| Apartment Hunting... A Lot Like Online Dating? Hmmm...
Posted: 6/2/2008 8:50:19 PM | I did a search on apartments, but nothing came up that addresses this in particular.
A thought went thru my head in the past week and a half or so - been in the same place 15 years, found out I have to be somewhere else by August 1st. So....ok.
I go online, compare prices with what I get...try to find something I can live with, even like that won't kill my budget. I look at pictures that clearly try and show the apartments in their best light, along with descriptions that play up the perks and gloss over the missing items. I also read ads with no pics, and/or not much of a description and it makes me leary of contacting because I have nothing to go on...
I try and check constantly so that if a property gets listed I have interest in, I get to view it before anyone else...
When I finally find something I want to look at from a sea of countless ads, I am excited but on my guard. I like the pics but suspect I will get there and be dissapointed, but I know if I don't look I won't make progess. Ultimately I know regardless of price or amenities, I will walk into a place and just know it's what I want....but I'm not sure when it will happen, and because it hasn't I fear it may never happen. So on the ride to the property, I'm thinking...is this the one?
How parallel is this with the online dating experience? Unless I was in this situation it would never have dawned on me....seems uncanny. Thoughts? | |
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| Apartment Hunting... A Lot Like Online Dating? Hmmm...
Posted: 6/3/2008 4:53:06 AM | | Ok...it's possible that I could be the only one making that connection. True, I've been stressed and busy, and I posted this real late last night, so maybe it's just me. It's possible that I am close to 40 and cracking up... | |
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| Apartment Hunting... A Lot Like Online Dating? Hmmm...
Posted: 6/3/2008 5:56:09 AM | Well my advice is to flush the stool over and over and make sure the stool(s) flush properly. Turn the shower on and fill tub up and then let the water out an see if it drains properly. Make sure the plumbing is all good. Nothing more messed up than an appartment/house with crappy drainage and no water pressure and then the stool not flushing properly. Make sure all the light switches work. Maybe even turn the furnace and AC on. The people showing it might think your nutts but just remember.. your the one thats got to live there if you select their appartment.Also find out what your average utility bills are per month.
Don't go with the first one you like.You might run acrost a better one later.
Gish I hate relocating don't you?
Good luck | |
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| Apartment Hunting... A Lot Like Online Dating? Hmmm...
Posted: 6/3/2008 6:04:15 AM | | Oh almost forgot. The people showing you the appartment might pick the time to show the appartment to where the loud noisy neighbors are at work. They might be taking you there at the perfect time for you not to hear noisy neighbors. You might want to check them out twice at different times during the day. Would be terrible to rent a place ,sign a 6 month lease and then move in and find out you have some really noisy and disrespectful neighbors. Then you can't sleep and then you start getting bags under your eye's :excited: | |
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| Apartment Hunting... A Lot Like Online Dating? Hmmm...
Posted: 6/3/2008 6:38:08 AM | It's easier to househunt ( to buy) or apt hunt ( to rent) than finding a suitable match for a relationship off the internet.
The reason for this is that there are laws to protect you from false info ( more so when buying than renting) so you can avoid a lemon. Info is upfront and you can see it, its factual and has contracts, legally binding...
also they can't advertise too far off the reality of things because you have inspectors, appraisers, realtors and a host of others you can hire to assess the property when buying. It is a tangible thing your seeing...
like room size, location, condition of roof, flooring, countertops, etc...
Online dating and finding a relationship that is meaningful with someone who is worthwhile .... is far, far harder than finding a place to live !!! | |
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| Apartment Hunting... A Lot Like Online Dating? Hmmm...
Posted: 6/3/2008 7:04:14 AM | Guy4theforums - not to worry, I am totally paranoid and cynical when it comes to apartments (well people own em and rent em out - and it's people I don't trust), so I turn everything on, and I look in every door. I'll run the water and flush the toilets tho now too, if nothing else it'll be fun to watch the facial expressions.
No matter what I plan to make the same "eh" face when I look at everything. Same as at the auto dealership.
Most of these are high end complex buildings, so the utilities are included (at least the heat/hot water are). I refuse to rent any third floor slanted ceiling attic apartment from a homeowner. Been there, done that. Now I want security, all new appliances and bathroom fixtures, carpeting, ceiling fans and freshly tiled floors. Might as well MOVE if I'm gonna MOVE.
Hopefully I won't have to go far - RI is small, so at least when moving it's not a huge hike... | |
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| Apartment Hunting... A Lot Like Online Dating? Hmmm...
Posted: 6/3/2008 11:46:01 AM | Not sure if this helps. I used rent.com when I moved from a house to an apartment. To learn the new area before buying another house.
Like you I was picky where I lived. Didn't want to live in a dumpy place. And pictures never do it justice. A few places looked nice from the pics, but once you walked through the door(whoa the smell). Uh! NO! This won't work! After going from dump to dump, I realized I will probably need somewhere new. I ended up moving into a very nice brand new apartment complex. Stayed six months & now I'm in a new house.
If I turned this into a metaphor for dating. I guess I would have needed a new model (18 year old). LOL
Good luck with your search,
Sean | |
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| Apartment Hunting... A Lot Like Online Dating? Hmmm...
Posted: 6/3/2008 2:05:14 PM |
Oh almost forgot. The people showing you the appartment might pick the time to show the appartment to where the loud noisy neighbors are at work.
I work bankers hours and run the office, so I specifically request hours outside that...however, if it's quiet during the day, I find it's better. If you look at a place in the middle of the day and everyone's home - you're dealing with section 8 most of the time. Not against that, but not seeking it out either. I don't have kids for a reason, don't need to deal with a lot of em where I live...that would be irony.
It's easier to househunt ( to buy) or apt hunt ( to rent) than finding a suitable match for a relationship off the internet.
That's true - at least once you view a place, that's it - you won't find out something about it 6 months after you move in that's a dealbreaker when there's so many ways to avoid it...
Not sure if this helps. I used rent.com when I moved from a house to an apartment. To learn the new area before buying another house.
I am using similar sites...some are more localized - luckily I am not moving to any areas I don't know...RI is pretty small, and I've either lived or worked in most of it in the last almost 30 years or so.
I ended up moving into a very nice brand new apartment complex.
That's my plan until I get my business up and running full time (again) and can get into a condo - hopefully nowhere near New England - seen enough of it. | |
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| Apartment Hunting... A Lot Like Online Dating? Hmmm...
Posted: 6/3/2008 2:49:51 PM |
How parallel is this with the online dating experience?
There are some similarities.
I am currently looking for a place to purchase in another area. I browse online and look at the pics and read the description. It sounds like a persons profile.
There are must haves as well as things I will not accept in a place. I have my preferences too. | |
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| Apartment Hunting... A Lot Like Online Dating? Hmmm...
Posted: 6/3/2008 6:46:26 PM | Looks like I found my place...and just as I thought - I knew it when I walked in. Actually I've had my eye on this place long before I knew it had vacancies, and they placed an ad within a week of that. The realtor and I have cell phone numbers that are the same with one digit different, and the place is literally 3 minutes from where I work. It's not even cleaned and turned over, but I loved it right away. When you're figuring in your head where you're gonna put everything when you're just viewing the place, I guess it's pretty much the right place.
I feel the same about dating, I'll know what I want when I see it...all else is going thru the motions, but if you hope to someday find someone and you don't, you can't be there when something clicks, no? Then again there's something to be said about having patience, making sure you're aware of and seeing anything but not taking the process too seriously. | |
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| Apartment Hunting... A Lot Like Online Dating? Hmmm...
Posted: 9/29/2009 10:32:09 AM | Funny, looking back on this post from well over a year ago - I still really love where I live. and I am settled in and feel it's now part of me, so to speak, and vice versa.
Course I moved here and loved that it was close to my job, then the job went - but overall it's still something I am happy I did.
Just like a relationship there are things I had to get used to and things I just liked from day one, but overall I accept what comes with it because it's just a good fit.
*shrug* | |
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| Apartment Hunting... A Lot Like Online Dating? Hmmm...
Posted: 10/14/2009 7:37:09 AM | | And at least in dating.....you can [usually]get away with just one day/night of contact and go about your merry way......Most leases are minimum at a month......can be a year.....and being stuck is a matter of course.....don't sign if you're not completely happy....because you can't [generally] just walk away without some financial loss. | |
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| Apartment Hunting... A Lot Like Online Dating? Hmmm...
Posted: 10/14/2009 12:21:05 PM | Well this might sound creepy since you are a single gal...but it worked for my tenant.
he posted an ad on Craigs List: Single Dad Needs Home.
it might be a good way for a predator to find single gals...but then again it might be an easier route for a family or a nice safe sane person to find a nice tenant.
He is working out far better than the psycho single dude who moved in with his son and his one nighters.
Ya.. my tenant has two teens and his ad was simple...to the point as to where he wanted to live...neighbourhood wise... he was specific because the kids were in school...his current place was being demolished to make way for a few hundred units of upscale apt.
so... you might want to place an ad... be specific.. laundry, transit close by.. parks... shopping... and what price range, does it include utilities or not.... pets... etc.
good luck. | |
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