We move a lot. Each move we learn something new. Some would consider me a pro but I still got some learning to do. My moves are a little different from baseball players. The first few months after the baseball season is when most of the jobs are being posted. I always joke that October - November I expect a call from the husband anytime saying we are moving.
We had talked and agreed if nothing came before our lease ended we would stay one more year in Everett. We thought we could do one more season in Everett but that would be it. One thing we learned while in Washington is that we are full season people.
Apartment Hunting is never easy when baseball moving is involved. Usually the offer one day. And want you to start 2 maybe 3 weeks later. Don't forget its across the country. So ending a lease and starting a new one is less than fun. We have been fairly lucky so far in his career.
1. Know your non-negotiables
For us it must be pet-friendly, washer/dryer in units, and air conditioning. (TIP: Most Washington apartments don't have A/C. Granted 2 days out of the year it's actually hot but the way people complain here you would think they live in Arizona.)
2. Know your budget
The one thing about the house hunting show on HGTV is when people show top of their budget houses but they only things they seem to complain is the price is too high. You set the budget people. If it's too high then don't give them that option. Most apartment websites have a price filter to sort by price. We usually do from low to high. You also have the ability to save the searches to go back and review.
3. Location
With this move, the team scouted a few areas out for us to make sure it was in a good area. Most of the time we have just gone in blind. Looked to make sure it was near work, Wal-Mart, etc. Most of our moves have been pretty good. Arizona was the toughest place to find a place because the first apartment said it took dogs. We got there they didn't BUT they had another apartment down the street that did.
4. Get as much done ahead of time
We start looking at apartments right before the 2nd interview. We usually have about 2 or 3 places that we like so accept the offer we can start filling out the paperwork for the apartment. With this move we also knew that we would be getting rid of most of the kitchen stuff. Depending on the time frame I suggest making an ongoing list of things to do and things to get rid of and keep.
5.