When considering a new apartment, it's important that you have a firm concept of what you'll need to suit your lifestyle. Important questions to ask yourself:

• Do you cook? If you cook for yourself and/or your family on a daily basis, then you'll want as many bells and whistles for your kitchen as possible: ample cabinet space, garbage disposal, and plenty of countertop space for preparing your meals.
• If you aren't a cook, then it's probably important that your apartment be centrally located to restauarants. Before you sign a lease for an apartment, it's a good idea to thoroughly drive the neighborhood and see what types of businesses are within close proximity of your potential new home.
• While it's ideal to have a washer and dryer inside your unit, it's going to come at a cost - only high end apartments will feature their own washer and dryer hoookups. Instead of having washer and dryers in every unit, most apartment complexes have a community laundry room with coin operated washers and dryers.

Do you like to spend your time outside? Do you have extra time every week to drive to the local coin laundry mat and do your laundry for three or four hours straight?

Apartment complexes typically have several on site amenitites for their tenants - do your research before you sign a lease and you'll find that some apartment complexes offer much more than others. Some potential amenities:

• Swimming pool and hot tub
• Landscaped grounds
• Coin laundry facility
• 24/7 security
• On site manager
• On site maintenance
• Gated entrance
• Volleyball court
• Basketball court
• Community BBQs

Assigned parking and/or a private garage is particualrly important if you drive a nice car or if the apartment complex is in a densely populated area such as a downtown district or a popular tourist destination.

How far do you commute everyday to work? 10 mins? 30 minutes? More than an hour?

If you drive a long distance to work everyday, you'll want your new home to be centrally located to highways and freeways. If you have time, perform your commute to and from work starting at the apartment you're considering. Only then will you have an idea if the location is suitable for your daily commute.