The cost of renting furnished apartments in Chicago is nothing to scoff at, so renters have to make sure they are getting what they are paying for. If you have just moved into the city for an official visit, or are planning to upgrade to a better, bigger apartment anytime soon, be sure to go through the following list, as we discuss the features that should take precedence.
Security and Location
Admittedly, Chicago is not exactly Rockford in terms of being prone to crime, and it’s one of the safer cities to live in Illinois. Even then, security should be one of the first concerns while looking through furnished apartments in Chicago. A proper home security system for the apartment building and a doorman should be enough in most neighborhoods though.
What is even more important is the location of the apartment, as there are both good neighborhoods and bad ones in Chicago, just like there is in every other major city.
Quality of the Apartment
Furnished apartments in Chicago or any other metropolitan city should at least have a decent décor, heating and cooling facilities, TV, Wi-Fi, a full set of furniture, one or more bathrooms and a properly equipped kitchen.
This is in addition to the bedrooms and a living room of course. You may get more than these bare minimums, but if the apartment claims to be a furnished living space, that’s pretty much the least you can expect.
In case you are looking for more premium furnished apartments in Chicago, these apartments from Blueground company are among the best in the city. A leading name in corporate and personnel housing, their roster of furnished apartments in Chicago are spread all over the city.
Blueground’s interior design goes beyond the typical corporate housing offering by including new home tech, designer furniture and high-end building amenities. Their monthly rental system makes these secured, apartments ideal for those seeking a flexible lease that doesn’t lock them down to a year.
Storage Space
How much storage you need depends on a few variables, as mentioned below:
- The tenure of your visit
- Whether or not you have a family
- If you do have a family, how big is it?
- If it’s a corporate stay, will you have roommates?
Most single men or women looking for a furnished apartment in Chicago won’t mind not having too much storage space, but that changes with the size of your family, or in the case of corporate apartments, the number of roommates. The basic idea is that the more people you have living in the apartment with you, the more storage space you will need for storing everything from kitchenware and cutlery, to closet space for your wardrobe.
External Facilities
Whether you are there for a few short months on work, or have longer staying plans, you will want to have a gym and a pool at the very least, if not a game room as well. Some socializing opportunities are particularly welcome options for long term renters.
Transportation and Distance from the Office
Especially relevant to corporate visitors, you need an apartment that makes the commute to and from work a lot easier. That is to say, the apartment should be close to transportation links such as bus stops and subway stations.
If your company has provided you with a car during the course of the stay, then you may not need to worry so much about transport links, but you still won’t want to get stuck in traffic every day – a fact that will become painfully bothersome when the distance between the office and the rental apartment is already quite significant without the traffic!
Finally, in the off chance that you can’t drive to work on account of a car breakdown, or have plans to party later on in the evening, the option to take public transport and reach your new apartment easily could be a big advantage.
Shopping for Groceries
This is not exactly the first thing that pops into one’s mind while considering furnished apartments in Chicago, but you will regret not having considered it soon after. The option to buy groceries at a nearby supermarket or at least local shops in the neighborhood is a must have.
If that isn’t an option, you will have to add another stop to your drive on a regular basis. Online options are there of course, but that usually costs more than getting groceries yourself, not to mention, fine pickings are out of the question!
The longer your visit, the more everything will start to feel relevant to you, so the tenancy of your visit is one of the main considerations here. We have covered the major aspects of making both short- and long-term visits to a new city comfortable, and if you find an apartment that checks all these boxes, it’s time to rent it already!
