Apartment amenities are features of a building that you wouldn’t expect to find everywhere. The more amenities a building has, the more likely it will gain a competitive edge in attracting prospective tenants.
When you are apartment/house hunting, you should keep in mind which amenities are most important for your lifestyle. This will be your home for months, even years, therefore a thorough background search is very important.
The following is a list of 14 popular amenities to look for when renting an apartment you should always look out for:
1.Clean water supply
Water is life. Never settle in a place where there is no proper supply of clean water. You might end up spending a lot of money buying water from outside sources, which in real sense is your right as a tenant.
2.Lighting/Electricity
In this day and age nobody deserves to stay in the dark because of lack of electricity. It is important to check whether your new house has a proper installed lighting system before moving in.
3.Security
Nobody fancies staying in an area that is prone to insecurity issues. You should choose a house in an area that is secure and is well guarded to prevent cases of robbery.
4.Space
The house of your choice should be spacious enough to accommodate all your belongings. There should also be outdoor space or a rooftop to air linen or for those days you just need to chill and relax outside of your house.
5.On-site staff
Rental houses must have on site staff like administrators or care-takers within the premises to serve tenants. They will be a lifesaver whenever something breaks down in your apartment or you need a favor, and also act as a source of security. Having someone that can come up and fix something right away will streamline your life.
6.Safe parking
For those who own cars, abundant safe parking is a necessity. You will sleep a lot better knowing your car is safe and protected, rather than leaving it outside on the street or a nearby garage.
7.Network
You should not choose an apartment in a remote area with little or no network coverage. This can be problematic especially in cases of emergency when you can’t contact your loved ones.
8.Playground for kids
Play time is mandatory for children. No child wants to stay cooped up in the house all day. Your apartment of choice should have a safe and secure playground for kids to interact and play freely.
9.Emergency exist
It is very important to ensure your apartment has an emergency exist in cases of fires or other accidents.
10. Nearby shops/grocery stores
You don’t want to live in an area too remote that there are no shops or stores nearby, or where you have to use means of transport to access services. Some apartments have shops or mini supermarkets downstairs. These are incredibly useful, especially if you don’t have a car. If you can get your groceries downstairs in a matter of minutes, not only can you buy fresh food several times a week, but also skip the hassle of lugging around heavy bags.
11. Laundry area
There should be a space where tenants can do their laundry outside the comfort of their own houses, for those who prefer the outdoors while chatting and interacting. It should also have enough space and hanging lines to air out linen.
12. Easy trash removal and disposal
You don’t want to stay in an apartment without a proper trash removal method. Imagine if everyone just threw out their trash just anywhere. A proper disposal method ensures order and cleanliness, and also curbs outbreak of diseases like cholera.
13. Proximity to schools/hospital/church
You should look out for social amenities like schools, hospitals and churches. These are crucial when house hunting.
14. Furnished units
Depending on your needs, you should look out for modern furnishings in a house. Could be simple things like furnished counter tops, faucets, tiled floors, self-contained rooms and storage spaces like shelves in the kitchen and closets for easy storage of clothes in the bedroom.
CONCLUSION
There are so many things to consider when house hunting. Which amenities are valued most by renters also depends on their age group and lifestyle. Family people, college kids, retirees may not look out for the same amenities when choosing an apartment. And again, it’s very rare indeed to find a building that has all the mentioned 14 amenities, and some might not be crucial to you. However, it’s good to have those that are important to you in mind, so that you can look for them before you sign a lease. Since you’ll probably need to prioritize, one way to do so might be to make a list of needs and wants, making sure a place has all of your “needs” before you seriously consider it.
Happy house hunting!
