I currently live in a set of student apartments and I have a room mate now that I am back in school. I am locked into a lease until August 2013 but I have already started to look for a new place.

The reason I am interested in getting a new place is that I have lived the last five years on my own and before that I lived with my boyfriend. I am now living with a stranger and there are a few issues that bother me about living with someone like this.

I started doing some research into apartments in the area so that I can be prepared when next years rolls around and I need to actually pound the pavement to get my own place.

I have run into a few major financial issues that have really made an impact on my decision because I am now on a very limited budget but my mind is still accustomed to the way that I lived while I was working full time.

The apartment  guides list  the amenities and features of the apartments in the area and there is a guide that has a sort of grid with all the features and the apartments that have each one.There are a few things I have decided are must haves on my next apartment list and a few things that it would be nice to have but I could do without them.

Must haves:

-Campus shuttle

-Pet friendly

-On site laundry

Would be nice to have:

-Utilities included

-Close to campus

-Furnished

-Gym

-Washer and dryer in unit

Don’t really care:

-Cable provided

-Pool

-Gated access

-Basketball/Tennis/Volleyball court

-Sauna/Tanning bed

-Covered parking

-Computer center/business office

I chose my must haves based on my current situation and I will explain in a little more detail.

Campus shuttle: There is a shuttle that runs from the apartments directly to campus and it has been a lifesaver these last few days. The shuttle stops running before my night classes end so I take it in the morning when I go in to my student job and then take my car to my late evening classes.

I had to purchase a campus pass to be able to park on campus but it saves me a bit in gas to only have to drive on two days a week and then be able to take the bus the rest of the time.

When I move to the new place I definitely want an apartment that is on the shuttle route so that I can have the option to take the bus instead of having to drive.

Pet friendly: I have my cat with me and I do not see myself giving it up so I want a place that is pet friendly. If it comes down to the wire and I simply cannot get a pet friendly place then I will have to visit the animal shelter but I do not want to do that.

On site laundry: I was amazed to find that some apartment complexes do not have a laundry on the premises. My current apartment has a washer and dryer in EVERY unit so that has spoiled me a bit but I don’t mind having to walk across the grass to use the central laundry if that is all that is available.

I will NOT move into a place that does at least have a central laundry because I do not want to have to drive all over the place trying to find a place to wash my clothes.

So far the places I have found will add at least $175 to my current housing budget so I am not sure if that will be feasible for me financially yet. I still have a few months before I need to make a decision on whether to move or to stay  so I will continue doing research.