How to find an apartment in Virginia with your significant other

Moving with your significant other is a huge step. In order to fully enjoy your life together, you should find an apartment for yourselves. However, apartment hunting can be a long and tiring process. For this reason, you should take a serious approach. It is easier to hire Virginia local movers than to find an apartment in Virginia. For this reason, here is a guide for you and your partner to follow. This way, you will avoid making the most common issues when moving in with your significant other. 

Talk about your needs and wants  

When you need to find an apartment in Virginia, you have to talk about your wishes first. For this reason, before you start looking at apartments’ listing, sit down and have a conversation. Decide on the size, number of rooms, location, rent range, and similar. Then, decide if you will hire an apartment broker or if you will look on your own. In addition to this, be prepared to compromise. It would be amazing if you can find an apartment that fits your criteria. However, most of the time, this does not happen. That is why you should be open when discussing apartments and requirements. This is especially important when you go to visit apartments. Do not hide your feelings, but rather, be honest about the things you do not find suitable. There is no point in hiding your feelings as you will have to live there. 

Find an apartment in Virginia – location  

You probably already know how important the location is. Therefore, you should look for your future home that has the following. 

• It should be close enough to your offices, so both of you do not have to spend a long-time commuting 
• Close enough to a supermarket or a grocery store 
• It would be even better if there is a park nearby 
• A great public transport hub in your neighborhood 

In addition to this, choose if you want to live in a quiet neighborhood or a more popular one. Also, take into consideration your future plans. If you plan to have a baby soon, pay attention to daycare and kindergartens. You should research the school district as well. Lastly, if you have a pet, make sure your new complex is pet friendly and if it has a freight elevator so long distance movers Virginia can use it. 

Review your credit scores and see what you can afford 

Your future landlord will ask for credit reports and background checks. In addition to this, you should also feel safe about your payments. For this reason, check your options. Discuss with your partner about rental prices to see what you can afford. You should be able to pay your rent on time. In order to avoid any future conflict, you and your partner both should discuss your plans about paying bills and rent. This is especially important if you have different jobs and salaries. If one salary is significantly lower than the other one, then make sure your relationship is not ruined by money problems. Therefore, discuss your budget. Do not forget to include moving services, packing material, and a storage unit to your budget.  

Schedule tours when both of you are free 

When you are looking for an apartment in Virginia, you have to take a look at many apartments in person. Only then you can decide whether to rent it or not. If you two have different working hours, you need to schedule your tours. It is important to visit the Open House together. Since both of you will live in that apartment, you should both see it and later discuss your options. For this reason, make notes while visiting the Open House. You will probably visit more than dozens of Open Houses. For this reason, you should make notes so you can discuss it later together. Talk about the pros and cons of each place. As mentioned, it is very unlikely you will manage to find an apartment in Virginia that suits both of your conditions. This way you can both decide together which apartment to rent. 

Find an apartment in Virginia – think about storage space 

If you currently do not live with your partner, there could be a problem. Both of you will bring a lot of items into one small apartment. For this reason, bring only the essentials. These include clothing, electronic devices, furniture, medication, work-related items, and so on. Additionally, do not forget about items for your entertaining activities. However, even bringing only the essentials can be challenging. For this reason, consider renting a storage unit if you do not have a place to keep them. Apart from this, think about renovation if it is permitted. The kitchen is the most important room in your home. This is where you will prepare your meals, eat, have your morning coffee, hang out with your friends, and so on. Lastly, make sure your bathroom is big enough and comfortable for you. You should be able to relax and reduce stress by enjoying your bath. 

Make the final decision 

Before you make the final decision, keep your emotions in check. This is especially important during the Open House. Do not be too excited as landlords can use it as an opportunity to raise the rent. In addition to this, list your three best options. As mentioned, list all the pros and cons of your top three options. Discuss with your apartment about each option. Again, be open and honest. Do not start your life together by hiding your feelings. Lastly, it is important to define who the contact person will be. It is unnecessary to give both phone numbers. It will cause misunderstandings and it will create a mess. One person should be in charge of talking with landlords and receiving offers while both of you should make the final decision.