Moving is icky.

Looking for an apartment or house is energizing and fun. The actual moving process sucks a big one.

 Here are some tips to lighten the load.

Do your research! - Don't just settle on an apartment based on their "Move in" deals. Read the small print. You might be saving money up front, but will end up having to pay later on.

Make sure you read and fully synthesize the lease and small print.  Large corporate complexes like Tall Oaks love to charge you for little things like hanging up a clothes line, pet-sitting someone's cat, or for not renewing or canceling your lease in time.

Landlord: Find that sweet old lady or could-be-a-nice-neighbor landlord. They are easier to establish a relationship and trust with than those large complexes who don't remember your name after you sign their papers, not that I know from experience...*ashamed*

Location, location, location: If you live in close proximity to your work or school, you will save lots of money in gas. That is money you can save towards a vacation or goal (like paying off your credit card). Try walk or biking to work or school and you will save even more (and help the environment). Also, make sure your new home is safe, AKA that it is made out of materials that won't burst into flames in 10 seconds flat.


Those are just three basic, common sense tricks. Here are a list of some places to look for houses anywhere in the US.
            Craigslist- It's a good start, but it should not be your only tool.

            Apartmentguide.com  lists apartments and houses by their property owners, zip codes, parts of
            town, and by price.

             The good ole fashion way: Drive around. If you want a home near a specific location, drive  
             around and see what for rent signs you can find. This is the preferred way. I recently stumbled    
             on a really great apartment, that I wouldn't have found if I wasn't driving around the area.


After ending my lease with Tall Oaks Apartment, I am just now reading reviews. Don't make the same mistake I did! Just take a look at these ratings. WHOA.

http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/KS-Wichita-Tall-Oaks.html


My experience with the corporate apartment was terrible. The women who buzz around the office are incompetent and graduated with degrees in scamming, no wait. They definitely could have never even gotten into college (ouch, I went there). They are terrible at communicating. Their staff is large enough to call residents, but instead they put fliers outside our doors, leaving the responsibility in our hands to stumble upon them in time to read and respond to. They don't keep track of your checks, needs, or concerns. On multiple occasions, emergency vehicles have come through for one reason or another. Overall, my experience was mediocre at best.