Whether it's your first apartment, your third shared flat this year or a new retreat for the whole family - everyone looking for a home faces the same challenge. The situation on the housing market is tense: Affordable apartments are in short supply, while rents continue to rise. But there are always nice apartments becoming available or old apartment buildings being renovated. You should be well prepared for these opportunities in order to be able to assert yourself against your numerous competitors.
In this article, you will learn 10 tips that you should definitely bear in mind when looking for an apartment.
1. define criteria before looking for an apartment
Before you start actively looking for apartments, you should first think about the general conditions that your dream apartment must meet. Which area is right for you? How big should the apartment be? And how many rooms do you need?
A decisive criterion for many is the rent. The 30% rule states that the rent should ideally not be more expensive than 30% of your net income. However, you should remain realistic and not set too many exclusion criteria. After all, the supply of apartments is limited and in most cases the search for the perfect apartment is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Checklist for the perfect apartment search.
2. important documents that you should have to hand before you start looking for accommodation
To convince your future landlord of your merits, you need to make a good first impression. A cover letter in which you include a personal touch in addition to the usual facts will be more memorable than standard phrases. You can also impress your prospective landlord with a profile or CV. If possible, ask your current landlord for a certificate of no rent arrears or even a letter of recommendation. In any case, you will need your most recent payslips and a Schufa credit check.
3. check your requirements before looking for an apartment
The rent index continues to rise, making it difficult for many people to find affordable housing. When things get really tight financially, there is some state aid available to support people on low incomes.
- The certificate of eligibility for housing confirms that the tenant is entitled to move into an apartment subsidized by public funds. To obtain the certificate, however, the tenant must meet certain criteria. For example, they must not exceed a set income limit. Your local authority will clarify whether you are entitled to this.
- Housing benefit is a rent subsidy for households with a low income. The Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building offers an online housing benefit calculator which you can use to check whether you are eligible. You can also apply for housing benefit from your local authority.
People who can no longer afford the rents in their city have a right to social housing.
4. finding homes in everyday life
There are several everyday methods for finding apartments. For example, some landlords advertise in local newspapers or post notices around town. So it's worth keeping your eyes open. Friends or acquaintances may also know who is looking for tenants or where an apartment is currently available.
If this is too time-consuming, you can also turn to more official agencies. Tenants can also use estate agents to find accommodation, but they charge a commission. According to the law, the estate agent's commission may not exceed two net cold rents plus VAT. Another option is to contact property management companies directly. They often have an overview and can arrange apartments that will soon become available.
5. find apartments online
In the digital age, the first impulse when looking for a home is to browse online search portals. Whether it's ImmobilienScout24, Immowelt or classified ads - there is a wide range on offer. Due to the high demand on the housing market, some real estate portals now even offer premium models that give searchers advantages over competitors. You can also advertise your own searches instead of just responding to apartment ads.
Perhaps you spend a lot of time on social media anyway - so why not take advantage of the swarm intelligence on Facebook, Instagram and the like? You can announce your search for an apartment in your status, ask people to share it and then browse through groups that have been created specifically for apartment hunting.
The search for an apartment is often difficult.
6. find apartments with a search request
Anyone who is already actively looking for accommodation knows that many landlords are inundated with applications. Descriptions often state that no further applications will be accepted for the time being or that not every application will receive a response.
To be able to react quickly to new apartment ads, we recommend a search request that can be activated in the real estate portals. You will then receive a push notification in real time when news and changes occur. This alert allows you to react more quickly to advertisements and increases your chances of finding an apartment.
7. home exchange as an alternative
In large cities in particular, the supply of real estate is low compared to demand. If you are looking for a new apartment and cannot find what you are looking for, exchanging apartments or houses can be an attractive alternative. In this way, you can obtain properties that are not available on the housing market. The advantage is that both parties have the certainty of finding a suitable home.
For this purpose, there are exchange agencies specializing in real estate, but some people interested in exchanging also advertise themselves on well-known real estate portals. To filter out unsuitable offers in advance, you should list the key details of the desired apartments directly in the advertisement. If it is a rental property, the landlord must agree to the exchange beforehand.
8 This is important when viewing an apartment
When it finally comes to viewing the apartment, there are a few points to consider in order to determine whether the apartment is really suitable. Ideally, schedule the viewing appointment at a time when there is still enough daylight in the apartment so that you can put it through its paces. However, the most important criterion is whether you feel comfortable in the neighborhood and in the apartment.
Helpful tips for apartment viewings.
Is the apartment on a busy road or railroad line? Do you not have a car and the nearest supermarket is 5 km away? Have there already been problems with mold in the apartment or are high heating costs foreseeable? If the previous tenant is present during the viewing, you can also ask them about their reasons for moving out. Try to find out as much as possible without being too intrusive.
It may be possible or even a condition that you take over certain furniture or appliances from the previous tenant in return for a discount. If you want to move in with larger furniture of your own, it is best to ask for a floor plan or measure the rooms in which you want to place it yourself.
9. how to make a good impression on landlords
A friendly phone call or a nice letter makes a good first impression. But how can you really convince landlords? You can ask your potential landlord in advance what documents they need and bring them directly to the apartment viewing. It goes without saying that you should be on time. If you arrive early, you can explore the neighborhood where you would like to live in the future.
Don't pretend, but present yourself authentically. This will give the landlord a better impression of you and you will come across as both likeable and approachable. Dress neatly, but the same applies here: don't hide your true self. Try to talk to the landlord during the viewing. Ideally, you should think about questions you would like to ask in advance. If you are still interested after the viewing, let the landlord know as soon as possible so that you stand out from other interested parties.
10. keeping an overview when looking for an apartment
Keeping an overview in the real estate jungle is not that easy. Especially if you are interested in several properties, it is easy to get confused. To prevent you from forgetting an apartment or even accidentally contacting it twice, it pays to use a good structure right from the start. The free template from SeaTable is ideal for this.
You can enter your criteria in the template and compare all potential apartments at a glance. In addition to pictures, you can also add the landlord's contact details and dates. After a successful viewing, you can make a note of your impression so that you don't forget any details. Good organization will make your apartment search and the final decision for your dream apartment easier.
To use SeaTable, all you need to do is register for free. You can then add the template to your base and add your own data.
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