If you are shopping for apartments and you aren't sure how to pick the right one, there are a few things you can do to determine what option is best. You want to make sure that the apartment complex is going to be somewhere convenient for you to live, since you usually have to sign a 1 year lease.

Most show apartments or newly cleaned apartments are going to look nice, it's the surroundings you have to worry about. You have to make sure the complex is near your job or near school, that it has the amenities you require, and that you feel comfortable in the building. Here are a few things to do.

Try Driving to Work in Rush Hour

Try driving to work or school at the time when you would actually have to be there, instead of a random time during the day when there isn't a lot of traffic. If you are stuck in lights, you can't get there easily, or you notice that it's going to add many minutes onto your daily commute, you may want to skip that apartment complex.

Check Out Parking

Are you assigned your own parking spot, or do you have to pick a random spot in the lot when you arrive? If you could get stuck at the far end of the parking lot or out on the street in front of the building, will you feel safe if you get home late at night? If you have to park on the street or away from your building, you may not want to rent that building because of safety concerns. While you check out the parking situation, talk with a couple of renters in the parking lot. They may tell you they dislike the customer service or property manager, or that they don't maintain the walkways well in the winter, which is valuable information.

Ask Who Will be Around You

Do you not want to live around kids, or feel that you don't want to live next to an elderly person that may not like your music? Ask the apartment complex who will be living around the unit that you rent so you can be prepared. You don't want to spend a hear listening to kids screaming and yelling if you don't like children, or having someone complain about everything you do.

Make sure you do these three things before you sign a lease on new apartments in your area. It could make a huge difference on how happy you are for the next year.