HomePosts Tagged "apartment life" (Page 7)

apartment life Tag

ApartmentSearch_decorating-christmasIf you’re planning on hosting any friends and family during the holidays this year, it’s likely your apartment will need a little preparation before your guests arrive. The holiday season is a hectic time for most of us, which means things like dusting your apartment may fall to the wayside. Don’t worry though, following these simple steps can help you prepare your apartment for all your loved ones’ visits.

Apartment Kitchen ShelvingSo you found that perfect studio apartment, the next question is: how do you fit all of your stuff into less than 400 square feet? Living in a small space certainly has its perks, like cheaper rent. However, you’ll have to get creative when it comes to storing all of your belongings. That’s where the underappreciated vertical space comes into play. Here are a few space-saving tips that utilize the vertical space in your studio apartment.

Eliminate some of your stuff

First things first, when it comes to living in tight quarters, it’s important to cut back on the things you don’t need or use very often. Items like fancy kitchen gadgets are great, but they tend to take up a lot of room. Good rule of thumb: if you haven’t used it (or worn it) in six months, take it to the nearest donation center.

Group of Friends Having ThanksgivingWith Thanksgiving swiftly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about your holiday plans. Whether you can’t travel home or you just want two Thanksgiving dinners, hosting a “Friendsgiving” is a great way to bring your friends together for a delicious meal. But there are a few things to consider first. Here are 5 tips for hosting your own Friendsgiving:

1. Compile the guest list

For whatever reason you’re not spending Thanksgiving with immediate family, you’re bound to have friends in the same boat. The best part of Friendsgiving is creating your own guest list from the family you get to choose. Invite a fun group of friends that get along, and don’t feel pressured into inviting the friends that maybe don’t mix well together or aren’t reliable.

Group of Cats and Dogs SittingSam, a sweet, joyful cocker spaniel, is waiting anxiously to see his owners, John and Marley. His nose has been pressed up against the window for the past hour, even though they won’t be home from work for two more hours. Sam, of course, doesn’t have the same human concept of time. Still, while he has been waiting in his owners’ three bedroom apartment and has kept busy watching birds in the trees near his second-floor window, taking naps and playing with his favorite red rubber ball.

Sam, John, and Marley’s story is the same throughout apartment communities all over the U.S. Catering to furry family members has become one of the hallmarks of the apartment industry – and for good reason. Over 70 percent of U.S. households own a pet. In fact, more U.S. families own cats (30 percent) than own stocks (14 percent), according to The Federal Reserve. Cats are undoubtedly very popular pets, but more Americans own dogs: 36.5 percent of households, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Other popular pets include birds, fish, ferrets, rabbits, turtles, hamsters and guinea pigs.

Home Audio and Video EquipmentNoisy neighbors are a common complaint for apartment tenants. However, if you complain about your noisy neighbor, it’s likely that they say the same thing about you from time to time. Even if you have carpet flooring, sometimes you need to take additional steps to keep your apartment soundproof. If you tend to listen to a lot of loud music or play motion related video games, it might be essential for you to limit your sound and stay on your neighbor’s good side. Here are a few tips on keeping the noise level down in your apartment:

Studio Apartment BedroomIf you live in a studio apartment, you know what it’s like to get creative with storage. Studio apartments can get cramped very quickly, but they don’t have to! Using storage solutions are a great way to maximize the space you do have in your apartment. Walls aren’t just for art; they can be the best vehicles for uncluttering the floor. Additionally, storage doesn’t have to be ugly. Have fun with it and you’ll make the visual dynamics of your studio apartment more interesting. Here are a few best practices when it comes to storage solutions.

Look for Multipurpose Furniture

Finding furniture that has multiple uses is key to fitting all your stuff into your small apartment. Think about the pieces of furniture that take up a lot of room, but could also provide space to store things. Look for bed frames that come with drawers or have space under them for storage bins. Furniture pieces like this are perfect for hiding out-of-season clothes or extra linens. Storage ottomans are great for packing away DVDs, extra remotes and controllers, or throw blankets.

Dirty Dishes in the Sink Living with another human being isn’t always easy, but as rents continue to rise in many urban areas, roommates become a financial necessity. Whether your roommate is your childhood best friend or a stranger you were placed with, combining two different lives is bound to result in a few conflicts. Once you find an apartment, it’s important to try to anticipate future disputes before they arise and set up guidelines for when fights do happen.

Here are 3 of the most common roommate disputes and how to navigate through them maturely:

ApartmentSearch_Manhattan-ApartmentThe children of Baby Boomers are very practical, self-reliant, and independent. That is why this group – Generation X (those born between 1965 and 1980) – are choosing to live in apartment communities all over the U.S.

The independence and practicality of this group of 51 million Americans are fueled by the fact that many of them grew up as “latchkey kids”, or the parents of divorce. This has caused Gen Xers to learn to rely on themselves and make decisions for their lives – and those of their children – based on their own experience, not what someone tells them is best.