This post is sponsored by Zumper
Oh LA! I would say it’s one of the hardest places to find a place in your price point that checks all boxes. I’ve lived here 8 years and it took me that long to find a place that checks almost all of them. It’s definitely our dream apartment! There are so many tricks I had to learn along the way and I wish I had known about Zumper when I was looking all those years ago but you’re in luck because it has made looking for an apartment, especially in LA, so much easier! If you’ve ever looked in LA before you know there are little resources to finding a place short of just driving around which used to be the best way. But that is SOOO time consuming. I honestly don’t miss those days. The Zumper app compiles everything you need to know about any area you are looking to rent in LA and gives you all the info, saving you gas and a major headache.
I wanted to share some tips on how to find your dream apartment in LA and how Zumper helps to streamline that process.
TIP 1: LIST YOUR MUST HAVES
Before you even start looking, you should have an idea of what you’re looking for! List out everything you would like in your dream apartment so it’s all clear. (This also works to manifest what you want but that’s another topic for another day) Does it have to have a balcony? washer and dryer in unit? pool? etc? When I started looking in LA I didn’t have a dream list but many bad apartments later I definitely knew what I HAD to have to make my living situation more comfortable.
Some must haves for us were:
A balcony: (it’s so hard to have a dog without one) I also wanted one to have a place to relax, read, paint, meditate etc. It’s so nice to be able to enjoy outside without actually having to leave the house.
A work/live space: I needed a living room big enough where we could lounge but could also fit an office and a space to film my videos. Needless to say it had to be BIG. We were renting an office space before but I loved the idea of having everything in house.
Washer/Dryer in Unit: I HATE doing laundry so it makes it easier when I don’t have to lug my clothes down to a basement or go to Trader Joes to exchange my $10 for quarters every month. Been there, over it lol
2 Bed 2 Bath: Right now my sister lives with us so we wanted separate spaces for each of us. Also I hate sharing bathrooms. I would have my boyfriend have his own bathroom too if I could!
Space for a Studio: Because we got rid of our office e also needed a space for a home studio to record our music.
Natural Light: It really affects your mood and also saves you money on the electricity bill.
Not too far from LA: The Commute Though.
I know this sounds like we were asking for a lot but remember this was our DREAM space so we listed all our ideals.
With it’s search tool, Zumper allows for you to choose all the ideal things you are looking for in an apartment and search based on that. It really helps to narrow down your search. That way you are only looking at places that meet your requirements.
TIP 2: START LOOKING WHILE YOU ALREADY HAVE AN APARTMENT
I don’t know how many times I had to just rush and get a place just because I had a time limit. There’s nothing worse than settling on where you live. It’s probably why I’ve lived in over 10 apartments in LA. Where you live is so important because it really can affect your mood and productivity. Our last apartment was so dark and I didn’t realize how much it really affected me and we always had to have the lights on all day.
If you already have a place you don’t have to worry about rushing and you can take your time to find a new place especially if your apartment goes month to month. I would give yourself at least a month or two to find the perfect spot. It also gives time for any new listings to become available.
Zumper allows you to start your search by location so if you love your neighborhood or have an ideal neighborhood you want to live in you can look just in those areas. You can even set notifications to alert you when a listing with your qualifications pops up. Zumper also gives each apartment a walking score so you can see how accessible the neighborhood is. That’s the one thing we didn’t get in this apartment. I really would love to live in an area where I could walk everywhere. Although I am walking distance to many great locations, the walk to get there isn’t as scenic and welcoming as I would like. My apartment literally checks every other box though so no complaints!
TIP 3: BE OPEN MINDED
I know I just said to have your ideal list but you also have to keep a little open mind about things. Sometimes there are areas or apartments you think are just no good until you visit them. I actually wasn’t a fan of my area a few years back. I felt like there was nothing to do here and it was far from LA, until my boyfriend convinced me to move to this neck of the woods and I’ve now had 3 different apartments in this area!
Zumper makes it super easy, right when you open the app or desktop website try clicking in a location you wouldn’t necessarily think to live in. You might be surprised with what you find!
TIP 4: ALWAYS BE ON THE LOOKOUT
Sometimes we would be driving around and end up in a really cute neighborhood and I think to myself, “I would love to live here!” If you’re in the process of looking that would be a great time to whip out the Zumper app and see if there are any listings available in that area. You have to be ready at all times because sometimes the best places just sneak up on you. So next time you have brunch with your friend in a cute neighborhood, check out the listings in the area!!
My favorite part about Zumper though is you can call the listing agent or landlord right from the platform. A lot of times when looking for an apartment finding the person to speak to can be hard especially for smaller apartments with one owner/landlord. You can even apply for apartments straight from the app! How cool is that? It really makes the whole process of renting actually kind of fun and less of a headache.
If you’re looking for an apartment or will be soon, I highly recommend Zumper. It will make your life a whole lot easier. I hope these tips help you on your next apartment journey!
Download Zumper HERE
