Walls are closing in. Your closet can no longer hold your new purchases from Buffalo Exchange. You’re more than over sharing a shower with people whose names you still don’t know and tired of security checking your Vera Bradley duffle after a weekend at home. Face it: Dorm life is getting the best of you.
Thankfully, moving off campus at Temple is just as much of a lasting trend as Northface fleeces. But with visions of girls’ nights dancing in your heads as you head out on the house hunt, it’s important to keep a few things in mind. As someone who has moved around Temple twice and is currently in the process of moving to Northern Liberties, I’ve learned a thing or two about the off-campus housing scramble.
1. Roommates don’t come with warning signs
Choose your future roommates wisely. Your roommates shouldn’t just be people you have fun with on a Friday night – they’re also the people you can crawl to J&H breakfast with the next morning (while wearing sweatpants) without judging each other. Make sure they are people you still want to hangout with after deciding who has trash duty.
2. Make Use of RatemyLandlord.com
Most of you check out, Ratemyprofessor.com, right? Well, research isn’t just for school – you can look up your potential landlord. If they seem too eager in person, back off a bit. There are thousands of students at Temple, so no one should be begging for tenants.
3. Window shop
Although every place seems like a palace after being cooped up in a dorm room, don’t fall for the first stoop you walk up. Schedule several visits and give yourself options. You don’t want to regret it next year when you’re jealous of your friends’ backyard or spacious living room down the street.
4. Make a checklist and wishlist
Before you even step off campus, sit down with your future roommates and make two separate lists: One of the things you need and one of the things you want. That way when you are looking, you can check off the things an apartment has that you need. Maybe it’ll surprise you with some of the things you want. If not, compromise is something we’ve all gotten used to in the dorms.
5. Don’t sign on the dotted line… yet
It may not be Cosmo or Buzzfeed, but read the lease! If you don’t want to bore yourself, take it to the Office of Off-Campus Living and they’ll go over it with you. Despite all the boring stuff, it’s important to know beforehand what utilities and appliances are included in your house, and which ones you’re on your own for. Before putting pen to paper, make sure you know exactly what you’re getting into, so there aren’t any surprise bills down the road.
6. Make it fun, “House Hunters-style”
Most importantly, have fun with it. Hunting for the perfect place for you and your friends doesn’t have to be a chore. Last year, I used my iPhone to film my own version of House Hunters, interviewing my roommates at each house about our expectations, taking a video inside the house and then asking their opinions afterwards. Although the landlords shot some weird looks my way, it gave us a way to laugh about something.
As apartment-shopping season is now in full swing, grab a warm scarf and your closest friends. No matter what happens, you’ll have less awkward encounters in the hallway and infinitely more freedom.