Apartment Living

Bring the season into your apartment

If you're still recovering from Thanksgiving with the family, and you haven't had time to put up any Christmas decorations in your house, you have a week or so left to maximize your decorating dollar. (You can keep them up until the end of January, right?). But you also want to put up decorations that don't require an entire day of your time, and you don't want to spend the equivalent of a month's rent to buy them.

When you want the product to really suck

It's a weekly, if not daily, task to keep your apartment clean. Vacuuming is part of that equation. Some people love vacuuming (like us), while others find it a huge, noisy chore. But the fact remains that it has to be done. But just because you have a vacuum cleaner doesn't mean it works the way you want, so it might be time to replace it. Not all vacuum cleaners are created equal.

Some things you just can't ignore

When you see mold on your bread, you know you should throw it out. But what about when it shows up in your apartment? It's actually not nearly as obvious as the mold on food, but it's way more hazardous. It's something you should absolutely be mindful of, and there are signs to look for before things get out of control. It's important to know whether or not your apartment has mold, and you need to know how to find out as well as know how to deal with it.

Don't wait for the fire department

The last thing you ever want to deal with in your apartment unit is a fire, which can quickly get out of control in an enclosed space. Then there's the issue of the fire spreading to other units. Your landlord may have provided a fire extinguisher based on requirements of state law, but that may not be enough. As a cautious person, you may want to get an extinguisher that's reliable and at-the-ready. But some people are intimidated by fire extinguishers since they're not exactly intuitive.

Create a mutually beneficial relationship

Most tenants don't give much thought to the tenant-landlord relationship, and that's not a good way to ensure peaceful and positive living conditions during the term of your lease. If you take the time to abide by the rules and regulations, as well as being mindful of how the landlord operates, you can enjoy the benefits of that positive relationship. This is especially important if you live in your apartment for more than a couple of years.

You don't have to give up grilling

One of the best ways to enjoy your apartment is to grill out, but options can be tough when it comes to the fact that your deck or balcony are dinky. Just because you might not have gobs of space to entertain doesn't mean you shouldn't try to make the most of your deck. While you might not be able to throw a big party out there, that shouldn't prevent you from enjoying a good burger or steak (or veggie burger, if that's your thing) with friends and family.