{"id":7066,"date":"2016-06-12T14:56:58","date_gmt":"2016-06-12T19:56:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.abodo.com\/blog\/?p=7066"},"modified":"2017-03-31T15:15:35","modified_gmt":"2017-03-31T20:15:35","slug":"top-10-mistakes-to-avoid-when-searching-for-cheap-apartments-in-columbus-oh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rentable.co\/blog\/top-10-mistakes-to-avoid-when-searching-for-cheap-apartments-in-columbus-oh\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Searching for Cheap Apartments in Columbus, OH"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apartment hunting in a college town can be a real drag. Demand is high, so places go quick. Figuring out the roommate situation adds stress to your social life. And on top of that, you have your grades to worry about. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to just throw up your hands and resign yourself to life in an overpriced, overcrowded hovel with people you dislike \u2014 or to just move into the dorms (shudder). But it doesn\u2019t have to be that way. Here are the 10 most common mistakes people make when looking for a new apartment. Avoid them, and you\u2019ll be fine.<\/p>\n

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  1. Not seeing your new place in person<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    It\u2019s like Tinder: Pictures may be worth a thousand words, but they can also be deceptive.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Not considering the time of year when you go on the hunt<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Pro tip: winter = less competition, especially in Ohio. Spring and summer are when everyone else is looking.<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Being rigid about location<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Sure, Short North is the place to be, but there could be much better deals in a less popular or trendy area. March to the beat of your own drummer. Make your neighborhood cool.<\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Not being flexible when it comes to roommates<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Insider tip: adding a roommate can significantly lower your monthly cost. Your roommate\u2019s dirty socks might not smell good draped over the radiator, but the money you\u2019ll save sure does.<\/span><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Believing in the model<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            The model apartment could be a lot nicer than the apartment that\u2019s available, so always, always, <\/span>always<\/span> ask to tour the apartment that you\u2019d actually be moving into.<\/span><\/p>\n

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            1. Not trying to negotiate<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              The worst they can do is say no. Some things to haggle over: lower monthly rent, pet fees (which can be exorbitant), parking fees, utilities.<\/span><\/p>\n

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              1. Not reading reviews before signing on the dotted line<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                Your apartment could look great, but there are a lot of things you can\u2019t see on a tour. Is there a rodent problem? Does the roof leak? Is management quick to respond to complaints? These issues usually come up in online reviews. Take them with a grain of salt, but do read them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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                1. Not reading your lease<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  Basic, basic, basic. If you don\u2019t read the fine print, how will you know that you\u2019re not allowed to use a hair dryer? Or babysit your friend\u2019s Rottweiler? Don\u2019t get evicted over something stupid. <\/span><\/p>\n

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                  1. Not meeting your neighbors ahead of time<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    You\u2019re going to be living, eating, and…ahem, sleeping across a wall from these people for the foreseeable future. It\u2019s always good to know if they\u2019re insane or not. Even if they aren\u2019t, why not lay the groundwork for cordial relations early? <\/span><\/p>\n

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                    1. Signing a lease just because you get competitive<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                      Tours can be stressful, especially if there are other potential renters on them with you. Sometimes you might feel peer pressure \u2014 or panic \u2014 when you look at that crowd of eager apartment hunters. But don\u2019t just fill out an application or sign a lease because you want to beat them. It\u2019s not a race \u2014 it\u2019s your (future) home. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                      Apartment hunting in a college town can be a real drag. Demand is high, so places go quick. Figuring out the roommate situation adds stress to your social life. And on top of that, you … <\/p>\n

                      Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[149],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rentable.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7066"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rentable.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rentable.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentable.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentable.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7066"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentable.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7066\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7075,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentable.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7066\/revisions\/7075"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rentable.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentable.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentable.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}