Are you looking for a new apartment? Are you overwhelmed by the sheer number of options? Have no fear! I’m going to help you make your decision easier with my new blog series Top Tips for Your Apartment Search. For my first post, I am going to help you combat a huge contributor to stress and anxiety in the apartment searching process: FOMO.

But first, some context:

The more choices we have, the harder it is for us to make a decision. One famous study showed customers either a display of 6 or 24 jams. The customers at the smaller display were ten times more likely to actually buy jam. Plus, they ended up more satisfied with their choice!

Why is this?

To put it simply: FOMO. Fear. Of. Missing. Out.

It’s a real thing, and it makes decision-making much harder by forcing you to always ask yourself “what if...”. FOMO will suck away all your joy and leave you unsatisfied with any decision.

To avoid all of these undesirable symptoms of FOMO during your apartment search, you need to focus on what actually matters to you. You can do this by acknowledging your deal-breakers early on in the process.

Deal breakers are things that you cannot live with or without. Even if the apartment was completely perfect in all other aspects, without this feature, amenity, or policy, you cannot and will not live there.

Most people know what their deal breakers are. It’s still important to think about them, write them down, and keep them in mind, though. Before you visit any apartment community, call or go online to make sure they can accommodate your deal breakers. Let me illustrate why this step is essential in preventing FOMO.

You drive by an apartment community. You’ve never heard of it, but it looks nice enough. As soon as you walk in, you see a glorious chocolate fountain, and you are already envisioning all the possibilities...

But, wait! What does this sign say?! No dogs?!

In just a couple of seconds, your feelings of pure ecstasy have now sunk into absolute despair as you discover the community does not allow any pets. You now have to choose between keeping your beloved Fluffy or living in an apartment community with unlimited access to chocolate.

Naturally, you choose Fluffy. But, you now live in constant state of anxiety, dreaming about the fountain every night, and holding resentment towards poor Fluffy for holding you back from this luxury (which now seems more like a necessity).

photo courtesy of Camden

And this, my friends, is FOMO.

Okay, maybe you don’t like chocolate as much as me. I’m just trying to stress the importance of acknowledging your deal breakers. You will save yourself a lot of time and anguish by eliminating apartment communities that do not accommodate to these deal breakers.

Every apartment community will have different features, amenities, and policies. Surely, you could find something you like at any community. But focusing on all the possibilities can distract you from what is actually important to you. It’s important to remember no apartment will have everything. After all, it makes sense that a community with a chocolate fountain doesn’t allow dogs.

Of course, you need to remember to keep your deal breakers realistic. A deal breaker is not something that would be nice to have. It is something that you cannot live without. In future posts, I’ll help you prioritize all those other things so that you can find the best match for you. Stay tuned for more of my Top Tips for Your Apartment Search, including "Reading Reviews" and “Ditching the Spreadsheet.”

In the meantime, check out some other Simply Camden blog articles to help you with your apartment search: what to do before the apartment search begins, how to pick out the right apartment style for you, and how to know the apartment you picked is the one.

Ready to start your search? Camden has more than 160 communities across the nation. Don’t miss out, find your new home today!