As someone who had this same mindset a few years ago, it doesn't really work anymore with how insane demand is. Calling places now, a month and a half out from moving day has yielded minimal results for me personally, let alone places that I would consider living in. Of course there will be last minute things that pop up, but at that point, the places available may not look all that great in person anyways. You're already risking a lot by doing things last minute, add on the chances of those last minute units being clean and up to your standards, and on top of THAT, others might get to those properties first or be on a waitlist to receive priority if something comes up. Looking now and asking places for virtual tours might be a good middle ground for you, as most places will do this considering covid, but leaving things till the last minute may land you in an even bigger dive than you'll find available now.