Renting Apartment versus Condo - and other renting questions... (hardwood floors, apartment complex)

[Sassygirl18]

Hi All

Hubby and I are gearing up to put our house on the market. After being homeowners for 20 years and all the responsibility that comes with it, we are ready to unload our house and live a simpler lifestyle where we no longer have to be concerned with maintenance/upkeep, lawn mowing, property taxes, etc. I do realize that renting has its own set of challenges, but I wanted to ask your input about some things.

We live in the Cherry Hill West area in a nice middle class neighborhood and LOVE it. We work in Philadelphia, so we would like to rent in an area that has easy access to Philadelphia. I prefer taking PATCO or NJTransit train into the city.

Any suggestions as to:

Nice apartment complexes that are quiet, and well-maintained and pet friendly (cats) where middle aged professionals would be happy? We don't have kids, so a noisy apartment complex that is overloaded with families with kids would probably not work for us. We are looking to spend no more than about $1,500 a month including utilities for a 2 bedroom.

Renting an apartment versus a condo? Would a couple like us who is used to being homeowners be likely to be happier in one versus another? Nice condo complexes?

The best way to find apartments and condos for rent? I am aware of Craigslist, Realtor.com, hotpads.com. Any other good sources?

Some things on our wish list, although not necessities, are: hardwood floors (easier to keep clean with cats), fireplace, community swimming pool, some kind of outdoor space like a patio or balcony.


Thanks for any tips!!!

[sj08054]

You shouldn't have trouble finding a 2/2 condo in the $1200 range (rent only). These condo units are mostly in the 30-40 years old range. You probably see more laminte flooring than real hard wood with the condo. If you don't mind the stairs, you may want to be on an upper unit just in case.

Just understand that condo will have it's crazy rules. You may have a patio deck but they will not allow you to BBQ.

[SkyNinja]

I'm enjoying renting in south Jersey very much. My fiance and I (and our cat) found a nice 2nd floor apt in a quiet, pretty river-line town. We're in our late 20's with no plans for kids, and have always rented because of the freedom and flexibility it offers.

As far as complexes, I recommend avoiding them in favor of a duplex/split up house if you can handle the quirks of privately owned places. With our 1 bedroom we accepted having old leaky windows, a small bathroom and old kitchen to be able to pay less than $900/mo for a nice apartment in a charming old building in a safe and attractive neighborhood. Complexes can offer all the amenities you want, but it comes at a premium and, IMO, without the convenience and charm of an in-town rental.

Finding a nice place in town can require more work. For example, our place said no pets, period, in the advertisement, but the realtor talked to the landlord and they accepted without even asking for a pet fee (complexes wanted $500 up front or $50/month non-refundable). After moving in, I realized there were a ton of other rentals nearby that weren't even listed online. A lot of landlords still only advertise in the local paper or with a sign in the window. Craigslist seems to be the best for online searching, though.

Good luck!

[Sassygirl18]

Thanks for the replies!

Laminate flooring is fine. We would just prefer a hard surface over carpeting with cats.

We would be open to a privately owned place if the owner did all the exterior maintenance and yard work, lawn mowing, etc. After 20 years of owning homes, we want nothing to do with that anymore. I think for most private places, though, we would be expected to maintain the outside and mow the lawn. Yeah, the pet fees are ridiculous! It irks me to no end that apartment complexes charge them. A pool is pretty high on our list of desired features. I realize we could join a community pool, but they are usually overrun with kids.

[NJcost$$]

You might want to look into the high-rise apartment in Westmont/Haddon Twp off of Cuthbert. Its Haddonview apts, and my husband and I lived there for a year and loved it. We were in our 20s at the time, and even though we were the youngest ones there, we loved the elevator building, with a doorman, pool and workout room (for a small fee). There are two towers and backs up to the library, and supermarket is right across the street. Not sure about the pet policy though ... Haddonview Associates, LLC Apartments in Haddon Township, NJ | Apartments.com

[Sassygirl18]

Thanks, NJCost. I actually looked at that complex about a month ago. I liked the apartment itself, but the public areas like the hallways were pretty run down and smelly, to the point that it was really off-putting. I didn't completely scratch this complex off the list, though, because I did like a lot of things about it, and the location is really good.