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A Renter's Treat Bag: Five Tricks to Finding the Perfect Place!

A Renter's Treat Bag: Five Tricks to Finding the Perfect Place!

You’ve already had the discussion about whether buying or renting a home would be best for you and after weighing the options and your current financial situation… renting won! Next, it’s time for the sometimes difficult task of finding a rental that meets your expectations… and, most importantly, your budget.

 What can you do to find a rental that is perfect for you? Here are 5 tricks to finding a rental property that will be sure to treat you well:

Determine what is most important to you

Ideally, your perfect rental would have every amenity you could ever want and would be close to your work or your children’s school.  Realistically, you may not find everything you could want and more in a rental property. Yes, it’s possible; but, just as when you’re searching for a home to buy, you should make a “must have” and a “nice to have” list. Enough space for your belongings does outweigh an eye-catching color scheme... really!

Begin your search… like yesterday.

In some markets, rental properties move just as quickly (or even faster) than homes that are for sale. When you first decide to rent, get a feel for the types and rates of the available properties. Then, when you have a move-in date, you’ll already be familiar with the market… and, if you see something you want a little early, it might not hurt to make an offer.

Bonus tip: The end of the month is a great time to look for new properties. That’s when many rentals become available.

Look into a real estate broker

If you don’t have the time to do the looking, but want to make sure you get the best of the best, consider hiring a real estate broker to do your dirty work. Yes, a broker can help you find the perfect rental property and experienced brokers may be able to tip you off on available properties that are not advertised to the public. Some brokers may charge a fee for finding you a great rental property; but, not all do.

Seeing is believing

While searching online rental property sites is a must when you’re looking for the perfect rental, seeing truly is believing when it comes to renting a home. Pictures can go a long way, but you definitely want to check out the neighborhood - as well as everything else about the place that pictures can’t show! When you tour the property, you may also be able to talk to neighbors and current tenants.

Be Prepared!

When you do find the perfect rental property, the last thing you want to hold you up is the paperwork. It’s not as intense as the paperwork that goes along with buying a home, but renting does require you to complete an application, list references and submit your credit. Have these ducks lined up in a row before you’re ready to put down a security deposit on your ideal rental property.

While it is not technically a “tip,” be patient during your search. There are many great apartments, townhomes, single-family homes and other rental properties out there. Your perfect place will come along!

Start searching for available Pittsburgh rental properties here.