Red Oak’s Apartment Hunting Checklist
Whether you’re relocating to New Hampshire from out-of-state, moving out on your own for the first time, or simply looking for a new place to call home, you’ll want to be sure to research and plan your move long before the day you need to start packing boxes. We like checklists. They help us stay organized and complete tasks on time. Feel free to use the Red Oak Apartment Hunting Checklist to help you accomplish your goals!
To help you along on the process of finding and moving into your new apartment in New Hampshire, we’ve created a must-do list for you.
List your Apartment Must Have’s
__________ Number of bedrooms
__________ Number of bathrooms
__________ Proximity to public transportation or commuter highways
__________ Cat or dog friendly
__________ Other
Using this apartment hunting checklist, once you’ve identified the features you can’t live without, you can start narrowing down your search.
List your Apartment’s Nice to Have’s
Nice to haves are those amenities at the apartment community that would be great to have, but may not be necessary. Here’s a starter list. What else would be on your list?
__________ Fitness Center
__________ Pool / Patio
__________ Playground
__________ Dog Park
__________ On-site leasing office
__________ In home laundry
__________ Utilities included
__________ Other
Determine Your Apartment Monthly Budget
According to recent figures, many experts agree that your total housing payment should be no more than 1/3 of your monthly gross income. If the rest of your budget is in balance, this should allow you to cover all monthly expenses easily, and still have funds left over for saving or investing. If you plan to have a roommate, be sure to take their portion of the rent and utilities into account when factoring your budget.
__________ Monthly rental budget
Check out the Neighborhoods
Now we come to the fun part of the apartment hunting checklist – deciding on the region and neighborhood you’d like to start calling home. As much of this will be determined by proximity to your job and means of transportation, it may be best to conduct a search on Google maps to get a feel for the cities and towns in the area along the way. One of the best things about New Hampshire is that each region of the state offers a very different lifestyle than the rest. We’ve detailed a few of the most popular regions to help you narrow down your search:
__________ Nashua NH Area
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- Named one of the Top 100 Best Places to Live in America by CNN.
- Commuter-friendly and close to the Massachusetts border
- Area consists of a small city and quiet surrounding towns – many options for everyone!
- Quiet and convenient Milford, NH is close to services, shopping and many jobs. A friendly town with a historic downtown.
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__________ Manchester NH
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- Conveniently located 48 miles from Boston on two main highways with access to a major airport.
- Manchester is the largest city in New Hampshire and home to a significant percentage of the jobs and employers in the state.
- An influx of new restaurants, entertainment venues, sporting arenas and events, and retail shops makes Manchester a great place to call home!
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__________ Concord NH
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- Concord is New Hampshire’s capitol city, and home to government offices, hundreds of businesses, and a thriving downtown area bustling with restaurants, shopping, and entertainment venues.
- Concord is conveniently located on I-93, and is considered a midpoint between Boston and New Hampshire’s stunning White Mountains.
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__________ Hanover – Upper Valley
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- Hanover to the Lake Sunapee region are considered the Upper Valley of New Hampshire. Scenic, rural living here still exists. Large employers like Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Hypertherm and Dartmouth College keep the local economy thriving in this area.
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__________ Derry & Southern NH
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- The southern NH area, and Derry specifically, is a growing region most popular with people who are commuting to work in Massachusetts, or looking for a convenient and family-friendly suburb that’s not too far from major cities.
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Shop Online First, Then On-Site
- Now that you have your must-have’s and nice-to-have’s narrowed down on the apartment hunting checklist, and you’ve identified the region you’re most interested in moving to, it’s easy to do an online search to see what type of apartments are available.
- Websites will usually provide you with an Online Apartment Rental Application so you can start the entire process from home, and see what you qualify for. This will save you time from driving around and filling out applications on-site.
__________ Red Oak Website – find available apartments in Manchester, Milford, Derry, Laconia, Hooksett and Merrimack NH. See a Google Map on each of the property. When you are ready to see a great apartment request a tour.
__________ Other websites
Lastly on the Apartment Hunting Checklist —- It’s time to pack, move, and decorate your new place!
- Congratulations on finding your new apartment rental!
- When you’re ready to move, check out our blog for great tips on decorating your apartment, storage, moving, and getting around your new neighborhood.
