Living alone or sharing, some tips to follow…..

Congratulations!  You are on your own and looking forward to living in, and decorating your own home.

Until you can purchase furniture pieces you choose yourself, many will use ‘hand me downs’, which is fine, and often some of those pieces will last for many years and be very useful to you.

If you can buy your own furniture, it is best to choose good, sturdy pieces so you won’t have to replace it in a couple of years.  It’s better to buy a few needed pieces, ones that will last, and hold off on others until you have the money to buy them…..this also gives you the enjoyment of ‘a treat’ here and there.  Choosing pieces that ‘store’ things do double duty… choosing a table with a drawer and/or bottom shelf, or a small chest of drawers in a hallway etc., can automatically keep things out of sight and neat.

A cleaning hint: instead of furniture polish,, dampen a micro fabric cloth with water, squeeze it out tight, and after having cleared the items off the furniture wipe it down with the micro cloth, let the furniture dry completely, then replace the items back on it.  No furniture polish to buy.

Keep things simple…… sparse is better.  It looks neater (and less to keep clean).

If any problem arises (with plumbing, leaks, large appliances, electrical, anything having to do with the apartment itself), notify the landlord or rental agent immediately.  A phone call is fine, and especially in an emergency, but an added “insurance” for you is to have it in writing as well.  So send an e-mail, stating that you are following up with your phone call, and put all the details in writing.  This gives you written verification… something to fall back on… should you have a problem arise about  any….”you didn’t say that before” conversations.  Always get/put things in writing.

Landlords typically ask for first and last months’ rent, along with a security deposit, (often a full months’ rent).  The security deposit is held by the landlord separately in a savings account, and when you move out, the security deposit, along with interest, is returned to you, providing there is no damage to the apartment done by you. ‘Normal wear’ is not counted as damage, nor is the replacement of old or now non working appliances.  If there is damage caused by you, the cost of repair(s) is taken out of your security deposit, and the balance (if any) is returned to you after you vacate the apartment. This can take 30-60 days), so keep tabs, and be sure you get any money due you.

It’s a good idea to have a separate account for your rent…. You should add a ‘cushion’ of a month or two of the cost of rent, and each month round up the rent figure and add that too.  Remember when you move, there will be moving costs, along with first, last, and security deposit for the next apartment.  This is 3 months of rent money you’ll need up front.  If there is a rental agent/broker, there is usually a fee for them too.

An important note, if you’re sharing the apartment, and the cost of rent, along with any related costs (utilities, food etc),  keep up with your savings account, but do so privately.  Do it separately.  Do not use that account as the one you use to share the rental fees.

Bottom line…..Be prepared…… have 3-4 months ‘rent’ money set aside for next time. You will need it, so don’t use it for anything else. And again, keep this account separate if your sharing the apartment.

Enjoy your new place!