Choosing where to live is one of the difficult aspects of living away from home. For college students especially, it is critical to find somewhere that allows a nice space to sleep, eat, and study, which is just about all you’ll be doing until you graduate. There’s a lot to consider about in apartment moving, but it will boil down to what your needs are personally: whether you have a car, a diet that takes up more fridge space, or a hard time getting to sleep. Check out these four main things you should consider when picking a place to live here in Rexburg.
Housing Costs
Speaking of finances, one of the biggest determining factors in a lot of decisions is the cost of the apartment. Apartment moving cost mainly center around the rent, which can be done by the month or, especially with BYU-I approved housing, by the semester. Many locations offer a payment plan if needed, which is always helpful, or have discounts for certain tracks, doing referrals, or signing longer-term contracts. For example, for some housing complexes, signing on for two semesters at once gets you $200 off the total - and if you'll be living there for two semesters back-to-back, it may be worthwhile to consider.
When looking into this, it is good to note what your financial situation is. Consider things like:
- Will you have a job throughout your semester that can provide for your housing?
- Do you have a college grant/loan that covers the cost?
- Have you received scholarships to fund your schooling?
Finding out what fits in your budget will be one of the main factors in choosing housing. It’s a big decision to decide if you are willing to eat only packet ramen so you can live in an apartment with a pool.
Surcharges
One of the first things you’ll find apartment moving fees is that many places slide extra charges into the mix. Many places request payment for a parking pass, which is a reasonable fee. Other places, however, will charge you if you pin posters on your walls and have a coin only operated laundry facility on site. Looking at these extra charges on company sites and even calling in to confirm extra costs can be a financial weight off your shoulders.
Apartment Amenities
Amenities are the next big factor in choosing a new BYU-I approved apartment. There are a lot of needs and wants to consider when choosing an apartment Moving from one area to another will offer a lot when looking at the apartment itself and what it can offer you.
Fun-menities
Some amenities are set out as extras for the apartments. Some apartments do have pools, hot tubs, and workout rooms, but many of these options are offered on campus to students for free. However, what is offered on campus may have a different availability than what would work for you.
Other fun amenities can include fire pits, a music room, and a theater or movie area. Many places have a game room or a communal kitchen and dining area for events. Some locations offer more amenities for pets and young children, such as a communal lawn area or a playground. These types of amenities can also increase the price of the location that you’ll be living in, which is another factor to consider with these types of amenities.
Daily Living Amenities
Amenities that are more important are ones that you’ll have to use for everyday needs. Apartment moving changes, like new laundry facilities, can be a hassle or a benefit depending on the location and what they require.
Laundry
Many apartments have connected laundry rooms that have walls lined with washers and dryers. These may be coin-operated, and you’ll have to plan around the schedules of a whole complex. Your laundry will be at the mercy of whoever comes into the laundry room, who may put your washed clothes in the dryer...or on the floor. Keeping track of how long cycles take, doing laundry in the early morning or late evening, and asking roommates or complex-mates to switch your laundry can be necessities.
Some apartments actually have a washer and dryer in the apartment itself, making it easy to schedule around just your roommates' laundry schedules. These can take up a lot of room in the apartment, though, and can cut down on the space you need for other things.
Internet Speeds
Internet speed can be a huge deal for a new BYU-I apartment. In general, it will be a tool you’ll need all day, every day, even just to browse on your phone. Movies you or your roommates stream will be reliant on the internet speed in your apartment. Recipes you look up that have a life story attached will have lots of text to pull up. Late assignments will have to upload. Gaming will be slowed.
Parking
Parking in Rexburg can be a nightmare. Many facilities offer parking for a fee. This can include extras like covered parking and specific parking spots. Looking at how cramped the parking spaces are, how hard it is to maneuver, and how difficult it is to enter or exit the parking lot can be factors to check instead of just looking at the price.
Appliances
In the apartment itself, there are a lot of items that you’ll be using daily. You'll have to be aware of your needs and check if the apartment offers what fits your lifestyle.
Electronic Needs
The number of accessible outlets can be a game changer. Being able to plug in your phone or laptop while sitting on the couch or your bed is convenient. Searching the room for an additional outlet when you have a TV, minifridge, computer, and phone is inconvenient. Making sure there are a good amount of outlets in your apartment moving is imperative.
Every location has an apartment TV, but each location can have a different type. Some locations have smart TVs that let you access Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube, but many locations don't have TVs with the technology to do so. Most locations don't have DVD players, and you'll likely have to bring your own HDMI chord for any devices you'd like to connect to the TV.
Kitchen Appliances
The number of roommates that you have can determine how important some things are. For example, having one fridge for four or five people isn’t bad. Having two fridges for six to eight people isn’t bad. But if there are six to eight of you and only one fridge, you’ll have to consider how much space you’ll need for your frozen food and decide if you’re willing to share milk and mustard instead of having eight gallons of milk and an infinite amount of mustard in the fridge.
In the kitchen, hot commodities can include a microwave and a dishwasher. These are especially useful with many roommates so that dishes don’t pile up and leftovers can be eaten, and it's especially needed for clean checks when the sink needs to be emptied and the fridge needs to be cleaned.
Heating and Cooling
In the summer and the winter, air conditioners and good heaters can be a major factor in the comfort of a new BYU-I apartment, including sleep quality and whether or not you can study in the room. Campus will always be air conditioned or heated, but the walk there in the Idaho weather can be an issue, especially in the fall and spring tracks.. Some apartments don’t offer air conditioning or fans, some have a thermostat your roommates will mess with.
Storage
Like the fridge, cupboard storage space is also a shared commodity in apartments both in the rooms and in the kitchen. If an apartment doesn’t have enough, sometimes one roommate can fit a storage shelf or two for more space, but if not, you might be keeping crackers, pasta, and unused Tupperware in your room.
Room Storage
An apartment bedroom can have different kinds of storage, too. Some locations have a captain’s bed, where you can put your moving boxes under the back and keep your clothes in the drawers underneath. Some apartments have a storage room for your boxes and brooms and large closets for your clothes. Some places have a dresser to put folded clothes in and a small closet for hanging clothes.
Almost every place will have shelving and a desk. These will be constantly accessible places for your laptop, your schoolbooks, and any items you’re wanting to display. This can also be where your protein bars, laundry detergent, makeup, and shaving cream can end up if there isn’t enough storage space in the kitchen and bathroom.
Bathrooms
Even for bathrooms, storage is an issue. Some locations have a bathroom with a sink and mirror inside, and some have an external vanity. Some locations even have bathrooms attached to the room. This can be important if roommate schedules clash and everyone has to shower and shave or do their hair at the same time.
The layout can decide where your toiletries will be and how accessible the spare toilet paper is. It will change even further depending on how many bathrooms the apartment has and how much space there is to set shampoos around the shower.
Location
When changing to an apartment, moving location may be the final deciding factor for a new BYU-I apartment. Storage and cost aside, the apartment can boil down to being an easy distance from campus or being willing to walk uphill, both ways, in the snow, to get to the Ricks building.
Especially as you get closer to graduation and only have your major courses left, choosing your apartment location can depend on where your classes are. The north side of campus for art and music majors, the east side for English and languages, the south side for math and history. Or you can look for non-apartment amenities: the apartment that has a Walmart bus stop, is near a park for the apartment dog, or is closest to your workplace.
It can be really important to consider what’s around the location that you’re picking. If you’re across from the stadium, lights will be on until late in the night during team practice, and crowds will be near during the games. If you’re close to a parking lot, you’ll have people use the area to practice skateboarding. If you’re near a park, when you walk out the door, you’ll see a lot more kids and a lot more dogs.
Reviews
It can be important to consider the reviews of the new BYU-I apartment you pick, both online and in person. This can be a way to prepare for some of what you can’t expect, like the quality of the dryers or the thickness of the walls. Even the manager response time is something to look for commentary on.
Especially if you have any friends or family that can give you referrals, looking into what other people actually experienced in the apartment is the best way to go. Although it may not match up with your exact experiences, having reliable insider information about the apartment makes it easier to decide.
You're Ready!
There is a lot to look for when deciding on the apartment that fits your lifestyle and budget. A new BYU-I apartment can be an easy decision. Take time to consider what you like, what you want from your housing, and what your situation is. Look around at the places offered, make an appointment to see what they have, and check if you see amenities that you need or extra amenities that you realize you want. You're ready to choose your apartment, so go out there and find the one for you.