What can be the idea apartment for a student? First thing first is the apartment itself. The most important thing about the apartment is location. A student needs to consider the distance between the apartment and classes, the distance between the apartment and work, and the distance between the apartment and shopping/entertainment. This is more important than price. An apartment by a bus stop would be ideal. This way, transportation will be easy on the pockets. The inner city apartments are the most convenient but extra prices are expected to follow. An apartment right out of the city/metropolitan area is great. The chances of a pool being included are higher, a gym on the complex, and a Laundromat on the premises are all common on these apartments.
The next thing is what does the apartment come with? Does it come with mailboxes? Is it gated and monitored by security guards around the clock? Is their parking free? These are some of the things to consider on what will come with an apartment. A good apartment would have free utilities (with the exception of one i.e. electricity), a Laundromat, free parking (or a parking permit exclusive to the complex), a gym (or some type of membership/discounted membership to a nearby gym), a mailbox, a stove and refrigerator, and some type of student discount. The student discount isn’t totally necessary but if they do have one that hints that they do care about students and their needs.
The next thing to consider is price and who goes in the apartment. The reason why both of these matter at the same time is because of the fact that whoever lives in the apartment will pay off the expenses of the apartment. Usually an apartment will come with starter fees like this month’s and last month’s rent or some sort of down payment. So getting the apartment will cost close to $1,000. This is to be expected almost all of the time. Realistically, an apartment is not expensive. The more in an apartment the less each person has to pay for rent. 2-3 in a two bedroom apartment, 3-4 in a three bedroom apartment, and 4-5 in a studio apartment with the appropriate amount of rooms are all ideal house member limits. Of course each person needs to have a job that dishes out $200 per paycheck or more. Other than their job situation each member should have a plan to how are they going to get around and if they have any problems that follow them.
If an apartment’s rent is $500 a month each member should pay an equal amount to cover the charge. Next is the utility bill. Unless one or more member has been abusing that utility all members should pay that equally. After that are any luxury bills like phone or cable. That should be evenly paid for as well.
The last thing an ideal apartment for a student should have a phone, TVs (plural) with cable, a computer, a rainy day fund, furniture, household appliances and kitchenware, and a car. They should also have a head of the household, a co-head of the household, someone who can cook, and a know it all. The following is a scenario of the ideal apartment for a student.
I am the head of a three bedroom apartment with four of my closest friends as house members. There are three students in this apartment. I am the most versatile (and somewhat most decorated) cook of the household. We each pay off a $650 rent, a $126 electricity bill, and a $175 dollar phone/cable/internet bill. That is $237.75 from me and a $20 house donation. This wouldn’t be a problem since I am a bartender so I bring in $300 a week. My friends rough around the same income. The apartment has room for us all. It already comes with a stove and refrigerator. We have bought a couch and a 20″ flat screen and a small yet effective media center for our living area; a toaster, microwave, and espresso/coffee maker for our kitchen; and we have each bought whatever goes in our sleeping quarters. There are three vehicles to this apartment. One of them is the most reliable out of the three. We each have full access to a gym and pool, a mailbox, free parking, and access to the Laundromat but we go to the Laundromat down the street because it is cheaper but only if we have the time. To achieve all of this took us a years’ worth of planning and a good deal of money to front, especially on my part since I had to move from another state.
This scenario is just example of what a group of individuals will expect. This article is not exactly a guide but more of a list of what to expect when obtaining the ideal apartment for a student.
