtering tool when searching. It will help weed out the options that simply don’t fit your lifestyle.

Step 2: Search Smart

Okay, so now you have painted a very clear picture of your perfect apartment home. The next step is the fun part…the actual search.  While there is a ton of information out there, and many different websites to search through, the key is to search smart.

Find the Best Search Filters

Not all websites are created equal, trust us. When searching online for an apartment in Hattiesburg make sure you use a site that not only aggregates multiple listings in one location, but also provides you the most filters.

·       Price: Look for sites that allow you to search using a price range.

·       Location: Use a site that allows you to search by location in multiple ways, including by neighborhood and on a map.

·       Amenities: You’ve defined that these matter, so ensure you know that a community has them before you waste time in a visit.

·       Comparison: A comparison tool will help you take a long list, down to a manageable few options.

Site Visits

We think this is always the most fun of an apartment search. The excitement of walking through an apartment that you just know is a right fit is worth all the time in the world. Beyond the physical walkthrough, here’s some tips on what to pay attention to when conducting site visits for an apartment in Hattiesburg.

·       State of common areas: Make sure you tour all of the common areas and amenities. Are they well kept? Clean? Is the landscaping maintained? You can sure bet that if the apartment common areas aren’t being looked after, your needs won’t be either.

·       Drive around: The quality of your apartment and its complex matters, but what surrounds it does as well. Make sure when conducting site visits to take a drive around the immediate area outside of the apartment community.  Are the adjacent properties or businesses run down? Well kept? Any unsavory characters roaming around?

·       Access and Parking: Pay attention to the ease in which you access your new apartment. If there is security, is it efficient and working properly? Is the community off or nearby major streets or highways? If you don’t have assigned parking, do you see lots of open spaces?

Step 3: Do All Your Apartment Research Before You Sign

Now that you have defined your needs, filtered your search, conducted your site visits and picked the best apartment in Hattiesburg for your needs, it’s time to sign the lease. In order to ensure you aren’t locked into an unhappy or cumbersome situation, get these questions about the property answered before signing on that dotted line. Trust us, you will be glad you did.

·       How do I make my rent payments? To avoid late penalties you will want to ensure that you find an apartment community that uses an online tenant portal allowing for online and automatic/recurring rent payments.

·       How do I get issues fixed if I have a maintenance request? Sure as the sun will rise, you will have maintenance needs at your new apartment. Get a thorough understanding of what is covered and the process for not only filing requests, but also how those requests are handled.

A One-Stop-Shop for Finding an Apartment in Hattiesburg

Your time is precious, and rather than hopping site to site to find that perfect apartment in Hattiesburg, get all the options and information you need in one place: ApartmentHattiesburg.com. Aggregating apartment options from all over the web, and allowing search-filtering options not found on other sites, ApartmentHattiesburg.com is your one-stop-shop for locating the best apartment to fit your needs. Visit today and happy hunting!