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Apartment Living in Madison

By Jeff Dahlberg

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 26Jun2009
Word count: 524
Viewed: 201 time(s)

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Madison, Wisconsin is a real college town. Many students, when looking for an apartment, try to find one they can keep for the four plus years they go to school at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Fewer and fewer kids these days are going "home" for the summer. For many, it is simply easier to get a job where they have the best contacts, keep their apartment, and not hassle the back and forth that others prefer.

There are very few rules and not a very long checklist that will be helpful as you view your potential dwelling. The first and most important rule is that you actually walk through the apartment you want to rent, and not a model of one just like it. In this way you can point out to the landlord any items that need to be replaced or maybe just repaired. You will not be held responsible for any of these problems at a later time. Now let's take a look at that checklist:

· Make sure there are smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in place and working.

· Check under the kitchen and bathroom sinks to determine if there are any leaks in the plumbing. Take a look at the toilet and faucets for leaks, as well. It wouldn't hurt to turn on that faucet to see if the water pressure and temperature is satisfactory. (If there is an in-unit water heater there is less chance that you will run out of hot water, but these units are few and far between. Usually one is shared by multiple units.)

· Look at all the appliances in the unit to make sure they work properly. If there is not a washer or dryer in your unit, make sure the area they are in is well lit and only accessible to residents who live in the building.

· Check for any evidence that there may be unwanted rodents (you know who I am talking about) or insects inside of drawers and closets.

· Look for any water damage, this could bring about future mold problems (peeling paint or wall paper might be another indication of this).

· Locks and doors should open and close easily.

· Whatever you do, don't rush the inspection.

After all the deposits are paid and the lease signed, you may not have a lot of extra cash to decorate your new apartment, putting your own personality stamp on it. If you are very creative, however, you can find ways to glam it up a bit without spending a lot of money.

You can get inexpensive furniture at a thrift shops or some ready to assemble furniture at a local discount store. There are these new no-sew pillows that are available at craft stores that help change the look of a couch or chair from drab to fab. And you can always spruce up the walls with some family photos or even some wall decals in the shapes of flowers or some other object. Just do something to make it your own. This is going to be your new home for some time and you want to be comfortable and happy here.

Jeff Dahlberg owns and operates this local search directory that provides more than just telephone numbers for Apartment Finders and Rental Services. Businesses depend on potential customers finding all the information about their company in one easy to locate spot. This includes telephone numbers, addresses, maps for finding them, etc.

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