How exciting!  Today's the day you're going to start looking for your first apartment!  You're ready to spread your wings and leave the nest and set up your own little home now.  A place to call your own that you can decorate anyway you like, you can entertain in whenever you like and you can clean – or not clean – as often as you like.  No more sharing a room with your brother or sister, no more party noises from the dorm next door.  You can get a cat or a dog if you want.  You can eat cereal for dinner if you want.  And you can walk around in your underwear if you want to!  It's your first apartment and you have big plans for this place!

Well, before you move into that first apartment you need to remember that mommy and daddy aren't going to be there to chase away the bogeyman – or pay your bills.  You also won't have a nice warm garage to store your car in during the winter, you probably won't even have your own parking space and if you don't have a car at all you better make sure that first apartment is close to public transportation. 

But let's not talk about negatives right now.  After all – you're about to move into your first apartment and this is the beginning of a whole new chapter of your life.  Why, YOUR first apartment is going to have everything you ever dreamed of – a self-cleaning bathroom, someone who comes in and prepares your meals, a shower with a never ending supply of hot water and a bed that makes itself!  Of course, all of those amenities will cost you a little bit extra every month and since this is your first apartment you may not have the budget for that.  So here's our 20 Things To Look For In Your First Apartment Checklist.