With people moving to metros in search of jobs, opportunities and dreams, real estate seems to be an ever-booming market in the big cities. With apartments and houses coming up even in the tiniest patches of free land available, finding a house is a very confusing task these days. If you are someone who is on the lookout for a home for yourself, here are some things you need to keep in mind before renting an apartment.
Today, for most of us, a home is not simply a place of shelter, it is our retreat from the outside world, our safe haven and a place we can unwind after a hard day’s work. This is probably why a lot of thought is put into picking a home.
So how do you choose that ideal home? Here’s a list which should help you choose!
Table of Contents
Analyze Your Needs
This is where all the mental hard work is required. Before you even begin hunting for an apartment, make a list of your requirements. Here are few important ones which should make your list:
1. Location
This is not a mere “where would you like to stay” question. The location of your house decides a lot of things. Local people, connectivity to other parts of the city, pollution levels, the crime rate in the neighborhood are all factors that you should do ample research about. The two main factors that decide the location are as follows-
- Proximity to work
If you are ok with spending several hours a day commuting to work, this shouldn’t be your concern. For others, especially the ones staying with families, it is always better to be close to your home. That way, should there ever be the need for you to rush home, you will be able to do that effectively.
Unless you have some other dependency, try to pick a house within a 5 km radius of your house. If that fails, find a place of work within a 5 km radius of your home 🙂
- Facilities In The Neighborhood
Schools, hospitals, shopping malls, bus stops etc should be easily accessible from where you stay. Especially if you have kids. Most gated communities will have a grocery shop right inside the complex. If there’s one in the spot you’re looking, great! If not, find one that is close to big shops. Another factor to pay attention to is the ambiance of the locality at night. A completely deserted atmosphere at night or even an overly crowded one could be bad. Single ladies should definitely visit the place at least once at night to make sure there are enough people around even after sunset.
2. Budget
Decide on the cap for the amount you are willing to shell out as monthly rent. Also, decide on your budget for paying the security deposit. There is a good chance that houses near your place of work will be a bit on the expensive side. But keep in mind that you will spend way more in commute so it might make sense to pay a little extra to be closer to work.
3. Features Of The House
A good, well ventilated and well-lit house is everyone’s dream. But that is not all. The home you pick should have enough room for everyone to stay and enough place for all your stuff. Apart from the said things, walk around the house and look for the following
- Enough plug points in each room
- Healthy coat of paint (if not ask for one)
- Outlets for washing machine
- Place for clothes to dry
- Power backup
- Well equipped bathrooms and kitchen
- Enough cupboards and storage space
- Car parking space
- Enough natural light during daytime
You may also ask the landlord if he plans to provide any furniture and other articles along with the house. Speak to the next door neighbors and find out about the steadiness of water and power supply and other worries, should you have any.
4. Rental Agreement
This is one document that is very vital in any tenancy. If your landlord refuses to enter into an agreement with you, leave the place. You are not safe without this document in place. Before you draw up the agreement, discuss the following with the landlord
- Monthly rent, maintenance and the annual increment for the same
- Who pays the utility bills
- Recovery method in case there is a damage due to natural disaster
- Who is in charge of repairs
- Duration of notice period
Anything else of relevance to you both must be spelled out in the contract. It may also be a good idea to hint to the landlord that he/she will be liable to pay for repairs that happen within a month of the tenant moving in.
5. Amenities In The Apartment
Gated societies usually have a clubhouse with a gym, gaming facility and sometimes multiple swimming pools. And also ample secure space for kids to play around. This is probably why they might be a little pricier than normal residential buildings. But it is always better to opt for such a gated community if you have the budget.
With crimes on the rise and the cities becoming more polluted with each passing day, gated communities offer some relief with their landscapes, amenities and safety measures in place.
Picking “The One”
Once you decide on a house, you’re stuck for some amount of time. Of course, you can move out, but it is expensive and not to mention the inconvenience involved.
If you do not have the time to walk around and hunt houses, hire an agent. They’ll charge you an entire month’s worth of rent, but it will save you lot of hassles.
If you do find a society using ADDA and/or ADDA GateKeeper you can safely assume that this is a well-maintained place, with convenient processes and proper safety processes. You can give quite a few extra points in your evaluation sheet to such apartment complexes!
So, good luck with house hunting. Do come back to us if you need help with something. Cheers!
Authored By: Ambili Mukundan
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