Apartment Blog

When you are searching for an apartment for rent, what are some key things on your ‘list’? Bet you definitely look for the following five apartment amenities while you’re searching.

1.      Pool. This is obviously going to be a perk that everyone desires. Just imagine the long, hot summer days when you get to hop into your apartment community pool for relaxation.

2.      Exercise Facilities- State of the art fitness centers with spa facilities and personal trainers are highly desirable. Just think of all the time & money saved from going to the gym!

3.      Washer/Dryer and newer appliances. Who wants to carry around clothes to laundry facilities? No one. Having a washer/dryer inside the unit is highly desired. As is having newer appliances in the kitchen, as that is one of the main rooms prospective renters are attracted to.

4.      Security Features-Having a security system inside the apartment is a terrific feature and so is a gated community. Prospective renters will really feel safe and comfortable.

5.      Pet Friendly Apartment/community. As we’ve mentioned in a recent blog, ForRent.com Wants to Help You find A Pet-Friendly Apartment, we understand that your pet is a part of your family; therefore, finding an apartment and community that is pet-friendly ranks high on your list.  And depending on the family, an extremely pet-friendly community (one that goes above and beyond for pets) will really be set a part in your mind.

On ForRent.com, when you go to do a search for apartments for rent in your area we highlight popular amenities right on the search results page (see screenshot). As you can see, just from the search results page, you are able to see if an apartment is pet-friendly, in a great location (close to the beach), has a washer/dryer included or has utilities paid for (which is also a highly desirable amenity).

But we want to hear from you! If you aren’t looking for the amenities mentioned above in your apartment search process, let us know what you are looking for!

Valentine’s Day can be one of the most stressful holidays of the year. It’s marked as the day to express your love for those you care about most. However, there are so many questions as to what to buy, what he/she will think of it and whether or not it’s appropriate.  We’ve all gotten bad gifts on Valentine’s Day so to help you on your hunting expedition here are a few items NOT to get your Valentine this year!

For Him:

Anything he has to take care of. I.e. Flowers, a plant, an animal, etc.

Boxer shorts. Now I am guilty of this one, I’ve bought my boyfriend boxers many times before. I guess there really isn’t anything too exciting about opening up a gift with those bad boys inside!

Any type of soap, lotion, etc. He won’t be excited

For Her:

Anything that even remotely implies that her body has imperfections. I.e. gym memberships, Botox, diet plan subscriptions, self help books and the like.

Any type of appliance.  Just because she says, ‘I need a new….’ does not mean you should be the one to buy it for her! Trust me!

Any type of candles. Candles are boring and come on; everyone knows that you give candles when you can’t think of a gift.

Anything from the gas station on the way over. Cute flowers with the price sticker on it and a cheap box of chocolate screams ‘last minute’ which shows you didn’t really put much thought into it!

And the worst possible gift would be…….Nothing at ALL! Come on guys, even a card has to be done on this day! (Even if she says she wants to ‘skip’ Valentine’s Day, you know she doesn’t really mean it)

If you’ve got a story to tell with the worse Valentine’s Day present, feel free to share here….

You may have read as part of our ‘10 New Year’s Resolutions for Renters’ that getting fit was number five on our list. But what you may not know is the best way to do that. When most people think about getting fit, they think they need a gym membership. The problem here is that most renters aren’t familiar with the fabulous amenities they have within their own apartment community! So we’re here to tell you five reasons you should utilize your apartment community’s fitness center.

1. Location! Can you imagine a closer facility to work out in? Just a few streets down you’ll be at your gym. I will walk to my fitness center in the morning; it’s much shorter than having to start my car and fight traffic lights to go anywhere else! (Which considering I get up in the morning to work out, saves me precious minutes to sleep in!)

2. Sheer Convenience! Most fitness centers have better hours than typical gyms. The fitness center in my apartment community is 24 hours! Twenty-four hours! Can you believe that? I can work-out WHENVER I want! That’s a wonderful convenience to have, especially since most people are so busy these days.

3. No additional fees! You’re already paying rent to live within the apartment community. To utilize their fitness center is FREE to you! Why pay additional money to exercise, when most fitness centers have just about the same machines as gyms? Granted they may be a bit older, and there may only be one piece of each type of equipment, but remember, you’re not fighting as many people to work out there! And it’s FREE!

4. Privacy. When I went to the gym, I would NEVER be the only one there working out. There would always be 5-10 people beside me. Now if exercising with privacy is appealing to you, then the fitness center may be the best way to go. You’ll have to find a routine where most people don’t typically go (for my fitness center its right about 6:00-6:30 am-before work) and you’ll have as much privacy as you can ask for. Turn the TV to whatever channel you want. And you can have the freedom of exercising without any judgment from someone else!

5. And finally, BECAUSE YOU CAN! As you start searching for apartments to rent, you narrow them down based on a list, such as: location, price, amenities, etc. So, since you’ve picked this apartment to rent, the bigger question is why not work out there? If one of your New Year’s Resolutions really is to get in better shape and you want to save a little bit of $$, then BECAUSE YOU CAN, I say work out there!

We hope these reasons provide you with enough motivation to go and use the facility you have available. Whatever way you choose to accomplish your New Year’s Resolutions, we’re ecstatic! Here’s to a healthy 2009!