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Getting a new apartment can be an exciting time for anyone, but there is a note of danger to it. While it’s great when you find some luxurious amenities or when your commute is cut in half, you also have to look out for potential safety problems and not having anything nearby to do on the weekends. Ultimately, when you are looking for a new apartment you need to check it out first and decide on the following things.

Your Commute

How far is the apartment from where you have to go on a regular basis? If the nearest grocery store is halfway across town and your workplace is even farther in the opposite direction, you’re going to be annoyed more often than you’re satisfied with this living arrangement. Unless the place is really great and cheap, you might want to consider renting on another place.

Your View

A lot of people don’t think much about the view in apartments in Baltimore, but it’s the most unique trait of any place. What will you gaze out at when you’re just chilling and glancing out the window? A lake or a park is good. A brick wall or a dumpster isn’t so awesome. Think carefully about the view before you sign the lease.

The Floor Plan

How well is the place laid out? In a lot of cases you’ll find that the apartment is just okay, but it can bother you a lot down the line. Never underestimate what a good floor plan can do to make your quality of life better. A bad floor plan can lead you to stumbling around in the dark looking for the bathroom at night, or hunting around to find things in spite of having a place for everything.

The Neighborhood

Do you feel safe in the place’s neighborhood? Is this a high crime area, or would you be happy to walk around it at 3 a.m. with $20 bills dangling from your pockets? This is important because nothing ruins your day quite like having your car broken into or having shady people stare at you like dessert while you walk into or out of your apartment.

The Building’s Security

Even the best neighborhood needs some degree of security. Without it, crooks from other areas will just waltz up and burglarize the whole place at their first convenience. A secure building tends to have video cameras, security lights and metal-framed doors that lock separately from your main door.

When you go to find an apartment, you have a lot of things you need to think about. When you look at the neighborhood, the building’s security, the floor plan and your commute, remember how much each of these will impact your life while you live in the place. Even the view from your apartment is going to affect your quality of life, so consider all of these things carefully.