Your home should match you

Dream apartments can only exist when you know what you want. Once you know what you want, it’s imperative to know what you need and where you can compromise. Will you be alright going out into the snow to do laundry, or is it important to you to that there be laundry in the building/unit? Is having a pet a luxury, or a necessity? How far are you willing to go for groceries? For public transport?

These 5 questions will help you help your agent guide you towards the best apartment for you -

1. How attentive is the landlord?

You’ll want to ask this for two reasons – to establish whether the apartment is smoke and mirrors (apartments can have hidden blemishes like mold or a shower that never heats up) and if your tenancy will be scrutinized/it’ll be harder to get back your security.

An attentive landlord or management company will be accessible 24/7 (with the understanding that you’ll be less likely to get what you want if you call at 3 AM instead of 3 PM), will absorb maintenance costs, and will advocate for the wellbeing of the majority of the tenants. This means they care about the property and see each apartment as important part of a business they want to grow. If you seem like a disruptive tenant, are disrespectful, or are the cause of pests (bugs/mice/etc.) an attentive landlord will come down harsh to protect the cooperative tenants.

An inattentive landlord will see all tenants as money, and will do as little as possible to eat into their margins. This means all they care about is that rent is paid on time, and will only be reachable when rent is past-due. It also means you can get away with a lot more (dirty apartment, noise, etc.) because so long as rent is paid, the landlord won’t care.

2. How close is public transportation?

Boston, and most of its suburbs are walking cities. That said, public transportation is a big part of how people get around and living close to one of these forms of pt can be a huge selling point for you if you don’t have a car. That said, all pt is not created equal -

Commuter Rail – This is a widespread train system that networks the entire greater metro area (40 miles) of Boston. Living on the Commuter rail will likely mean needing a car, as the station is usually at least a mile our from residential areas. One way trips cost $10 and monthly passes can cost up to $345.

Buses – Busses have a widespread reach, but they also are subject to the random nature of street traffic. While busses make it possible to live without a car, the waits can be a deterrent. Bus fares cost 1.75 or $70 per month as part of a monthly pass to be rolled in with the T.

The T – The most predictable and  common source for public transport, the T has five lines  - the green (street/underground), blue (airport/coastal service), red (north and south of Boston), silver (city bus connections),  and orange ( serving northwest to southeast). This is the most desirable form of public transport to live near, since it combines predictability with short walking distance to residential areas. Fares are either $2 or $70 per month as part of a monthly pass to be rolled in with the T.

3. How close are groceries?

Living within walking distance to groceries will mean the difference between high food bills every month due to ordering out and food budgets that allow for a healthy savings account. Some rents are cheaper because they are beyond walking distance from the nearest grocer or restaurants, so having a car will be a necessity.

4. Is the heating gas, electric or oil?

There’s no getting around New England weather – the winter is going to be cold, and you’re going to need heat. Some apartments will cover heat in amenities of the apartment (this will usually be at a premium). For the rest, you’ll be footing the bill, and if the landlords installed gas or oil heating, you’ll be footing a huge bill. There are ways to make this type of heating affordable (high-low = company will average the highest and lowest amount and bill you that every month), but if you can find an apartment with electric heat, you’ll be in a much better spot.
5. What’s the turnover in this apartment?

Depending on where you are in your life, you may be looking for a long term lease (2+ years) instead of 6 months to a year. Some landlords love having long-term tenants and will be willing to negotiate a deal where you’re locked in at a set rent for more than a year. Others like high turn-over because it allows them to raise the rent every year. High turn-over could also be a sign of an inattentive landlord.