Current Articles | RSS Feed
Rental living sometimes requires moving to a new place. This can be a very exciting experience. Whether this is your first place or your tenth, the feeling of relocating to a new home makes you enthusiastic. In all the fun and excitement you still have to remember to get all your belongings packed and ready to go and then unpacked at your new home. This can sometime feel overwhelming. But it does not have to be! Here are some ways to make the process go smoothly:
Read More
Are you looking for a new apartment? Rental living can be a very fun and rewarding experience. What is generally not so much fun though is finding a place to stay. There are so many variables and questions to consider that it all gets confusing and frustrating. It doesn’t have to be that way though. Knowing what to look for and what questions to ask can make searching for a new apartment fun, easy and exciting. The following 10 tips will help you in your search for an apartment:
Your landlord wants to know they are renting the place to the right kind of person. So dress nicely and play the part. Think of it like an interview. Leave the old ball cap at home. Don’t chew gum. Turn off your cell phone. There are probably many people looking to rent that same unit. Presenting yourself as well as you can will help make you memorable.
Searching for an apartment can be a frustrating, time consuming activity, but once you find one you love, the time you spent searching almost always feels worth it. However, when it comes to rental living, you can’t always control who you end up living next to, and in some cases, you may end up with less than ideal neighbors. Unfortunately this happens even to people who spend time scoping out the property before signing their rental agreement. While noisy or irritating neighbors can seem like a curse, there are some simple ways to deal with them in a calm, polite fashion that will almost always help resolve your issue, whatever it may be.
Finding a great apartment is not easy, and once you do your anxious to move in right away. After finding your perfect place it's natural to want to sign the lease and get into your new rental living quarters as soon as possible. But before signing the lease there are some important things to consider about the agreement. If you sign the lease without reading it well you might find yourself coming face to face with some unpleasant surprises. Don't put yourself in that situation. Take some time to study the rental documents. Rental living means you are living in a housing unit that someone else owns. You have to play by their rules. A few of the things you need to consider before signing a lease are:
Find out what you need to pay at the lease signing and as ongoing payments. There may be advance rent, security deposits and pet deposits due at signing and other fees paid on an ongoing basis, as well as your regular monthly rent.
Now that the nice weather has arrived, it's time to open all the windows and start airing out your apartment. You can create even more space to breathe by doing some thorough spring cleaning. The key to truly enjoyable rental living is utilizing the space you have to the fullest and being as clutter-free as possible. That can be easily accomplished with a few simple spring cleaning tips.
Are you dreaming of preparing gourmet meals, but always seems to be short on money for groceries? Maybe it seems that no matter what you do your food budget never seems to be enough. With rent, utilities and other rental living expenses food is always something that seems to be adjusted, usually downward, in your monthly budget. Rental living can be financially stressful at times, and while we’re all on some kind of a budget, with some planning and a few tips cooking on a budget can be fun. You don't have to give up much, if anything, to have a great time while cooking, even on a budget. Following are a few tried and true tips for cooking budget meals.
Rental living in Chico has its challenges, just like anywhere else, and making your food dollars last longer is definitely part of that challenge. With some planning and common sense you can make cooking on a budget fun. Then invite your family and friends over to get a taste of your delicious culinary skills.
Whether you’ve lived in Chico for 10 years, 10 days or 10 minutes, you’ll experience allergies like you never have before. Why? Maybe it’s because rumor has it our city’s founder, John Bidwell, had a thing for trees and planted just about every kind of tree he could get his hands on. Allergies living in Chico are inevitable. But all is not lost! There are some things you can do to help cope with your seasonal allergies.
When you plan a party, which stage do you enjoy the most? Planning out the details can be stressful and time-consuming. Clean-up is depressing and tiring. Besides actually attending the party, most people would say they enjoy decorating for the party. The last item on your “My First Apartment Checklist” is to have fun decorating. Here are some suggestions for doing just that.
Picture this. The moving truck just left. Boxes are piled in the center of every room. You pick one to sit on, look around smiling, and think: “Finally here I am in my first apartment.” Then your smile slowly fades as you think, “…Now what?” Now that you’re moved in it’s time to start unpacking. As you put things away, make a list of all the things you'll need. We’ll help you by going through the main rooms of your apartment.
Think of searching for your first apartment as a treasure hunt. You have a goal in mind – you want a treasured place to call home, but you don’t quite know how you’re going to get there yet. There are clues you have to pick up on the way. If you’ve been reading this blog series, you now know your budget and you’ve decided if you’re going to have a roommate. Now you’re ready to start your first apartment search. The following tips will help give you clues to the apartment that is just right for you.