sweet said:

It's the same situation as for somebody who owns his/her own apartment.

everything's already been covered, so I'll just say:

- label your boxes by ROOM & brief contents!! There's nothing like needing something & having to look through box after box for it. You'll be too tired & overwhelmed...

- keep 2 sets of clothes & some basic necessities handy, i.e. don't pack ALL your shit. Trust me... keep an overnight bag w/ whatever you need to get dressed & leave the house.

- do paper plates/cups/utensils the first few days, buy them in advance. It seems easy to just pull out a cup or a plate, but then you gotta find the dishwashing liquid & the sponge & the drying rack - unless you completely unpack the kitchen on day 1 just go w/ disposable stuff...

- make a list of deal-breakers for the new apartment: things you WANT (a balcony) vs. things you truly NEED (gated parking, etc), weigh your options & choose wisely. A year can seem so much longer in a shitty place! It also helps to keep some stats on places you like (make notes on a copy of the listing, etc) so you can compare quickly. I was so serious about apartment hunting I made a spreadsheet so I could quickly fill in the info of each place I liked & knew where I was getting the most space, etc.

- ask about your neighbors, particularly ones upstairs from you. Try to avoid Stompy McBitchery...

- check out the laundry room situation: how many machines vs. tenants? Is it well lit? In a basement? Outdoors??

- find out about any rules of that building: the place I'm in now had a rule about rugs on the new floors, which cost me considerably (each room had to be 75% covered by a rug). & a friend of mine has been in back to back places where tenants aren't ALLOWED to buzz people in - she has to come downstairs & open the door for each & every guest


Happy apartment hunting!

dont go out and buy up a bunch of crap to furnish every inch of every space.
buy good quality things at a slow pace. Over years allow things to develop and accumilate. Exercise discernment when getting things, only spend your money on things that are classic and will last you a lifetime. You will be able to sell those items and get your money back if you get tired of them. When you find something you like for instance dishes or flatware make sure you look on line etc. that you are getting the best price or wait for sales of 30-40% or more, used items are just as good new if they are quality. You can save $$$ buying second hand. You will save money and save the environment doing this.

peacenlovealways said:

Usually the first tip is in that small table by the entrance where you leave your keys. Beware or you might hurt your knees

Top floor! You don't want to hear some fatasses above you, trampling all over the place at 4 AM.

RodeoSchro said:

Boy ain't that the truth! I had to deal with that crap before and it is NOT fun!!!

CarrieLee said:

im in a downstairs unit now for the first time since ive been an apartment dweller...and its different to say the least my building is uber old and i think it was built before builders had even heard of 'reinforced floors and walls' and im pretty sure no one actually sat down and thought out the blueprint

each unit mirrors the other -i.e. bedroom next to bedroom is not a good idea in my opinion

so yeah make sure u get an upstairs apt