How to Find a Georgetown Apartment in a Competitive Market

Living in Georgetown can be an exciting time in anyone’s life. Not only will your home be in the heart of the nation and its seat of power, it offers you a rich lifestyle full of history, culture, and entertainment. If you are already a resident of Washington, DC then chances are you already know about this community’s rich connections, and if you’re just considering relocating to this area then you’ll be interested in the comments made in the Guide to Georgetown,

“Founded in 1751, historic Georgetown is known for its designer and mainstream boutiques, beautiful architecture and its seemingly endless list of cafes, restaurants, and bars. History buffs, serious shoppers and garden lovers are instantly smitten with attractions like Georgetown University, the C&C Canal, the Kreeger Museum and Tudor Place.”

Because of Georgetown’s highly popular location, the apartment hunting there can be very competitive. When you’re ready to find your next apartment in Georgetown, here are a few things you might want to consider.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time

Looking for apartments in this kind of environment is hard. Finding a nice facility that is ideally located to your work and everything else you need in life can be a real challenge if you don’t go about it the right way. Start your apartment search early so that you have time to really explore your options. If you want a managed building, you need to start at least 2 months before you plan to make your move. In DC, most landlords will ask for a 60 day notice before vacating the unit so more often than not, the apartment you’re looking for could already be rented out even before it is vacated. This means that waiting for the sign to go up may be too late. By starting your search 2 months before you can get ahead of the crowd and find an apartment before the rest of the world knows anything about it.

Enlist Help

There is no reason why you should do your apartment search completely on your own. Using rental agencies in a competitive market like Washington, DC can help take the sting out of apartment hunting. They are able to tell if an advertisement is a scam or if a particular place is really a legitimate rental. They can also do much of the pre-work for you; they can screen the apartments and only show you the ones that fit your requirements. When you’re shopping around for an apartment in a competitive market they can help you through much of the hassles. Consider the advice of Lew Sichelman of the LA Times,

“Hiring an agent to help with your search for a rental apartment may be a big-city phenomenon … Real estate agents everywhere can help renters find suitable accommodations just as they help buyers find houses. And perhaps more importantly, they can make the search much easier.

While you never want to stop searching for yourself, finding help can actually make the job much easier and take a lot of the stress out of your hunt for your new place in Georgetown.

Challenges Unique to DC Living

While finding an apartment can be a challenge to anyone, finding one in Georgetown and in the DC area comes with its own quirks. If you’re relocating here you probably won’t know about the required parking permits that you’ll need if you find an apartment without a garage or that the closer you get to the Metro station the more your rent you will have to pay. There are many things to consider when you’re looking for your new place. It might be best to take the advice of About Travel on apartment hunting in the DC area,

“Finding the right apartment to call home can be challenging in Washington DC. The capital region is one of the most expensive places to live in the nation and many areas of the city are changing rapidly.”

By taking the time to learn about the many unique challenges you’ll have when searching for an apartment in such a competitive environment like Georgetown, you’re taking an honest and realistic approach to apartment hunting in this highly competitive environment such as 2255 Wisconsin Ave.