Picking a place to live is a big decision and not one that should be made lightly. You have to factor in location, price, and what your land lord is like into the equation.

There are two great questions you can ask to help you navigate these waters.

First, ask yourself “Would I want to own this property?”

There’s no point living somewhere you wouldn’t even consider buying. The fact is “living” and “your life” are intimately connected so you shouldn’t rent somewhere that will suck your life dry. If you envision the basement of the house you will one day own strictly being used for storage, maybe you should rethink renting a basement suite to live in?

A simple test when looking over a suite is to ask yourself “Would I want to own this property?”

Second, ask yourself “How would I treat this suite if I owned it?”

This will further clarify what suite you’d like to live in AND it creates the added bonus that it will help you build a great relationship with your landlord.

Above all else your landlord values things going smoothly. They don’t want to be in your grill any more than you want them to be. (I’m assuming this is not at all.) So, take care of your house just like you would if you owned it. If a little thing breaks, fix it. If a big thing breaks tell your landlord, get three quotes and let them pick what they want to do to resolve it.

This kind of head space will create a sense of home in your rented space AND it will go a long long long way to creating a peaceful relationship with your landlord.

These two questions will help you figure out which suites you would want to live in and would definitely NOT want to live in. They’ll also help you maintain good relationships with your landlord and create a real sense of home in your rental property.

Plus, one day it may be you that owns the suite so you’ll be thankful for the good karma you invested now.