8 Ways To Make Finding a Boston Apartment Less Painful

Michael DiMella - 07/08/15

You are ready to find your next Boston apartment and have heard some horror stories. We all have. Luckily we are around town everyday working with renters and landlords and have learned a thing or two in the last 12 years of business. Here are 8 tips for making that rental search a little less painful:

1. Work with an agent

It seems obvious but a real estate agent is there to hold your hand throughout the entire process. Not only does he find you homes that may not be on the open market, but we work to answer your questions, help you with all the paperwork, and make sure you are happy from Day 1. You want someone on your side to make sure the place you call, “home,” is exactly what you want!

2. Do your neighborhood homework

Knowing the stats for a neighborhood is a great step in understanding what is realistic about price, square footage, and amenities you can expect in a building. Especially if you have not rented in the Boston urban core previously, you want to understand how a few streets can make a big difference. Want the work done for you? Download our 2014 Neighborhood Breakdown.

3. Grab a coffee or drink near the place you want to live

Your home is more than the rooms you sleep and live in. You want to experience the neighborhood around you that you are going to be doing things in like grocery shopping, dry cleaning, going out, etc. Take an hour or two and grab a coffee or cocktail in a local place and talk to the people around you – you would be surprised what you might learn!

4. Sign Up to receive the best listings

We scour the listings on the market as well as many that are exclusively in our database to bring the best listings to our clients. This helps people find their next apartment more efficiently. Want a preview? Take a look.

5. Prioritize

We hate to say it, but your next apartment might not have EVERYTHING you want in it. You need to think about your criteria and decide what are “deal breakers” for you. Things like price, location, amenities, parking, etc. are all important to consider and determine which is your Number 1, 2, and 3 concern.

6. Use an easy search tool

There are tons of places to search for properties out there – and we have utilized them all. We have developed the easiest and most comprehensive search tool that allows you to set appointments right there to see a particular property. Check it out!

7. Read a bit

We have published a TON of great articles about renting apartments in Boston that can help you out. Here are a few popular ones:

8. Figure out what you can afford

We created an easy to use infographic that outlines what you need to rent throughout Boston based on your income. You can download it quickly here.