Moving within a few hundred miles of your current residence can seem like child’s play compared with a cross country move. Luckily we have a condo and apartment moving service that can help you get your studio, one or two bedroom condo or apartment cross-country. One of the biggest stressors moving families face is how to go about apartment hunting when moving long distance. Don’t let the search get you down. There are many easy ways to locate the apartment of your dreams.
Apartment Hunting Tips
Define Your Apartment “Comfort Zone”
What do you need to be comfortable with your apartment choice? Perhaps you want the apartment to have specific appliances and be located in a specific kind of neighborhood. These things are easy to nail down if the apartment is down the street, but you’ll have to be creative when moving long distance.
Make a small budget of funds to use for your apartment search. There are many options for investigating apartments beyond Apartments.com and Craigslist. The cost of these services varies, so make sure you also determine your necessities. How necessary is it for you to see the apartment in person before putting a deposit on the place? Can you make a decision based just on pictures and, if so, what do you need those pictures to show? Answering these questions will help you form your budget and determine your next move.
Research nearby Neighborhoods
There are many websites that can help you investigate neighborhoods. NeighborhoodScout.com, for example, can provide you with information on demographics, school quality, crime rates and more. They provide some information for free, but charge for more detailed information. HomeFair.com can also give you a lot of numbers. If you don’t need all the specifics and just want to know if a neighborhood is safe, call the police stations in areas you are investigating. You can ask them about crime rates in specific neighborhoods to get a good idea of the ideal areas to live.
Use a Service to help you Search
You may not have the income to take a cross country trip just to look for apartments. As it is, you may have moving tasks outside of apartment hunting taking up large chunks of your moving budget. You can still have a real, unbiased person research apartments for you. Websites, such as TaskRabbit, can help you hire a person to assist you in your apartment hunting efforts. You can have this person investigate specific apartments for you, ask questions of the landlord and take photos.
This method has more risk than viewing apartments with your own eyes, but it can be far less expensive than taking an extra trip. Make sure you trust the person you hire and are comfortable with your choice before putting money down on an apartment or making any other commitments.
Work with a Flexible Long Distance Moving Company
After all your apartment hunting, you may decide you absolutely need to see the apartment yourself before moving in. Working with a professional moving company that offers storage services, such as National Van Lines, can be a huge help in this regard. If you prefer, National Van Lines can pack, transport and store your items near your new location. This allows you to take a single trip, investigate apartments with your own two eyes and make an informed decision. Once made, you can request to have your items delivered to your new address. Keep in mind that storage is an additional service. Talk with a professional movers today at 877-590-2810 for a free moving and storage quote.