Finding and Furnishing Your Apartment With Ease
Finding the perfect apartment can feel impossible, especially in high-demand metropolitan markets. Phrases like “junior one bed” and “W/D in unit” can stump first-time renters, making the process seem overwhelming.Below, we’ve compiled a guide to landing your first apartment, complete with helpful tips — tech-oriented and otherwise — to help you find a happy home. Some are obvious (like actually reading your lease); others are outside-the-box (like channeling your dating app skills for the apartment hunt). The one thing they have in common is that they are all cheap and easy ways to streamline the entire stressful process.Here are a few ideas to ensure you end up in a home and not a hovel.
Make sure you’ve found the right pad
Choosing your first apartment is a big commitment — this is going to be the center of your life for the next one or more years. Luckily, there is a whole crop of real estate apps to ensure you’ve found a happy nest.
Billed as the “Tinder of real estate,” Doorsteps Swipe app enables users to rate homes at the touch of a finger. Input the criteria you need (i.e. one bedroom under $3,000; must allow dogs) and start swiping: Right for the spots you like, left for those that belong in an episode of American Horror Story. The app will also learn your preferences, tailoring results as you use it more.
We all know what it’s like to find the perfect pad, only to scroll down and see that it’s (gasp) in the suburbs. Or next to a garbage dump. Or too close to your ex’s place. You get the point. First apartments are usually small, which means your neighborhood will serve as a second (or even first) living room. It’s worth paying a little extra to live in a walkable hood. Place of Mine overlays the restaurants, coffee shops and nightlife surrounding a particular listing. Walk Score and Foursquare are also helpful for exploring new neighborhoods.
Don’t forget the basics
While there are a sea of apps to help you navigate the waters of real-estate, sometimes you have to go old-school and remember the tips your parents shared when you weren’t listening. Below are a few pointers on thoroughly examining your soon-to-be home before signing on the dotted line.
- Run all of the faucets, tubs and showers before signing a lease. You’ll want to make sure the pressure is good, and that the water quality seems acceptable. (Pro tip: Brown water is not okay).
- Inspect the air. If you’re moving during an unusually warm November, you might forget to check the heat. Run the air — both hot and cold — or you may be in for some uncomfortable seasons.
- Read the lease. People are about as likely to read their lease as they are to read the iTunes Terms of Agreement (read: not very). Ask every question that pops into your head. It’s better to be meticulous from the get-go.
Plan for an efficient move
Bribing friends with pizza and beer to help you move was fine in college, but you’re a grown-up now. Here’s the good news: Booking movers has never been so simple.
Enter Moveline. The app starts out with standard questions, which can be answered via video chat, phone, email, text, carrier pigeon or whatever method you find easiest. Once the Moveline team has a better idea of your needs, you’ll be assigned a a “Move Captain” to help give an estimate and find the best mover for you. All of the nitty gritty — booking movers, shipping boxes, etc — is done for you. Their basic package won’t break the bank, either, and is great for smaller moves (like those out of a dorm). Android users can use MyMove, a similarly effective service.
Moving is also one of the great opportunities to expunge yourself of unnecessary belongings. Use it as an excuse to check unloved spots — under the bed, in the medicine cabinet, at the bottom of the coat closet — for things that are better left behind. It’s much easier to do this exercise as you are emptying an apartment, as opposed to dedicating precious vacation days or free time to the job. Plus, fewer boxes means less money to the movers, so it’s a win-win.
Design it to your liking
No matter what anyone tells you about the woes of finding and furnishing your first apartment, don’t forget that this is your time to make a mark. This is your home, so treat it like your home. Basically, you do you. And have fun.
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- Be bold with color: Painting is a cheap and easy way to dress up your home, and doing the job yourself can make you feel connected to the space. Bright, welcoming colors like red or blue can add warmth and homeyness to any room
- Go crazy with mirrors: Reflective
surfaces can give the appearance of light and space in a small apartment. Place mirrors directly behind a lamp, or across from an actual window for maximum effect.
- Mix the old and the new: Like moths to a Swedish flame, it’s common for youngsters to buy exclusively from IKEA. To infuse a little more personality (and save on time spent assembling a thousand pieces of particleboard), ask your parents for pieces they’re not using, or hit up a local garage sale. No one wants to end up like Ed Norton in Fight Club.
- Replace the hardware: Doorknobs, cabinet pulls and small fixtures, like like these from Anthropologie, are an inexpensive way to make a space your own.[/message]
What are your tips for finding and furnishing your first apartment? Tell us in the comments.
