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August 2014

Boy Hugging His MotherThe tears began to well up in Shawna’s eyes. She tried hard to make sure Sam didn’t see. It was always like this on this particular day every year. Sam looked back and waved as he got onto the school bus to his first day of 5th grade. She pushed back the tears, smiled and waved, then started the walk back to her apartment. Summer was over and school was back in session.

She closed her apartment door and walked to the kitchen for a fresh cup of coffee. As she scooped the grounds into the coffee filter, she once again began to cry. She remembered his very first day of school just like it was yesterday. He had cried before they left the apartment. Now he was a “big boy” and “too cool” to be seen with his mom doting over him. She wiped away the final tears, poured a fresh cup, and walked out on the balcony to enjoy a little peace and quiet.

Things haven’t been easy since Steven went back on active duty. He had been in Afghanistan for most of Sam’s life. Luckily, they had found an apartment that was close to the base, their friends, and a top-rated school district. Their old house had been too much for her to keep up by herself and was not in a great location for the things Sam would want as he grew up. When he left for overseas, Steven had agreed that she should find an apartment best suited for them.

Movers unloading a moving vanMoving is stressful in any scenario. Whether you are moving across town or across the country, there seems to be an insurmountable mountain of preparation. Tasks include finding a new home, finding new schools for your children, packing, moving all your belongings, turning off utilities at your old place at the right time, and turning on the utilities at your new apartment.

However, when you are moving for job relocation, the process is even more complicated. Now, on top of everything else, you have to adjust to a new work environment and fellow employees as well as learn your way around a new city. Fortunately, this is what ApartmentSearch specializes in: helping businesses and people in transition have a smooth and easy move to their new location.

Man Moving an Old CouchMany people who move out of an existing apartment end up moving into a new one. If that’s you, congratulations on your new place! Now, how do you get all your stuff from one apartment to the other efficiently and inexpensively?

Don’t Pay for Boxes

Lots of moving stores offer boxes for cheap — but why get boxes for cheap when you could get them for free? Check these 10 places for free moving boxes, plus the bins behind your local liquor store, deli, and self-storage units. In most municipalities, well-constructed, barely-used boxes are plentiful. Just get a roll of quality packing tape, and don’t go box-hunting if there’s been a heavy rainfall. (Soggy moving boxes are a big mistake.)

Apartment Keys Given to a CoupleIf you’re looking for an apartment without a job, then you’re probably running into some trouble. The unfortunate fact about apartment-hunting is that if you don’t have an immediately obvious, reliable source of income, your chance of being approved for an apartment is significantly lower. These rigid rental guidelines can make it difficult to find an apartment if you have an unusual source of income — such as being a freelancer or making your money online — and impossible if you have nothing you can call a ‘job’ at all. Fortunately, landlords are people too, so it is possible to find one who is willing to deal with you; you just have to be ready to make a few gestures to show good faith.

Offer a Deposit

One of the ways you can prove that you’ll get money is by showing that you have money. If you put two months’ rent down — above and beyond your security deposit — you can often convince a landlord to sign you up, knowing that you’ve got, at the minimum, a couple of months to get your income in line. Just be willing to show him where you got the money; some landlords are very leery of too much cash coming from someone with no visible job because it makes them think you might be into some kind of illegal activity.

Puppy with Broken Plant PotIt is a truth universally acknowledged that a puppy left alone in an apartment must be in want of a chew toy. And without one, anything nearby is fair game: chair legs, HDMI cable, new shoes, XBOX 360… you name it, your puppy will see it as a plaything. That’s why preparing an apartment for a puppy is a necessity both for you and for your new pal. Use these tips to keep your puppy safe and your possessions unscathed.

Keep Cables and Cords Out of Reach

Take a look around your apartment from a puppy’s point of view. You may be surprised by the number of cords and cables dangling from sockets and electronics onto the floor. To prep for your pup, situate the cords so they are well out of reach of inquisitive paws and jaws.

Invest in Good Chew Toys…

To keep your dog entertained while you’re away from your apartment (or simply in the other room), buy some toys to keep him occupied. Whether it squishes, squeaks, bounces, or speaks, keeping your puppy entertained is important. This is especially key if your puppy is still teething, which occurs within the first 3-8 weeks of a dog’s life.

New York City on MapLooking for an apartment is difficult enough when you live in the area; there are a lot of decisions to be made and a lot of options to research. Add in the complexities of living a few hundred (or thousand!) miles away, and trying to find an apartment you can live with seems like a monumental challenge. To find the right apartment in a new city, you need a solid game plan. Here are three steps to follow to get you going in the right direction:

Step 1: List Your Needs

Get a piece of paper, and write down everything you like and dislike about your current living arrangement. Then write down everything you MUST have in a new place, and everything that would be a deal breaker. Just brainstorm for now—you can always cross things off later (and you will). Give the most thought to location. Is the apartment close enough to the places you’ll want to go to the most? It doesn’t matter how amazing your digs are if you are located forty-five minutes from the place(s) you need to be every day; you’ll never get those hour-and-a-half commutes back.

To those who have spent their lives driving compact cars and sedans, driving a moving truck looks about as easy as flying the Space Shuttle. If you’ve got enough stuff to move, however, finding a moving truck and hitting the road will definitely be on your apartment moving checklist. But don’t worry! Check out our beginner’s guide to driving a moving truck and you’ll get from Apartment A to Apartment B with far less stress.

Choose the Right Truck Size

If you’ve never driven a moving truck-sized vehicle before, you’ll want to keep your truck square-footage to a minimum. (Plus the smaller the truck, the lower the rental price.) If you’re moving locally and can make multiple moving trips, do so. You’ll save some cash and save yourself the stress of driving an enormous truck rather than a more manageable one. To figure out what kind of truck you need, start by making a home moving inventory and calculating how much space you’ll need for your belongings.

Know Your Route

Staring at a map and driving 14-foot moving truck are two things that should never mix. Familiarize yourself with your route before you leave so you can keep your eyes on the road. If you are directionally-challenged, invest in a GPS, drive with a friend, or use a smartphone app that voices turn-by-turn directions. Even if you’re just driving across town, it will pay to keep your attention on the truck’s handling rather than craning your neck to see street names.

Tips for Driving a Moving Truck

Ready to go? Before you start the engine, review these tips so you have a smoother drive.

ApartmentSearch_New-York-ApartmentsRent controlled apartments are the four-leaf clovers of apartment life. Hiding among thousands of their fellows, they’re very hard to spot, and the finder of one is considered incredibly lucky. That’s because rent controlled apartments offer rent rate benefits to tenants that other apartments lack. Though the city best known for its rent controlled apartments is New York City, there are rent controlled properties in other U.S. cities like L.A., Washington D.C., and New Jersey.

Confused about rent control rules? Here are the top 4 things that apartment hunters need to know about rent controlled apartment life.

What Is Rent Control, Anyway?

The concept of rent control is the result of a variety of U.S. legislative measures passed between the 1920s and 1970s. Rent control means that rent cannot be raised above the limit that was set when the rent control law went into effect. Thus, it acts as a price ceiling for rental properties to ensure that rates are not being raised unfairly. Sometimes landlords are able to raise the rate and remove the controls once the original tenant moves out, but these rules vary from property to property. Generally, rent controlled apartment prices remain the same indefinitely.

ApartmentSearch_Kids-RoomIt’s an equation many parents are all too familiar with: siblings + hot tempers + small spaces = timeouts. Sibling squabbles are bound to happen even when kids don’t share a bedroom; but add a small, shared apartment room to the equation, and there is enormous potential for chaos. Whether you are moving into an apartment and already have children, or have one with a baby on the way, you’ll need to come up with some creative solutions that let your kids coexist peacefully. Here are a few things to think about as you find an apartment that’s right for kids if they’re sharing a bedroom.

Find an apartment that’s kid-friendly.

A kid-friendly apartment doesn’t have to have 2 rooms or even have a totally symmetrical single room, but the right potential for configuration is imperative. When you tour prospective apartments, think about the kinds of furniture that will fit in the bedroom and whether it is the right space for your children. If you are planning on staying in the apartment for a long time, also consider how you will be able to change the space as the kids grow.

Divide the room.

Miami city by nightWhen you live in an apartment, you can choose to live anywhere you want. While more millennials and other generations are choosing to live downtown in urban cities, many Americans are choosing to live the coastal life. As a result, they are enjoying the best of what summer has to offer: sun, sand, cool water, and relaxation.

Here are some of the top coastal cities where you can enjoy the beach life right outside your apartment:

West Coast:

  • San Diego, California. First of all, the weather here is perfect year-round: the city boasts an average daily temperature of 70 degrees F. Nearby Mission Beach and Coronado Beach not only offer gorgeous white sand beaches but they also include Belmont Park, which features amusement park rides for kids and adults. Plus, locals can find an apartment near the world-renowned San Diego Zoo.
  • Seattle, Washington. Those who choose an apartment in this gorgeous city get to visit all of the Puget Sound beaches whenever they want, particularly Alki Beach, with its 2.5-mile pedestrian walkway and soft sand. Seattleites can also stay cool on the water – and spot whales! –when they ride the ferry to Bainbridge Island or Orca Island.
  • San Francisco, California. Locals get to enjoy sweeping views of the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge whenever they want. They often enjoy gorgeous views of the water from one of the city’s numerous famous restaurants. This is a foodie city, to be sure, and apartment dwellers find some of the best natural ingredients for their summer dishes at the Ferry Island Farmer’s Market as well as Pike Place Market.