If you’re shopping during the holidays, you’re not alone! Lots of people hit their favorite stores, boutiques, and galleries around the winter season, looking for things to give their friends and family members during one of the many festive occasions that pop up this time of year. If you’re shopping for something slightly larger, such as an apartment, though, you’re in a different boat.
Holiday Apartment Shopping
Apartment shopping during the holidays can be stressful so our MoveHub team is bringing you some of our best holiday apartment shopping tips.
While most people don’t think of it, apartment shopping over the holidays is a great way to celebrate the season, look forward to the coming year, and find a place you love at a price you can afford. With this in mind, here are a few helpful holiday apartment shopping tips to assist you in getting the job done.
Tip 1. Don’t Rush it
The holidays are crazy enough. If you try to rush your apartment shopping process, they’re only going to get more intense. With this in mind, give yourself plenty of time to find an apartment you love. If you have a goal to move in by a specific date, start shopping at least 3-4 months before that date rolls around. This provides you plenty of space to look, change your filters, buy a place, and get settled in during the holiday season. If you’re concerned you won’t have enough time to close and move during the holidays, consider looking into long-term storage services or hiring a moving company to help you get the job done.
Tip 2. Think About How Much Space You Need
Space is a critical consideration as you set out to find an apartment. As such, you’ll want to consider how much you need before you get busy shopping. Are you going to grow your family in the next few years? Maybe the kids are moving out, and you’ll only need enough room for one or two people. Maybe you want to start a home-based business and would like an extra room to use as an office. No matter what the case may be, breaking your must-haves down into a square footage measurement is a great way to ensure you wind up with a place that works well for years to come.
Tip 3. Get to Know the Location
Location is everything when it comes to your new apartment, and you should take the time to evaluate the neighborhood before you take the plunge fully. Before you purchase a unit in the area, walk the streets, talk to the neighbors, check out the local schools, and eat at a few of the local restaurants. You should also ask yourself a few tough questions to ensure this space is actually where you want to be. Is it busy or quiet enough for you and your family? Is it within walking distance of
amenities and schools? Do you like the neighbors? Is it safe and clean? If you have pets, does it provide the space they need to be happy? While asking these questions upfront can seem like a pain, it’s a great way to save yourself time and trouble down the road.
Tip 4. Amenities
Amenities make a neighborhood, and you should like the ones that are closest to you. Before you drop in and purchase an apartment, spend some time considering which amenities are close to you and the would-be unit. If the neighborhood seems excellent and you have a hard time identifying which amenities are a must-have and which you could live without, consider making a list of your top priorities and then consider whether the facilities around you help support them.
For example, maybe it’s important to you to be able to walk and get groceries, or perhaps you like being able to run through a nearby park. No matter what the case may be, ensuring the amenities around your new place are ample is a critical way to make a good purchase.
Tip 5. Renovation Potential
If you want to make future improvements to your property, consider its renovation potential now. With apartments, renovations can be tough, so it’s wise to ensure you’re purchasing something where your eventual dreams will be possible. If you can, talk to other residents and look into HOA guidelines to figure out what you will and won’t be able to do, and what you might need approval for.
Tip 6. Purge Before you Go
You’ve done all the legwork, and now it’s time to move into your new place! Before you go, though, don’t forget to do a thorough purge. Not only does purging unwanted and unneeded items make moving easier – but it also helps save you money (especially if you’re hiring a moving company) and keeps your holiday moving load as light as possible.
Never purged your belongings before? No problem! Here are some tips to help you get started:
- Go through every room item by item. As you purge your household, move through the place room by room. From there, break it down and go drawer by drawer and surface by surface. Touch every item in the room and ask yourself whether it’s in good repair if you use it and if it needs to be replaced. If the answers to these things are no, get rid of it.
- Have a yard sale. If you have lots of items to get rid of, consider holding a garage sale. Garage sales are a fantastic way to make some extra money and get rid of junk at the same time. If there are other individuals or families in your neighborhood who have items to get rid of, as well, ask them to partner up with you for a blowout, multi-family sale!
- Be ruthless. It’s easy to be sentimental about stuff. Unfortunately, this approach only leads to a cluttered home. As you declutter your space, be ruthless about what you’ll keep and what you’d like to give away. A little bit of a hard-nosed approach now leads to a more comfortable home down the road.
Do you need help getting your long-distance move on the road? If so, don’t hesitate to contact Colonial Van Lines! Dedicated to your happiness and success, our team is here to guide you through the process of moving, every step of the way!
