Moving 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. Read the rest of this entry »

It 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. Read the rest of this entry »

When 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.

Read the rest of this entry »

Moving to a new college apartment? Time to buy sheets upon sheets of bubble wrap, box up the dishes, get a dog sitter, and contact a moving company…right?

Slow down! Ideally, that list sounds great on paper, but for a college student, moving apartments can get expensive pretty quickly. Here are some tips for moving apartments that will keep your college bank account intact! Read the rest of this entry »

With the official start of summer on June 21, apartment residents all over the country are looking for ways to stay cool. Fortunately for them, apartment communities offer so many different options for having fun and staying cool in the summer heat – much more than are typically available to homeowners.

Here are the top ways you can cool off this summer:

1. Most apartment communities have swimming pools. You can literally spend all day relaxing by the pool while your kids burn off some of that pent-up energy from being indoors. Children love pools! Plus, many communities offer special events such as “dive-in movies” and summer parties at the pool. This is a great way to cool off AND have a great time.

2. Another advantage that apartment residents have over homeowners is staying cool without breaking the bank. Apartment utility costs are lower than homes, even during the hottest months of the year. You can enjoy spending time in your air-conditioned apartment without worrying about the cost getting too high. Read the rest of this entry »

So you have an adorable cat at home, and are worried about how it’ll react to a big apartment move. We understand; cats follow a daily routine, and if that’s disrupted they can become very stressed. To minimize the amount of loud meowing you’ll hear during the moving process, we’ve compiled a to-do list for your feline friends:

1. Stay Away from Commotion

On moving day, it’s best to keep your cat away from any chaos by keeping it separated from the movers when they’re going in and out of your home. To do this, you can designate a room that is a “cat-only” room, or you can take him to a kennel while this part of the move is taking place. The first option is less traumatic, but if that isn’t possible, the last thing you want is your cat escaping. Read the rest of this entry »

I know it might seem like a boring pastime to some, but I am beyond excited about fishing with my dad this Father’s Day. We are not fishing in an expansive ocean or by a popular lake. Instead, our favorite fishing hole is the beautiful pond behind my dad’s apartment community.

My dad and I have been fishing in this pond – and releasing the bass we catch – since I can remember. The pond is near the apartment that I grew up in. This is the apartment where dad created a fun, loving environment for my sister and I, after our mom left. We had so many happy times in our third-floor apartment. We loved to play card games on our patio or simple, inexpensive games such as hide-and-go-seek and building crafts indoors. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s not easy being green, and it’s even harder if you don’t live in a city that supports eco-friendly initiatives.  If you’re moving apartments and find yourself on the hunt for a city that is both a great place to live and kind to the environment, you’re probably struggling with a lot of options.  And because no two green cities offer the same perks, it can be tough to sort through what each city offers.

The Green City Checklist

Looking for apartments in an environment-friendly city?  Keep these criteria in mind while you choose your new home.  See if the city has:

□      A Recycling Program – Some cities have a mandatory recycling program, while others simply encourage its inhabitants to recycle.  Find out what kinds of services, like free bins and recycling pick-up, the city has to offer apartment-dwellers.

□      Walkability and a High Walk Score – If cutting down on the use of your car is important to you, it’s helpful to know just how easily you can get around a city on foot.  If you’re looking at a specific apartment in a specific city, just find it on ApartmentSearch.com and click the “Neighborhood Info” tab to view the apartment’s Walk Score.  To learn more, you can also check out our list of the most walkable cities in the U.S.

□      Bicycle-Friendly Accommodations – A city with plenty of dedicated bike lanes is a cyclist’s best friend.  Cities that encourage biking with bike lanes, bike racks, and even bike rental services all contribute to greener city life.

□      A Public Transportation Network – A good public transit system should be efficient and relatively inexpensive.  Check out your options in each city, and make sure you know what other renters are saying about the quality of the city’s public transit, and whether the system services the apartments that you are considering.

□      Plenty of Green Space – Green space in a city can include public parks, gardens, playgrounds, plazas, and trails.  Urban green spaces can help reduce a city’s carbon footprint, provide a habitat for a variety of flora and fauna, improve air quality, reduce noise pollution, and more.

□      Renewable Energy Resources – These resources might include solar power and wind power, and ideally should be incorporated as resources for the city’s main power plant.

□      LEED-Certified Buildings – Buildings and apartments that are LEED-certified have met a number of Earth-friendly criteria that take into account the energy and water use the building requires, the building’s compliance with environmental laws and regulations, occupancy scenarios, and building permanence.

□      Other City-Wide Earth-Friendly Initiatives – Plenty of cities have programs in place that involve conservation efforts, sustainability initiatives, renewability goals, and community opportunities to become more Earth-friendly.  Check out each city’s website; if there’s a special program going on, the city is likely to brag about it up front.

Your Tips for Finding Apartments in a Green City

What do you think is the most important for apartments in green cities?  Let us know by finding ApartmentSearch.com on Twitter and Facebook!

On the quest to find an apartment with the perfect patio? If enjoying the outdoors at home is crucial to your apartment selection, it may be a good idea to consider where the patio is located. Depending on how an apartment patio is faced in relation to the sun, you can expect to experience a different outdoor ambiance.

If you would like to enjoy a cool and shady patio in the summer evenings, you may want to find an apartment that faces North or East (in the Northern Hemisphere). With this option, you can experience the most natural light during the early part of the day. You will also miss the glare and the heat of the sun in the late afternoons and evening. This is also a good option if you like to keep a small herb garden on your patio. Plants receive a good amount of light earlier, while escaping the scorching heat late in the afternoon.

Apartments with patios that face South or West receive the most shade in the mornings. This an ideal situation if you are an early riser who likes to read or spend breakfast time outside, as it is cooler in the mornings during summer. As the day progresses, the sun will gradually fall over the patio and remain present until it sets in the evening. This is perfect if you enjoy watching the sunset in the evenings or if you like to sunbathe in the summer afternoons.

It is not a deal breaker if you do not find an apartment patio that is cardinally faced in a direction that is compatible with your lifestyle. With proper solar shading and cooling features for the morning or afternoons where the sun is most abrasive, your apartment patio can be enjoyed any time of the day during the summer.

Next week on the apartment living blog we will discuss in detail about the solar shading and cooling features that can be implemented on an apartment patio to make it more comfortable during the hot summer months.

Foremost, it is important to make sure that your apartment is safe from accidents. Before you leave you apartment check all faucets (during freezes in winter it may be wise to leave a drip running), turn off all light switches, check the stove, and scan the surroundings of electrical outlets. An extra safe step: clean each room. Take stock of items that may need to be stowed away and safety hazards that can be avoided. At bare minimum, take out your trash, do your dishes and seal all non-perishables. Pests and rodents are real risks. Especially in a warm, dark, empty apartments.

Cleaning your apartment living quarters comes with an added bonus of coming home to serenity after the stresses of travel. Conserving energy can also alleviate some travel induced stress. Saving energy saves money in your pocketbook! Do not get charged for energy services that you aren’t using! Be sure to shut the blinds, move plants to one window sill if possible, turn off (or up) the air conditioning, and unplug all cords and power strips. Not only does this also add another element of safety, it saves the planet!

Do you have any other tips to share with us? Connect with us on our Facebook or Twitter pages. We will share your tips with other fans. Happy traveling from ApartmentSearch.com and The Apartment Living Blog!