Your First Apartment – Don’t DIY, DIWS (do it with style)

I will soon be moving into my very own apartment (by myself, I do not do well with roommates..go figure I’m the youngest of three), so I thought this post would be relevant to both my life as well as those of my readers. I’ve drafted a list of comprehensive tips, resources, ideas and caveats to aid you in your very first move:

Know how much you can afford.. for monthly rent, deposit, first & last months rent, extra deposit for any pets if allowed, making sure you have a safety reserve just in case. You should also allocate money for furniture, food for your fridge, cable/internet, any parking fees, unforeseen accidentals and even more of a spare reserve. Keep in mind your cost of living by looking over your weekly and monthly budget. Make sure to add in things you may have not been paying for previously, such as toiletries you swiped from your parents master bath, dry-cleaning your mother took care of for you, a gym membership and other daily things you may overlook or take for granted.

• A great list of expenses
• Things to Keep in Mind

1. Friends in real estate are a great source of information. They can tell you what you can expect for the amount of money you are willing to spend as well as give you tips when a new property pops on the market.
2. Your parents: I know you’re moving away from them, but they’ve been there and done that and will provide an insurmountable amount of knowledge. The same goes with friends that have recently completed this adventure.
3. I found www.mynewplace.com to be incredibly useful. They allow you to search by type of property (apartment, condo, house), set a price range, the number of beds/baths and you can even narrow your search further if you’d like to only see places that allow pets (cats, dogs or both!) This is actually where I found my place.

Know what you want: Chances are if you’re a twenty-something such as myself, you will be renting an apartment and not buying a house/condo (though congratulations if you are!) Is a studio enough for you or would you rather a one-bed/one-bath space complete with a kitchen and living room (and possible walk-in closet)? Have a list of your must-haves ready when you begin searching, this will save you time and don’t be afraid to modify it as you discover new elements you had not previously thought of. Another good idea is when visiting potential apartments, take out your cell phone and check if you receive a signal or not – it would be nice to not live in a dead zone.

Here are some helpful tools regarding things to to look for when viewing apartments:

• Walk-Through Checklist
• During Your Apartment Hunt

Know what you need: You’re going to forget several things, just as I forgot to bring hangers my freshman year of college and had to make an emergency run to Target. There are many resources to use when attempting to carve out a bare-boned checklist of all the things you will need for your new place.

• Apartment Essentials
• Do not forget this furniture
• For the ignorant of Interior Design
• For Those That Do Well with Lists
• The Best of Ikea – what’s really worth buying
• Getting Creative in Reusing Things You Already Have

1. Will you be using movers? Or will your father and friend with a truck be handling most of the grunt work? Either way, being an organized packer will insure a great deal less stress when you’re settling into your new place. Labeling each box “Bedroom,” “Bathroom,” “Living Room,” “Kitchen” etc will ensure that the men doing the heavy lifting cannot make a wrong move.

• Martha Is The Madame of Moving
• Martha’s Moving Secrets
• Martha’s Essential Moving Lists
• A Guide by Reliant

If you’re afraid you’re not on schedule, there are helpful tools such as Reliant Energy’s “Move Reminder” that allows you to create a timeline based on your move date to complete important tasks.

Let everyone know you’ve moved: whether by artfully designed card sent via snail mail, or a festive e-card such as one of Reliant’s Move E-cards. Let your friends and family know about your new move so they can offer advice, stop by, let you know of any must-visit places close by or just so they remain in the loop.

• Style on a Budget

• Furniture Tips

• End All Be All

• Decorating in a small area

Next Up: The Housewarming (I’ve already begun planning mine and will update you all on how it goes as well as do a tutorial of tips/tricks/caveats).

real estate