Is It Time to Move Out? Ask Yourself These 6 Questions to Find Out
You’ve tried so hard to spice up your rental but it’s just not quite doing the trick. Is it time to consider the horrible-of-all-horrible four letter words? Is it time to move? Answer these six questions to know for sure. There are lots of ways to change the aesthetics of your place, but some things just can’t be fixed.
Aug 19, 2014
The Neighbors are Noisy as S#*!: How to Cope When You Love Your Home But Hate Your Neighbors
I’m having a love affair with my neighborhood. The industrial Westside of Atlanta has been experiencing a total resurgence lately, something my boyfriend and I have been lucky to witness for the four years we’ve lived in our 1100-square-foot 2-bedroom apartment — the one with the tiny kitchen but a great view of the city skyline.
Jul 16, 2014
3 Tips for Refreshing Old Carpet
Carpet is a bit like upholstered furniture: it tends to hold on to dust, stains, and other marks of wear and tear. (Even after a professional cleaning, undesirables tend to resurface.) And those signs of other tenants’ lives are something you probably prefer to live without. Following are some tips for refreshing carpet that’s seen better days. Fluff Dents with an Ice Cube.
Jul 14, 2014
Real Room Inspiration: Wall Hangings
If you aren’t allowed to paint your walls or you simply don’t want to commit, and if the though of hanging even removable wallpaper gives you hives, we should be friends. Also, you should consider brightening up your standard-issue walls with a lovely wall hanging. A few tiny tacks is all it takes.. TOP ROW: Jesse & Lucas’ Simply Stylish Home + Studio: A vintage Egyptian tapestry livens up the white walls in their son’s room.
Mar 28, 2014
The One Thing Almost Everyone Gets Wrong When Moving Into a New Home
After getting the key and walking into your new, calm, and empty apartment, what’s the first thing you do to make it your own? Move in the sofa? Pack the fridge with groceries? There are a thousand right answers and, according to one designer, one very wrong one. Most people take advantage of an empty apartment to paint the walls before they ever move in, but waiting to paint after you’ve settled in a bit makes for a more cohesive space.
Mar 13, 2014
10 Things to Check Before You Buy a Home
We’ve learned the hard way that there are some very important things that should be checked before signing the papers to buy a new home. Of course, you’ll have a professional do an inspection and look over the place to make sure the home is termite and flood damage free, but these ten things fall into a different category; the immediate to-do list, which is something you may not want to be adding to right now.
Feb 4, 2014
Walk-Up World: Pros & Cons of Living on the First Floor
When you’re looking for a new apartment you no doubt have a laundry list of what you’re looking for and what you’re not looking for. Some criteria you may be uncompromising about (like the maximum price) but there are always secondary criteria that are more flexible. Which floor the apartment is on likely falls into this category and there are pros and cons for each floor. I live in Brownstone Brooklyn where most apartment buildings are 4 story walkups.
Aug 20, 2013
How Much Rent Can You Really Afford?
Knowing what you want in a rental apartment is pretty easy: space, location, storage, beautiful floors, light, etc. Finding all of those things within your budget can be a bit more difficult. But before you even start contemplating your rental possibilities, you should probably know what your budget is, and fortunately, this step isn’t all that difficult.
Mar 20, 2013
If Only I Hadn’t Already Signed the Lease: 10 Things To Always Check Moving Into an Apartment
Everyone has moving horror stories, but there are just some things you don’t think to check until you’ve already signed a lease. Here’s 10 things that should be on everyone’s “must-check” list. 1. Hallway/Doorway Size: Sometimes it’s easy to get carried away with great architecture lines of square footage, but sometimes (Even if you buy small furniture) things simply don’t fit in awkward hallways.
Mar 20, 2012
Easy & Temporary Ways to Dress Up a Rental Like You Own It
Just because you don't own your apartment doesn't mean you can't dress it up.
Mar 10, 2012
Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum
Name: Ernest HemingwayLocation: Key West, FloridaSize: 3,000 square feetYears lived in: 30 years (1931 – 1961) Nestled in a thick jungle of tropical foliage near Florida’s southern most point stands Ernest Hemingway’s Key West Home. Still situated on the original acre of property, the Spanish Colonial house is where Hemingway wrote some of his greatest works and showcased his many treasures acquired from his adventurous travels.
Sep 20, 2010
How To Determine A Fair Rental Price
This subject has been on my mind lately as I wrap up a renovation in the second apartment of the home I bought last year. I am preparing to put the apartment on the rental market within the next few weeks and have been thinking about the best way to price it.What not to do is take your actual monthly mortgage plus expenses such as yard maintenance, and charge half of that cost to a future tenant (assuming the space is comparable.
Aug 26, 2010
10 Conversations You Should Have With Your Roommate Before Moving In
They often call getting married and moving in together as “taking the plunge,” but if you ask us, moving in with someone you know and love is a lot less scary than moving in with a stranger. Don’t go into the roommate interview unprepared; we’ve got the questions to consider before you both sign the lease.
Aug 25, 2010
5 Things To Do 2 Weeks Before You Move
Moving is a stressful time no matter how prepared you are for it but you can save yourself a little headache by taking care of a few things in advance. Not only will completing this short list make your move go smoother, it will give you peace of mind that you will make it through, no matter how many stairs you have to climb or how hot it is outside!1.
Aug 2, 2010
Making the Move: When Do You Start Packing?
Earlier this week we shared our future plans to move to a new apartment, starting with removing art from the walls as a symbolic first step of transitioning from one space to another. But upon coming home, Emily noted, “We still have over a month to move…no need to start packing already!” Was this a case of pre-packing-elation?My reply was simply, “It’s never to early to start packing.
Mar 25, 2010