Real World 101 Blog

Apartment Safety: Heading Out of Town

2012-02-08T15:00:08Z

If you decide to take a vacation and want your things to be the same when you return, here are a few things you should do before you head out the door:

- Put mail and newspapers on hold
- Ask a neighbor or a friend to come and water plants or feed pets.
- Take out all trash and wash all dirty dishes
- Lock all doors and windows
- Leave a light on or get a light timer
- Give your travel details to a family member or trusted friend.

Up Next: Know Your Rights

This is an excerpt from Deciding Where to Live After College Guide which is included in our Real World 101 Care Packages. Visit our Care Package page to find out how to get one for yourself or for a lucky college grad!

Things that Go Bump in the Night, So What Can You Do?

2012-02-01T15:00:29Z

Living alone for the first time in a big (or small) apartment can be scary. No need to worry too much. Here are some steps you can take that will make you feel safer.

• Add an extra lock. Replace lock cylinders if possible (check with the manager on this) and add a deadbolt. Most important, regardless of your trusting nature, use the locks!

• Invest in a timer for your lights, especially if you're out a lot.

• Leave a radio on to create some noise while you're out of the house.

• Always secure window. As a recent grad you are more likely to live in basement or ground floor apartments than in penthouse suites, and low windows are easily pried open. Secure sliding track windows and doors with wood blocks.

• Store very valuable items in a bank safety deposit box. This will save you having to worry about security (and it may be tax deductible).

• Don't let it be known you live alone. On your answering machine, start your creative message with "We can't come to the phone," rather than "I can't come to the phone."

• Limit the cash stashed in your house. Many standard insurance policies cover a maximum of $200 in cash.

• Protect yourself by never putting identification tags on your key ring or key holder. If your keys are ever lost, intruders will find you!

• Never hide a key outdoors.

• Do not automatically open the door when someone knocks. Ask who it is; if you have questions about the response, do not hesitate to keep the door locked.

• Never let strangers in your home without proper identification, including maintenance, service or repair persons.

• Do not panic if your home has been entered. Do not go into the unit. Contact the police and your landlord immediately.

• Make sure all entranceways and stairwells in your house or apartment are well lit.

• Be sure that your smoke detectors are working; check the batteries on a monthly basis.

Up Next: Heading Out of Town

Ways to Save Money in Your New Apartment

2012-01-25T15:00:42Z

After several months of paying your own way, you may have noticed that maybe budgeting isn’t such a bad idea after all. Here are few tips to stretch your paycheck a bit further.

- Lowering the thermostat even one degree saves money. Turn down the heat when you go to bed. Another option is to pick up a setback thermostat for less than $100 at your local hardware store or Home Depot. When you're sleeping or at work, it will automatically adjust the heat (or the AC). A 10° drop can knock as much as 15% off your utility bills.

- Turn off the air conditioner when you are going to be gone for more than four hours.

- If you don't have an economy cycle on the dishwasher, skip the dry cycle. Let the dishes air dry.

- Get your deposit back from your utility company if you've had the service for over a year.

- Set your water heater to 120 degrees

Tools: Energy Saving Ideas

Up Next: Things that Go Bump in the Night, So What Can You Do?

Getting Your Landlord to Make Repairs

2012-01-18T15:00:44Z

If your landlord has not made repairs to your dwelling, follow these steps to get the process rolling:

1. Request a list of damages to your dwelling within 15 days of moving in. Having this documentation gives you a place to begin.

2. Write your landlord a letter and keep a copy for yourself. Always put your requests in writing and specify how and when you would like your landlord to respond. For example: “Please put in a request to fix the air conditioner this week and send a copy of the work request to the following address.” Send the letter to your landlord via certified mail. This means that someone has to sign for it and it gives you documentation that your mail has been received.

3. If your landlord does not reply, you can call county or city housing inspectors to help you get the repairs made. An inspection by one of these representatives will generate a report that may assist you in getting the repairs accomplished. Your landlord can be fined for housing violations that are not repaired within a specified time frame.

Up Next: Ways to Save Money in Your New Apartment

Tenant Tips

2012-01-11T15:00:05Z

Make sure you maintain a positive relationship with your landlord. Here are a few tips to help you do just that:

1. Always get a written receipt from your landlord when you pay rent or a deposit.

2. Keep copies of your written correspondence with your landlord

3. If you have a written lease, find out your rights and responsibilities and what the landlord must do to evict you.

4. Once you have moved into your new apartment, keep in mind that your landlord still owns the property and can enter it to make inspections or repairs or to show the property to other prospective tenants.

5. If something needs to be fixed, be sure you refer to your lease for a repair clause, because you may have to fix it. If your landlord is responsible for the repairs, give a written notice of what needs to be repaired and wait a reasonable amount of time for a response.

Up Next: Repairs to Your Dwelling

Top 5 Things To Do For Your Apartment

2011-12-28T15:00:22Z

Congratulations! After all of that work, the place is finally yours. Now, you can stay up late, have friends over, and do whatever you want (well, if it’s legal). To help you make the most of your new pad, here’s a list of “Top 5 Things To Do For Your Apartment”:

Check your bills – Make sure your paying for your utilities and not your next-door neighbor’s.
Pay your rent on time – Not only will it make your landlord happy, but will keep your credit report looking good. When you move, your next landlords will check your payment history. To ensure you pay your rent on time, set up auto-bill payment where your rent is taken out of your account automatically without you having to remember each month.
Check your security deposit – Make sure that your landlord has put your security deposit into an interest baring account. Ask if you can have a passbook for the account.
Buy renter’s insurance – Protect your apartment and your wallet, purchase renter’s insurance. You will thank me later.
Make It Your Own – Be sure to make your new apartment feel like home, decorate the way you want. Have fun!

Up Next: Paying Rent Late

Tips for Decorating Your New Apartment

2011-12-21T15:00:16Z

Now that all of your belongings are in your apartment, here are a few simple ways to liven up the place.

Plants
Get plants that don't have to be watered often or fake. It will make your apartment seem more alive.

Pillows
Use colored/patterned pillows to accentuate a boring couch or chair. Use a blanket or throws to also add color.

Light
Be careful about halogen lights. Candles are a nice touch - just remember to blow them out.

Art
You can make your own art and save a lot of money. Try to replicate modern art it’s easier than a Da Vinci. Frames are good thing to have to make things look nicer, keep the frames from the same family/style.

Accent Furniture
Scout flea markets for side tables and room dividers. They make your room look a bigger and everyone wants another place to rest their drink.

Painting
Obtain clearance from management if you can paint the walls or strip the carpeting to expose the wooden floors. Painting each room a different color adds more personality to your apartment instead of looking at the infamous “insane asylum” white walls.

Note: Some landlords have rules against putting holes in walls. Check with your landlord before you begin your own version of Extreme Apartment Makeover.

Up Next: Living In Your Apartment

Where to Get Furniture for Cheap

2011-12-14T15:00:26Z

Freebies and cheap furnishings can get your place looking so good your parents might even consider staying there. And there's a lot you can do to scoop up these ultimate in bargains.

Think chic as you scour the local antique shops, flea markets, rummage/garage sales, and even estate sales. Don' concentrate too much on the surface condition of the item; wood can be easily restored and cushions reupholstered. Bright colors and funky rugs are what you need to turn a bare space into a lively party place.

Look for the PG Rating
Some of the furniture in your house is rated PG: parental giveaway. Just before school, most houses have a parental warehouse bonanza. Excess furniture, appliances, pictures, bedroom furnishings, wedding gifts that were never used, cottage castoffs, and so on, are often available at the absolute best price: free!

Beggars Can Be Choosers
It's great to get a lot of stuff for free, but you can graciously decline the things you don't want. Be selective and avoid loading up on things you don't need.

Tell One, Tell All
Let everyone know you're going off to school and furnishing your own place. Tell all your relatives and your parents' friends - especially the ones with a sense of decorating style. You'll be surprised at the furniture, appliances, pots, pans, wine racks, pictures, TVs, and other gadgets that will descend upon you. Pay attention when friends and family members move - a lot of people would love to hand off furniture they no longer want, especially if you can come get it.

Furnishing Formula Number 1: New apartment + party = housewarming gifts.
Throw a housewarming party to help with decorating. To ensure practical gifts, set a theme. For example, if you desperately need plants, consider a "deck the halls with plants" party. Then watch your place be transformed from a barren wasteland into a tropical rain-forest.

Curbside Castoffs
You may not make a habit of it, but students can get good furniture at, of all places, the curb. Some good furniture gets tossed simply because people get sick of it. Take pleasure in their displeasure by relieving them of these things. If you live near a college campus, hang out on move-out day. A lot of usable furniture gets thrown away because it isn't worth the cost of moving or storing it. But remember a lot of stuff in the garbage is there for a reason. Don't drag anything home that looks like it could be bug or rodent infested.

Check Online
Even if you are super busy, you still have time to browse online for apartment furnishings. Check out your community's free cycle Web site, where people offer perfectly usable items for free. You can also post a request if you're looking for a specific item. Remember, there’s always the classic websites like Craig's List and eBay.

Avoid Rent-to-Own Stores
Some furniture companies offer rent-to-own plans for buying furniture. With rent-to-own, you make monthly rent payments on your furniture. After a certain number of payments, the furniture is yours to keep.

Rent-to-own plans usually aren't bargains. The monthly payments end up costing you much more than it would to buy the item outright. For instance, an item that sells for $300 might cost you $700 after 24 monthly payments. You're better off saving for what you want-and paying the lower price. Click here for an example of how rent-to-own plans work.

Up Next: Tips for Decorating Your New Apartment

Buying Furniture for Your Apartment

2011-12-07T15:00:18Z

You finally have a place to call your own, but after paying the first month's rent and security deposit your funds are too tapped out to even cover a futon sofa for the living room. Meanwhile, your job is taking all your time and you have no time to shop around for bargains. Luckily there are several cheap and easy ways you can go about furnishing your new home, depending on your level of interest in décor and how much you've got to spend.

First Rule of Buying Furniture:
Decide if you plan to keep the furniture for one year or for the rest of your life.

Many people opt to take the low-cost route (IKEA, Target, etc.) when furnishing their first apartment, knowing that it may not pay to take the furniture along in their next move. But if you're looking for a little more class or stability in your new set-up, you may want to invest in — or "appropriate" from willing relatives — at least a couple of pieces of furniture that don't require assembly.

Second Rule of Buying Furniture:
Measure twice, buy once.

Before anything, measure hallways, stairs, and elevators and draft an accurate floor plan to make sure that whatever you buy can squeeze into your apartment. (If you know the dimensions, use this handy tool to guide you: Better Homes and Gardens: Arrange A Room) And if your geometry skills aren't up to Euclid's standards, familiarize yourself with the furniture store's return policy before signing on the dotted line.

TIP: Take especially careful measurements of any kinks or turns in your staircase if you have to haul large pieces of furniture up to your fourth-story walk-up.

TIP: Invest in a small toolkit with a hammer, pliers and screwdrivers so you can hang pictures and assemble your new furniture.

Up Next: Where to Get Furniture for Cheap

Buying Appliances for Your Apartment

2011-11-30T15:00:25Z

Chances are your parents, relatives, or family friends would love to give away some of their gadgets and surplus pots, pans, and appliances. With your roommates, figure out who has what gizmos and then divide up buying what is still needed. Here’s where to shop for what’s needed:

Surplus Stores
Surplus stores carry a wide (though often unusual) assortment of items, but prices are right for a student budget.

Dollar Discount Stores
While they don't tend to sell many large furnishings, smaller items such as kitchenware, utensils, glassware, bedding, and bathroom accessories are usually available at cheap prices.

Restaurant Supply Companies
A little-known source for good quality kitchen utensils and appliances at low prices, many sell to the general public and carry industrial strength supplies that are built to last.

Things to keep in mind when buying appliances:

- Test electrical appliances before you buy them. Plug in the lamp, turn on the microwave, and fire up the barbecue to make sure it works. There's some risk in buying electrical appliances used, but the low cost usually justifies the risk. Try to buy from people you know, and check it over closely for signs of abuse.

- Don't, as a rule, buy appliances that "just need minor repairs," unless you can easily fix them yourself. The minor repairs on a calculator or answering machine may cost you more than if you bought a new one.

- Keep the warranty card, manual, and box if possible. If you resell the appliance you'll get more if it's in the original box. It also saves wear and tear if you pack it before moving.

- Buy company seconds or refurbished models at factory outlets.

- Buy simple products and basic models rather than the deluxe versions. Do you really need a blender with 16 speeds, or will eight do?

- Buy demo models or discontinued models. The colors may be different from new ones, but if the item is 20 to 40 percent off, who cares?

- Buy from appliance repair shops. They'll often fix and sell unclaimed items.

- Generally, with appliances it's a good idea to stick with brand names you know, as they're easier to service.

Tool: Complete Apartment Furnishing Checklist

Up Next: Buying Furniture