Clearly, apartment searching and moving are two activities we’d wish technology could take over while we sip some wine at some corner.
You may only understand this if at some point you decided to move out of the parent’s house to a different apartment. If you’ve had to engage (multiple) real estate agents for various apartment listings and undertake a couple of house inspections yourself. Or if you have witnessed a friend move from one apartment to the next.
What I’ve come to accept is, apartment search is a frustratingly infuriating feat. If you have to consider all good variables in obtaining a settlement, you may have to settle (pun intended).
Apartment Owners and their demands
The majority of apartment owners did not meet a house that checked all of the boxes. I know this because I’ve had to ask a lot of people about their means.
I really started to think that maybe I was with the wrong agents or I was being overly selective and there were just certain apartment classifications I should look out for, not necessarily what was on my apartment wishlist. This is puzzling because frankly, what I request of the agents is very basic.
The house should
1. have a kitchen cabinet
2. have a wardrobe in the room
3. not be situated past 1km from the main road (think the distance of 10 runs for 100m race)
But a couple of house inspections after came additional requests and priorities anyone could have assumed went without saying.
The house should
4. be fully completed
5. be painted on the outside also
6. not be a very old one
7. have water and separate metering for electricity
8. be my exact budget
Basics, am I right?
I know the last point is quite hilarious. But hear this. I’m shown apartments that are cheap, hence so substandard you’d wonder how anyone lived in such conditions.
Then I’m taken to places that are way expensive for a single bedroom, so much so I just believe the agent was seeking to waste my time at his amusement.
There’s the average price of one-bedroom apartments around this region, and then I’m willing to pay one-half to twice of that price to get the most decent place. In spite of that, somehow I find myself being paraded around overpriced apartments.
How the agents take care of the house search
Sometimes I’m given options of 2 or 3 bedrooms. Why? If it fell within budget then alright, bonus bedrooms I’m not crazy about though. If it didn’t, which is always the case, why are you doing this, Mr Realtor? I know of such great developments as 2 or 5 bedroom allocations before I decided on one bedroom, thank you.
Most of those apartment owners when I asked, said, against their full discretion, they had to give in to what was available for lack of time or pure exhaustion at the process. The later is the stage I’m approaching.
A week ago, one agent told me, in a matter of fact tone, that I could only get my expectation if I built the specs on a vacant land myself. And if I wanted that move, he could get me a cheap land. He didn’t even crack a smile. That was when I gave up. Extended my current place by 2months, hoping to resume the search when I’ve caught my breath.
It’s not the greatest of moves I know, but I’m furiously nearing desperation and I’ll be d**ned if I let those conniving agents get the scent off me.
This only reminds me of what I read on some website, “To find your future home, all that you need is patience, a few blisters on your feet, and a salary”.
Not everyone is this unlucky. When you found your place, how was the process?
Read next: The Horrific Apartment Hunting Experience and the Apartment Hunter
7 Comments
This is currently the exact story of my life. My current rent expires in a few month and I was hoping I could get a bigger and better place and decided to start a search. The choices are so terrible that I was wondering if my budget was too ridiculous for what I was looking for. I have decided to take a pause too and resume later. It’s so frustrating!
It is! Especially as I know budget lower than mine has gotten better options in better locations than I’m looking for. This is really messing with my anxiety
It wasn’t funny at all. None of my experiences have been. In school, it took me almost 6months to get accommodation as I wanted to stay off campus. What I’ve realized tho is that it’s safer to go/ask around for vacancies for yourself especially if you’re working with a specific budget in mind. This is because some realtors, will overcharge you (agent fees) and still hoard the rent exorbitantly since after all, they’re your intermediary btw you and the house owner.
At other times too, they dupe people; like, renting out a particular apartment to more than 2 persons and them disappearing into thin air.
But of course, if you don’t mind all that, then using agents for your house hunting is awesome and will save you a lot of stresssss. abujagirlsjournal.com
I mind. Agents have not helped and I doubt I’ll ever go with one in another time. I’ve found more houses that are better pleasing through friends, words of mouth, coworkers and others than through the help of agents