aptsherpa

For most people, it would be unthinkable to buy a car without negotiating at the dealership. Why, then, do so few people bother to negotiate their rent? Perhaps it’s because we think of our apartment rent in the same way we think of dinner out at a restaurant — the price is simply non-negotiable. Except sometimes, rent is negotiable … the trick is negotiating in the right way. But what’s the best way to go about it?

aptsherpa

 · Aug 20, 2007

Owning a pet is a wonderful thing. Dogs provide unconditional love and cats are comforting companions. Studies have shown that people who own pets live longer and enjoy lower levels of stress. Unless, of course, your apartment smells strongly of your furry best friend. If your pet is accident prone (you know what we mean), you can forget about reducing your stress. Luckily, your apartment doesn’t have to suffer with you. Here are some tips for getting rid of odors and some advice to keep accidents from happening in the future.

Find the source of the stink. You’ve got to identify the problem before you fix it. Pets can stink up an apartment in so many ways. If your apartment smells like urine or feces, at least you know what you’re dealing with. Sometimes the smell is much less distinct so you’ll have to find the source. Has your dog or cat recently acquired an unusual odor? The smaller the apartment, the more pervasive the smell of your stinky pet will be. If your pet goes outside, supervise it closely to make sure it isn’t rolling, playing or sleeping in something you don’t want brought into your house. If you’re sure the smell isn’t coming from something the pet is tracking into the house, a bath and good brushing may eliminate the odor. If this doesn’t work, a medical problem may be to blame. Body odor isn’t necessarily the sign of a serious problem, but you don’t want to wait to find out. Take your pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible.

aptsherpa

 · Aug 13, 2007

Have you ever taken a good look at the labels on your household cleaning products? They probably feature a long list of chemicals you don’t recognize as well as warnings to contact the Poison Control Center if the product is accidentally ingested or inhaled. Unless the packaging explicitly states otherwise, you can bet the products aren’t biodegradable, natural or renewable. Unfortunately, many chemicals used in standard soaps, detergents and other cleaners aren’t removed by standard water filtration systems. They end up back in our waterways and it’s unclear how they might affect our environment and ourselves. Environmentally friendly cleaning products appeal not only to environmentally conscious consumers, but also to people worried about exposure to toxins or about the accidental poisoning of pets and children.

aptsherpa

 · Aug 6, 2007

Furnishing an apartment comes with its own set of special challenges. Your rent payment may eat up a huge portion of your paycheck, limiting the range of places you can shop. If you live in a dense city like New York or San Francisco, you may not have a car to haul the furniture to your building. If you live in a walk-up, just getting your new furniture up the stairs may require the help of a few strong friends who owe you some favors. On top of all this, your options are probably limited by the size and shape of your apartment, with its strangely shaped rooms, narrow staircases, tiny bedrooms and low doorways.

aptsherpa

 · Jul 30, 2007

Cities can be tough for bird lovers. On one hand, birds are everywhere. We see them flying in the sky, on the street and in trees. On the other hand, you might feel like the only urban birds you ever see are pigeons. Let’s face it — it’s hard to get excited about pigeons. But even in the most densely populated cities, you can find more species of birds than you might think. New York City, one of the most densely populated urban centers in the country, boasts red-tailed hawks and wild turkeys. One of the best ways to acquaint yourself with the avian life of your city is to have a birdfeeder. If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, yard or balcony, having a birdfeeder is easy, inexpensive and can add character to your apartment.

aptsherpa

 · Jul 23, 2007

After you’ve moved, arranged your furniture and carpets, and settled into your new place, the blank walls can be disconcerting. If your landlord failed to paint before you moved in, you might be tempted to cover your walls with art decorations as quickly as possible and be done with it. But if you really want your apartment to feel like home, you’ll want to put real thought and effort into finding the right wall decorations. Fortunately, creating a unique home decor can be fun and rewarding. There are a number of places you can look to find art for your apartment. Here are some ideas to get you started.

aptsherpa

 · Jul 18, 2007

Apartments have a way of transitioning from freshly cleaned spaces to chaotic pits of dirty laundry and dishes, seemingly overnight. We can blame this on any number of factors: the small size of many apartments, the hectic nature of life, or simply the law of entropy. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t change the fact that many of our apartments are disaster zones. Keeping a clean apartment isn’t impossible, but it does require a plan of action.

aptsherpa

 · Jul 16, 2007

When your apartment is separated from your neighbors’ by nothing more than a thin wall, it’s inevitable that you hear what’s happening on the other side. You hear their music, their fights, and their routine comings and goings. But most of the time, you can expect things to be quiet … unless your neighbor has a dog that won’t stop barking. When dog barking doesn’t stop, it can really make life in your apartment miserable. Even worse is a dog that barks throughout the night, causing you to lose sleep and be less productive at work. So what can you do to stop your neighbor’s barking dog?

aptsherpa

 · Jul 2, 2007

Dirty dishes, late-night noise, unwanted guests: These roommate conflicts pale in comparison to disputes over paying rent. When you first move in to a new apartment, or if new roommates join you in your current place, you’ll have to work out the best way to split the rent among all the tenants. Resolving this issue amicably and openly sets the stage for good roommate relations in the future. Unfortunately, there is no blueprint for how rent should be split. The lease given to you by your landlord will usually indicate the total amount of rent due each month but will not provide guidance on how to split the rent. Here are some typical ways tenants divide rent and some other factors to consider.

aptsherpa

 · Jun 25, 2007

A lot of legwork goes into finding a great rental. You’ll have to consider many factors, including price, location, access to mass transit, safety, and the trustworthiness of the landlord.

After you find a few possibilities, the next task list arises — getting in touch with the right people, finding the time to schedule walk-throughs of the properties, and in some cases, interviewing with the landlord. Yes, finding an apartment is a hassle, which is why so many people turn to brokers and locator services to help them land that perfect place.

aptsherpa

 · Jun 4, 2007