First-time renters in Ottawa – what to expect?

With the world becoming more and more connected and with traveling being more and accessible, renting a house, an apartment or a room for a week or two is something most of us will experience at least a few times. While there are obvious similarities with renting an actual home for yourself, this experience is still significantly different. If you are one of the first-time renters in Ottawa, there are definitely things that you will need to prepare yourself for, as renting and moving to a new home is not just about hiring a quality moving company and booking a moving date. You need to do some research and a couple of other things before you sign that lease. That is why we have created this list of the most important renting aspects that you need to account for.

The Budget

The first thing that you need to determine is the renting budget. Did you live in a dorm until now, or did were you at your parents’ home? The fact that you are about to be a first-time renter in Ottawa does not mean that you are not already working. However, whatever the amount of money you were making is if it is going to be the same after you move to this new home, things are going to change a lot. Renting an apartment, paying the bills, and dealing with all the other expenses, such as food, all on your own is going to be a really big impact on your budget.

First, you need to research the average costs of such needs and deduct them from your income before you deduct the apartment costs. Now, you have to determine how much you are willing to spend on your new home in Ottawa. One of the most important things to remember here is that you do not want to overextend. For most people, it is a dream to live downtown and to have a large apartment for themselves. However, depending on your budget, you will have to adjust your desires to realistic expectations. It is better to find a smaller, but the practical apartment that has a lower price, instead of a larger one that will eat more than half of your overall income.

How do you feel about roommates?

This is a question you must ask yourself honestly. Having a roommate is one of those experiences in life that can really help you grow. There are of course practical uses to having a roommate. The most obvious one is that you will be able to afford a nicer place. If you find a cool roommate and a good apartment, this can be an amazing experience and one of the most fun periods of your life. On the other hand, finding a good roommate can be quite challenging.

While there is a lot of people who like to be spontaneous with this, it is a fifty-fifty chance that you will find a good roommate. One really common tactic is to become roommates with someone that you know already. While this can overall increase the chances of finding a respectable roommate, this is definitely a double-edged sword. Sharing an apartment with someone that you already know can easily make or break your relationship. Either way, that is why you must be careful with this. Before you go about booking the movers, having an honest conversation (or rather two, or three) with potential roommates is a must.

Each of the first-time renters in Ottawa needs a priority-list

What is a “priority list” you might ask? By this list, we mean a list of all the things that you want from an apartment. Do you want it to be downtown or are you leaning more towards the suburbs? On which floor do you wish to live? Write down a list of all of these things to the tiniest of details such as whether it has a microwave or not. Once you have all these written down, categorize them according to their priority.

Different parts of Ottawa will provide you with different conditions. If you are going to study in Ottawa, then being located at Sandy Hill, close to the University of Ottawa is going to be a level 1 priority. If you are living with someone else, then you want the apartment to have two bedrooms. But if the other person is okay with sleeping in the living room, then that can be a level 2 priority. Having a certain supermarket nearby is something you can rank as a level 3 priority.

Pro-tip: Book your movers as early as possible

One of the most important things you will have to do when you start planning the move to your new home in Ottawa is to hire one of its moving companies. Do not allow yourself to be tricked – you are going to save yourself a lot of trouble by doing this, especially if you are moving here from somewhere else. This is especially the case if you have some large pieces of furniture such as a piano. That is all the more reason to start looking for piano movers Ottawa offers as soon as you start planning the move.

Another really important reason for booking them as soon as possible is that you may have a hard time finding a reliable moving company if you wait too long. Moving companies, and especially those that offer a multitude of services like packing services Ottawa movers offer, often get booked months in advance. So, if you are about to become one of the first-time renters in Ottawa this summer, you should start negotiating the moving date as soon as possible. Just make sure that you do proper research and find a respectable moving company.