Apartments

Saturday Melissa and I are going to go out and look at some apartments. We've been able to narrow the field down to just a couple using various internet websites and resources. Despite using the internet, I am still very uncofident in my ability to know what to say and do when actually talking with a landlord. What are some things I should look for when checking out an apartment? Is it more beneficial to have utilities included in the rent or to have a washer and dryer in the unit but no utilities paid? I am too new at this to really know what I am doing. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions for this whole finding an apartment deal?