When you’re about to sell your place, you want it to look as gorgeous as possible to attract the best buyer. And the one thing that all the most attractive listings have? A set of great photos. The first thing you’ll want to do when selling your home is take some great snapshots that reflect what your pad really looks like (minus the pile-up of junk in the corner).

You may have done a great job splitting up all your stuff or maybe you feel pretty good about the custody setup you both agreed to, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy having your ex living right around the corner—especially if your lease isn’t up for another year. Not to worry—stepping outside of your apartment won’t always spike your anxiety. If you follow these six tips we promise your next bump-in won’t be as awkward as the last one.

Every now and then, I Google the address of my childhood home just to see if it’s on the market. I don’t want to buy it, make no mistake. It’s more that I’m forever curious to see if any interior photos have been posted so I can take a virtual walk around the place I spent 21 years of my life. But that’s as far as I’ll take it. In fact, I’ve never thought of driving up to the house and asking the current owners if I could do a little nostalgia tour.

Before you pack one box in anticipation of your move to a co-op, you want to be sure you know everything about the building itself, whether it’s quirky rules, upcoming construction, or ongoing squabbles. This will go a long way to easing your move-in process. This will give you a sense of the issues facing co-op owners in the building and give you a heads-up about potential problems upon move in—and how they’ve been handled.

If your friend just bought a house, it’s hard not to feel a pang of jealousy over the fact that she either won the lottery, received a sizable inheritance, or was gifted cash for a down payment. And then there’s that fabulous backsplash and gorgeous front yard she keeps talking about. But no matter how she amassed the pile of cash, your friend’s foray into homeownership can test a friendship, especially if you’re finding it hard to make rent.

​It’s easy to get caught up in square footage or closet space when looking for an apartment, but there are some other less obvious things that are just important to consider.

You’ve seen those fancy gizmos in suburban sinks—those garbage disposals that suck down each and every coffee ground or lettuce leaf you don’t need, making it next to unnecessary to make countless runs to your building’s refuse bin. But despite all the modern luxuries of living in New York City, garbage disposals are actually pretty rare.

When living conditions are unacceptable, do you have enough of a legal leg to stand on to break your lease? Turns out it’s all about the fine print.

It doesn’t matter how much you love your rental: The day your renewal notice comes in with a rent hike you never imagined, all those fuzzy feelings might just fly out the window. That said, how do you know if it’s worth it to move? From an economic standpoint, know that your next landlord will need the first and last month’s rent plus a security deposit, and for some apartments, a real estate broker’s fee.

You’ve just moved into your home and you have a to-do list a mile long. So should you take on each and every project that eventually needs to be done right now, or is ok to let some simmer on the back burner? We asked longtime homeowners to share the home fix-ups they regret not conquering right away—before life got in the way.

It’s your move-in day and, while it may be more fun to plan all the vintage items you’re going to put in your living room, the reality is that there are certain parts of your new place that need to be cleaned—stat. Even if the past owner hired a professional to deep-clean after they moved, there are some sneaky, behind-the-scenes spaces that should be checked out.

If figuring out your mortgage and closing costs weren’t enough, moving into and furnishing your new home can be pretty stressful. And though you want to make your house your dream home right off the bat, you’re probably short on cash (and energy). Thankfully, you’ll be in your new house for awhile, so you have time to transform your place to match your vision. Still, there are some things you’ll appreciate having on day one.

If you’re a homeowner, the threat of a big, unexpected expense might be keeping you up at night. But if that’s what you’re losing sleep over, you’re not alone. In fact, a recent study from NerdWallet found that the main anxiety shared among homeowners was financing (65%). The simple secret to maintaining a great-looking house without having it drain your bank account? Never falling behind in upkeep.