Over the last several weeks, I’ve been looking for an apartment to move out into (sounds like something a Klein bottle does). I learned a lot in the process — a lot of things that I wish I knew ahead of time, so I’m writing this juicy post for all you people who are going to be moving out. A lot of what I’m going to talk about pertains specifically to my situation, but there are useful general lessons within as well.

There are several things you’ll want to do before you go looking for apartments:

1. Establishing a budget: Your rent budget will obviously depend on your income, but there are other important factors to consider such as commute ($100/month for a TTC pass), bills (phone, cellphone, cable, internet, insurance, car financing, etc.), groceries ($200-400/month depending where you shop), and lifestyle (restaurants, alcohol, expensive suits, bribery, etc.).
2. Building a timeframe: Apartments are usually rented out on the first week of each month, so you’ll need to know what month you’re checking availability for. If you’re flexible and can stay with your parents for as long as necessary, then you’ll have many more options. On the other hand, if you’re going to be out on the streets if you don’t find a place by a specific time, then expect to get at least a little bit stressed — but stress can help make up your mind. You should start looking for a place at least 1.5 months in advance. You might be able to pull it off in 3 weeks if you know exactly what you want and have realistic expectations, but don’t count on it. If you don’t have a place you’re happy with and there’s only 2 weeks left, then it may be time to start panicking.
3. Choosing the location: Apartment searches can go on indefinitely if you don’t limit yourself by location. Some ways to narrow down your search locations is by commute limitation, lifestyle desires and cost. If you choose an area within walking distance of work, that’s an extra $100/month you’ll be saving, or that you can put towards a nicer apartment. If you plan on driving, expect to pay $100-175/month extra for a parking spot. If you plan on eating, make sure you have a strategy for getting groceries. Chinatown is great, Price Chopper/No Frills are good, Food Basic is okay, Loblaws/Dominion are pushing it, and St. Lawrence Market will rival your rent. I decided I wanted to live in an “active” area with easily accessible entertainment and restaurants, so I limited my search to the downtown Toronto area, and the Yonge/Eglinton area. These places are obviously more expensive than living in the suburbs, but you only live once, right?
4. Outlining the criteria: Bachelor or one bedroom? Do you have preferences for the type of apartment? Shared? Basement? Apartment building? Condominium? Luxury/high-end? These are pretty much sorted by cost. For downtown living, a shared apartment can range from $400 (house) to $1000 (luxury) per person. One bedroom basements go for $600 to $900. Apartment buildings give out one bedrooms for $1050 and up, condominiums vary (but tend to be on the nicer/more expensive side), and luxury apartment buildings tend to be over $1250. I define a luxury apartment building as a glorified condominium made purely for rent, with full amenities (gym, pool, etc.), fancy lobbies, and high-end appliances. So, outline your limits and desires. They’ll likely involve the previous three criteria. For me, I decided to consider normal apartment buildings if they were <$1100 and "nicer" apartments/condominiums if they were <$1250 (or $1150 if commuting is required). Try to be realistic and expect to make compromises.

Once you start to get a feel for what you want, it’s time to go out and find it. There’s several ways to go about this, and they all tend to evolve back and forth between each other.

1. Checking online: It’s always wise to do your research before entering battle. Go online and see what’s available; this will also help you fine-tune your original expectations. The main resources I used to find apartments in the Toronto area are Craigslist (housing section), Viewit.ca (suggested by Andrew), and Renter’s News (suggested by Lillian). Tip: If you find a listing you like, cross-check the building with other resources. You may find that the same apartment was posted elsewhere for a lower price, or you’ll find other interesting postings in the same building, or at the least you’ll get a better feel for the building.
2. Walking around: There’s no substitute for the ol’ elbow ankle grease. Find a location you’re interested in and take several hours to walk around and visit buildings. Preferably during business hours, so you can ask the managers of buildings if they have anything available for rent. Not all buildings advertise their apartments on the interwebs. Make sure to drop by your friends’ buildings; the managers love referrals and will often offer cash incentives. I’ve spent about 5 days (about 4-5 hours each) just walking around and visiting buildings. If you schedule your apartment hunt to coincide with your marathon walk training, kudos to you.
3. Fish yourself a real estate agent: (Only applies if you’re looking for condominium apartments.) This might be the most important one. A good real estate agent working for you is incredibly useful. They’ll find you listings you’re interested in, show them to you, drive you around, give you advice, and even a shoulder to cry on. Unfortunately, finding a good one is not very easy. Sometimes when you go to visit an apartment you found online, you’ll actually be dealing with a real estate agent who has other listings that you might be interested in. If they offer help, take it. I happened to run into a great agent, who does condominium leasing/sale in Toronto, completely by accident (he overheard me talking to a building manager). Give me a shout and I’ll hook you up with his contact information. What’s in it for them, you ask? They get commission from the owner whenever they rent out their suite. You don’t pay a thing. This means that it’s obviously cheaper to find someone who is renting out their own apartment privately, but those aren’t easy to find.
4. Check magazines/newspapers? I avoided this legacy medium altogether, so I can’t speak about its effectiveness. Can’t hurt, unless you’re prone to papercuts… then you might want to invest in some gloves.