Chicago Apartment Guide

You’ve decided to move to Chicago or find a new apartment within the city. Chicago is a great city that offers a vast variety in apartment styles and locations. Whether you are looking for a historic bungalow or a state-of-the-art rental apartment building, Chicago offers housing options for residents of all interests and backgrounds. While offering a variety of choices, finding an apartment in Chicago can still be a competitive and considerable process. It is important to know what you want, what you need, and what you can afford before starting your apartment hunt.

What To Consider When Finding Apartments For Rent In Chicago

When looking for an apartment in Chicago there are a few things to consider. Knowing the answers to these following questions can really help streamline your search process. By having a clearer idea of what you want you can start limiting options down to exactly what you want. By providing SRE Holdings with these answers we can help provide you with the right apartment for you with minimal time spent looking at incompatible properties.

How Much Will It Cost?

Price is often the first thing we think about when making any big purchase and apartments are no different. Knowing what your budget is and what you are willing to spend is a great way to immediately focus your search.

There are a lot of factors that determine rent prices in Chicago, many of which take into account the questions asked further on in this article. For being the third most populated city in the United States, Chicago rarely makes it into the top ten most expensive cities in the United States. While you can still find high price apartments all across the city, SRE Holdings likes to maintain this reputation by offering its clients with the best deals for them.

What Amenities Are Included?

Amenities can be a vast variable when it comes to calculating the overall cost of an apartment. Utilities can often be overlooked when considering the cost of an apartment. Some properties may include utilities, some may not; some may even be a mix. It is important to know up front what you are getting in the base price and what you may be paying for additionally.

Other amenities, such as in-unit laundry or an on-site fitness facility, are also important to consider when choosing an apartment. These additions may hold different emphasis depending on the individual so know what exactly it is you value in your daily routine. 

The auxiliary expenses of amenities often go unnoticed and are important when calculating your overall living costs. An on-site fitness facility could replace the cost of a gym membership and in-unit laundry replaces the cost of using a laundromat. There is also the opportunity cost to consider when evaluating these amenities. How much value do these on location amenities offer to you instead of having to go somewhere else on a regular basis?

Where Is It Located?

Chicago is home to 77 distinct neighborhoods, each offering their own unique experiences and lifestyles. Knowing what you need and which is right for you is the next most important factor in choosing an apartment. Maybe you already have a destination picked out and you are determined to find an apartment there. Maybe you are new to the city and aren’t sure which place is right for you. Knowing where in Chicago is best for you is crucial to finding your right apartment. Chicago offers so many things to do and places to see that it can often be overlooked or unappreciated if not properly considered.

Once again it is important to consider your lifestyle. Are you an athletic person who enjoys daily runs or bike rides? Living near the lakefront or the 606 trail may make a big difference for you. What if you like going out to nice bars and restaurants? Living within walking distance to a variety of evening entertainment could be your driving desire. 

Often we determine our apartment location by where we work. Working near, or within easy access of, our residence can be the biggest factor in choosing an apartment. Chicago’s vast public transit system can offer you a wide variety of options depending on your ideal length of commute.

Are You Living Alone or With Others?

While living alone may be optimal for some, it is often necessary to split rent costs among roommates. This may mean getting a bigger apartment than is necessary for just one inhabitant. that being said, it is often more economical to share the cost across one or more roommates. 

Maybe you are living with your significant other or your children. It is important to consider their needs as well. Finding a place that both you and your partner enjoy and find value in can be difficult but is necessary to maintaining your mutual happiness. If you have a child, you will also want to consider factors such as schools and parks within the vicinity of the property.

Do You Have Pets?

A big question when finding an apartment is if it is pet friendly? Often, many apartments do not allow pets. While this can be discouraging, it can also help in narrowing down acceptable properties for you to rent. Chicago is also home to many pet stores and facilities, such as dog parks, this can be a determining factor in choosing the right apartment for you.

Do You Have A Car?

A car can be a blessing and a curse when living in a city. Chicago is no different. Depending on the area of the city in which you choose to live and the amenities of the individual apartment, having a car can make a big difference. In some neighborhoods parking can be a scarce resource. Moving to a highly populated neighborhood can leave you with few options and often paying a higher price to park. It is important to consider if parking or a garage is offered for the apartment. In some lesser populated neighborhoods parking can be less of an issue. In these cases you might only need permit parking or even have free street parking available.  

Finding The Best Apartments In Chicago

Now that you have begun to consider some of these determining factors it’s time to find the best apartment for you. Know what you value most in an apartment and see what SRE Holdings, LLC has to offer.