When you are looking for just the right apartment, you may be inclined to spend the majority of your time checking out the living room, the bedroom, and the view from what may be your new home. Most apartment hunters think about how they will enjoy the main living area. Landlords and home sellers know that it's all about selling you a lifestyle. However, there is one often-overlooked area of the apartment that you should give more than a perfunctory glance: the bathroom..
Check out the Grout and Caulking
Look at the caulking and grout in the bathroom. If it is clean, that's a good sign that the current or former tenants kept good care of the bathroom and, in turn, good care of the overall apartment. If a tenant is still living in the apartment, you can't expect perfection, but the grout and caulking should at least be clean and in good shape.
Open the Medicine Cabinet
Open the medicine cabinet in your potential new bathroom. Some landlords don't anticipate that potential buyers will do things like open closet spaces and medicine cabinets. As such, they may not prepare these areas for the showing of the apartment, and the usual condition of the apartment can shine through when you check them out.
Look at the Shower or Bathtub
An apartment that has both a shower and a bathtub is important to many tenants. If a bathtub is important to you, be sure that the apartment has one in a size that's comfortable for you. On the other hand, if you only enjoy showers, check to see that the shower is your style. Although you may want to ask permission first, it's okay to turn on the water in the sink and the shower to check on water pressure and the shower head.
Turn on the Lights and Fans
If the bathroom has an overhead fan and light system, be sure to turn it on. How the lighting works matters. Lights with burned-out bulbs or ones that do not work may be a sign that the home is not being cared for properly. It can at least open your eyes to the fact that you want to check out the apartment more closely.
Finally, keep in mind that there are many aspects of a apartments that you should take into consideration. Start by checking out the bathroom with this checklist, and go from there. If the apartment's bathroom inspires any questions, talk to the landlord about your concerns before deciding on a lease. Open communication from the start about your needs is the best way to start a tenant-landlord relationship.
