How to Find the Best Gainesville Apartments For UF Students

How to Find the Best Gainesville Apartments For UF Students

If you're looking for housing, chances are that you are a UF student; more than 40% of the population is here to attend the University of Florida, in Gainesville. Looking for your first Gainesville apartment can be a daunting task-- especially if you've never lived in an apartment before. By following these helpful tips and beginning your apartment search online, you can save time and find the best fit for your and you particular needs as a UF student. IT Services Gainesville FL

DETERMINE HOW YOU'LL Be Able To UF CLASSES

After spending a year on-campus in dorms likeBroward and Hume, Springs or Fletcher, most UF students elect to live off-campus and start trying to find a flat. And may you blame them? On-campus UF dorms are typically incredibly, damp and dark cramped, with many students sharing a bathroom with 45-60 other students. Unfortunately, UF does not offer on-campus parking near classes to UF students who don't live in the dorms. So before you begin your apartment search, the first thing to consider is how you will get to your UF classes. Will you walk? Are you going to bike? Will you ride a bus or search for a place in ParkNRide? You'll need to leave at least 1 hour before your class begins to ensure that you won't be late if you plan on riding the bus from your apartment. Understand that most RTS buses drop you off at the Hub (also called the Reitz Union), and you'll need to walk after that for your classes. The only real other option is to seek out ParkNRide (that is up to now from classes that you'll need to ride a bus out of your parking spot to the Hub and after that walk from that point). Most students seek out apartments near the UF campus, so that they can walk to class, because of the challenges you'll face getting to your classes.

If students do not have the help of older friends and family who have been through the process before, it can be very difficult to find an apartment near UF, especially. Many of the apartment complexes near UF are small and don't advertise within the local apartment guides or Gainesville Apartment Hunters or similar apartment finder services. Instead, you'll have to be proactive to locate your very best fit. IT Services Gainesville FL

START YOUR APARTMENT Look Online

Smart students who wish to get the best and cheapest apartments in Gainesville start their search on the internet. They start by navigating to sites like Google and typing generally speaking keyword terms like Gainesville Gainesville and apartments apartments near UF. These terms will return a listing of apartment complexes close to campus. The initial few search engine rankings includes apartment finding services and roommate matching services that will list lots of the apartments with easy comparison charts, where you can search by style, size, move-in date and a lot more. These same sites include many picture galleries, floorplans, virtual tours and maps showing in which the apartments are located.

By starting their search for the best Gainesville apartments online, students can really cut back on their research time. Many sites also have time-saving tools like "plan a tour" buttons and also offer online specials.

HOW TO COMPARE GAINESVILLE APARTMENTS

While performing your apartment look online, make sure to take good notes. You'll want to make note of all of the following amenities in order to help determine which would be the best fit for you:

* Location - how close could it be to UF

* How would you get to class - can you walk from your apartment to school

* Square footage - how large is definitely the apartment

* Quantity of bedrooms - the amount of roommates do you want to have

* Roommate Matching Services - does the apartment complex offer roommate matching or will you should find your very own roommates

* Rental Rate per Person - how much can it cost you to reside there

* Availability - will be the apartment designed for the month where you must move

TALK TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Before taking a tour, students should speak with their parents, friends and anyone else involved in their decision making process. They should make a list of the items is most essential in their mind: , scale of the apartment, how many bedrooms they are looking for, etc.budget and location If the apartments online match their particular needs, from this list, they will be able to tell. Apartments are many like cars; when you boost your budget, it is possible to improve amenities. So, to find the best apartment, it is important to start off by asking parents what the budget is.

SCHEDULE A TOUR From The APARTMENT

After getting a few Gainesville apartments that appear like a good fit, the next thing is to schedule a tour. Tours typically take under a quarter-hour, and they are generally free. Plus touring is the best way to check out the actual apartment (though most apartment complex websites are honest, some are highly inaccurate). You should bring along anybody who is involved in the decision making process: friends, potential roommates, and parents (if they are in the city). Always bring your checkbook and photo ID or driver's license, so that you can put down a security deposit or make a reservation if you find that you like the apartment after your tour.

QUESTIONS TO ASK Through The APARTMENT TOUR

1) The number of bedrooms does the apartment have, and they are the bedrooms sufficient for your furniture?

2) How many bathrooms does the apartment have? Will you have to share?

3) So how exactly does the parking around the apartment work?

4) How would you reach your UF classes from your apartment? Be forewarned. Most apartment complexes attempt to make the Gainesville bus system sound great-- but RTS is terrible! For apartment near the Mall or off of 20th Ave, plan on leaving your apartment about 1 hour before class begins each day, to ensure that you get there punctually. Between walking from the apartment for your bus stop, then waiting around for the bus, then taking the bus ride (and every one of its stops), then walking through the Hub on UF campus campus to the actual classroom, you are speaking about a 45 trip. Plus, if the bus is late or if the bus is full, you will need some extra leeway. Due to this commute issue and because there is no on-campus parking (except for ParkNRide) for UF students who live off campus, most students try to reside in houses and apartments near UF, so that they can walk to class. Think about it, although apartments that are walking distance to UF classes are a bit more money than those further away: you'll be saving up to 2 hours each day in commute time.