You are probably trying to find a great apartment community to call home. But before you find the best apartment community, you need to consider what makes a specific apartment community a great place to live. While everyone’s definition will be different, check out these considerations to help guide your decision.

Location, Location, Location!

Location is one of the most important aspects of any apartment community. The location of your apartment community will have a huge impact on your life. You should determine where you want to live and then find the apartment community you want to live in. Some things to consider when it comes to location include whether you want to live next to work or school, and what local businesses and community spaces are located near the apartment. The other thing to consider is that you don’t want to live in an area with a high crime rate. While no area is going to be immune to crime, some neighborhoods tend to be safer than others; most apartment communities are located in generally safe and low-crime areas.

Is the Building Well-Made?

The apartment community you choose to live in should be well built. You don’t have to be an architect or a construction worker to determine if the building is made well. Consider the following ways to tell if the apartment building is made well:

• Does the exterior look good? It should be appealing to the eyes and not have any noticeable damage.
• Is the sound dampened? Look for concrete floors and ceilings to help determine this as well as read online reviews from past tenants.
• Does the apartment feature large windows for good natural light?
• Are the interior doors solid? This also matters for the doors inside of your apartment, especially if you will be living with another person.
• Does the apartment building include basic safety features such as well-lit common areas and controlled entry? We will discuss this more in a bit.

Is The Community Maintained Well?

Any good apartment community is going to be well-maintained. There are some obvious things to look out for when determining if a community is properly cared for:

• Are common areas such as the lobby kept clean?
• Is the landscaping maintained and looking good?
• Are there potholes or very large cracks throughout the parking lot?
• Is the dumpster area well-kept? Yes, it is a dumpster area, but it should not have a lot of junk surrounding it.

Clean And Sufficient Interior Spaces

The interior of the apartment community matters just as much—if not more—than the exterior. Look for these things when you tour the inside of a community:

• Are hallways clean and well-lit?
• Is the paint on the walls in good condition?
• What is the quality of the common area’s furniture?
• Is the apartment cleaned and ready to be moved into?
• Does the apartment have ample natural light?

Responsive And Caring Management

Good management is key to having a good experience when you live in a particular community. The management should promptly respond to all maintenance requests, be easily reachable, and care for the apartment community and the tenants. You can likely determine these things by reading online reviews about your apartment community and others managed by the same company.

Amenities

Any great apartment community will come full of community and individual amenities for residents to enjoy. The amenities you consider necessary, or the best will be different from one person to the next, but common apartment community amenities include some of the following:

• Club / Community Room
• Fitness Center
• Outdoor Areas
• On-Site Washer and Dryer
• Heated Covered Parking
• Balcony or Patio

Security Measures

While apartment communities are generally located in good areas, no place is going to be entirely free of crime. It is important that the apartment community has taken some measures to promote the safety of residents. Taking security seriously is one thing that any good apartment community needs to do. When you are looking for the best apartment, consider inquiring about the following things:

• Are there security cameras throughout the property?
• Does the building have controlled access? This means that the property can only be accessed by staff and residents, as well as people that residents invite in.
• Do the individual apartments have functional and strong locks?
• Is the parking area well-lit?

Is The Apartment Affordable?

When it comes to apartments, generally speaking, you get what you pay for. Usually, higher-priced apartments come with more features and benefits for the resident. A higher price does not always mean that an apartment is a bad deal or unaffordable; it just means you are getting more apartment and more amenities and likely in a better location.

A Functional Website And Good Online Presence

An apartment’s website should be functional and easy to use; as a resident, you will likely use the website to pay rent and submit maintenance requests as well as learn about the community and any upcoming announcements or events.

A good online presence will also help you determine if the owners and property managers care about the community and people’s experiences while living there. One easy way to check up on the online presence of a community is by reading their reviews. If they respond to every review—good or bad—it shows they care about their residents and creating the best experience possible.

Discover The Best Apartments

These considerations should help you find the best apartment during your apartment search. Finding apartments can be hard, but with tools like apartment listing sites and the internet, you should be able to get an idea of what’s out there.