The search for an apartment is an exhausting process. Even though you have very clear criteria in your mind, you will still find it difficult to find the apartment of your dreams. Either you want to rent or buy it, the decision doesn’t always come easy.
When you move to a new apartment, you want to feel like home and have the feeling that you made the right decision. Thus, apart from the comfort and safety criteria, another important aspect you take into consideration is money. When it comes to renting or buying price, there are several factors which influence the total cost. Keep reading this article and discover what is the best time of the year to start your apartment search.
What is the Best Time to Start Your Apartment Search?
Best Day of the Week
If you want to choose the best of the best, then you should start searching for an apartment in the first days of the month. There are many leasing contracts which expire at the end of the month which means that they will be free starting with the 1st of the month. Therefore, you will have the opportunity to choose the best places and be among the first ones who get the chance to see the apartment as soon as it gets free. On the other hand, if you are looking for a bargain, then you should start your hunt at the end of the month.
As we already mentioned, there are many contracts which end between the 25th and the end of the month. Therefore, if they didn’t close a new leasing agreement yet, landlords will be more open to cut prices and prevent any income loss. So, you will be in an advantageous position and can exploit this opportunity to obtain the price you want. You should also pay attention to the first-time landlords. Their lack of experience can be a deal breaker most of the times. Thus, if you want a fast deal and with a competitive price, then you should be careful when negotiating with this category of landlords.
Best Time of the Day: Mornings
A lot of brokers and landlords feel energized and inspired during mornings. Therefore, they will most likely start their day by posting the ad for their apartments. So, you should do the same and pay attention to renting websites and hunt the best opportunities. You can start searching for apartments around 9 to 10 am and browse until you find the best match. If you do this exercise in the morning, you will have more patience and don’t get discouraged too soon if you don’t find what you want very fast. When you look for an apartment in the afternoon, the fatigue will make you give up easily and get easily frustrated. In addition, once you’ve seen an apartment that you like, you should call the broker or landlord and schedule a meeting asap. Keep in mind that you are not the only who is looking for an apartment. Thus, if you don’t take advantage of the opportunity and act fast, you risk to lose it and will have to start the search all over again.
The best periods to search for an apartment are during winter and holiday season. Moreover, you will increase your chances to find a great deal if you look into markets where the supply is greater than the demand. Take a look at the neighborhoods where there is a high vacancy rate. However, you should also pay attention to construction materials and check all the papers in detail. Even though the price is excellent, an apartment can have many hidden flaws which might become a deal breaker for you.
Best Month of the Year
There are several periods of the year when you can find a great deal for the apartment of your dreams. You can find reduced prices during the period May – September. This is the period when most of the students go into holiday or graduate. Therefore, the demand on the market is lower and this triggers a decrease in rental prices. What is more, considering that they might stay for a couple of months with their apartments empty, landlords are more open for negotiation. In addition, as there is an increased turnover during this period, you will have a wider portfolio to choose from. Thus, the chances to find the apartment you will call “home” will increase.
On the other hand, if you are looking to save money, then you can also search for an apartment during October – April. Even though the offer is not so generous, you can have serious savings if you find an apartment during these months. This is a period when most landlords will be open to cut prices to rent or sell their apartments as there are not so many clients interested in real estate investments. When you look for an apartment, you should pay attention to the apartment description. In general, landlords use writing tools like RatedByStudents to make their description more convincing and attract customers.
About the Author: Daniela McVicker is an experienced freelance writer with a wide portfolio of articles written on various domains. She works as an editor at Top Writers Review. Her expertise in real estate is highly appreciated, this domain being one of the first which made her famous as a freelance writer. In addition, Daniela’s writing is clear and comprehensive, which helped her gain the respect of her readers and colleagues.