Dinner, for Three! First Planning Meeting with Roommates

May 20, 2014 | By Armando AuthorMy First Apartment

It has been about a week since the informal decision to move in with my future roommates, boyfriend and girlfriend, Chris and Kayla was made. Since the three of us are all in study mode getting ready for finals, it has not been very easy to get together to talk about logistics. Recently, we were…

20 Questions to Ask a New Roomie

February 17, 2014 | By Melissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Whether you’ve been friends forever, met via the Internet, or have even lived together in the past, it’s important to establish some mutual understandings with your new roommate before officially moving in together. A fun game of 20 questions can only make things better before signing a lease. Are we all paying the same amount…

Friends vs. Professional Movers? These 3 Questions Will Help You Decide

August 24, 2013 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

When you are moving into your very first apartment, you have a lot on your mind. You need to find a place to live within your budget, you may need to find roommates and you have to start thinking about furniture. The next hurdle is to decide how you can get your existing stuff moved…

Roommates and Overnight Guests:Tips to Avoid Problems

January 28, 2013 | By doug AuthorMy First Apartment

Ben Franklin may have known about electricity, politics, bifocals and one or two other things, but one of his more overlooked gifts to posterity is this immortal observation: “Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.” What he didn’t say is this: If they’re your roommate’s guests, rather than your own, the smell can…

Decorating with Roommates

January 7, 2013 | By Sabrina AuthorMy First Apartment

Your home is a reflection of you. The color tells us about your character, the many accessories tell us about your interests, and the positioning tells us about your thoughts. Decorating with roommates can make the shared living situation more interesting with an explosion of different ideas. However, danger lurks when each roommate’s unique flare…

5 Ways To Break The Ice With New Roommates

November 20, 2012 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

Inviting a new roommate to live with you, whether at a university or otherwise, can be quite daunting if you don’t know them beforehand. You need to figure out a way to become comfortable with each other quickly – after all, you’ll be sleeping just yards away from someone you just met. It really is…

Who Should Show You Potential Apartments: The Landlord, An Agent, or a Current Tenant?

December 13, 2021 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

You’ve done some research online and have a few potential new apartments in mind, and you’re ready to go take a look. But who should show you the potential apartments: the landlord, an agent, or a current tenant? The person showing the apartment can make a big difference in how much you know about your…

How to Choose a Roommate

September 7, 2021 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

Renting can be expensive, and purchasing a property can be even more costly. Some would only live alone if it were possible, and others can’t handle it emotionally. Some find living alone to be lonely, yet for others, living with roommates can be stressful. That said, you can make your roomie experience a good one…

Pros and Cons: Living with Friends vs. Living With Strangers

February 23, 2021 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

In our Pros and Cons series, we weigh the advantages and disadvantages of important decisions that apartment dwellers are making every day. In 2015, approximately one-quarter of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 lived with roommates. If you currently live with other people and are lucky, your roommate might be your friend, whether…

Four Tips for Subletting Your Apartment

January 13, 2020 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

Imagine that you’re a college student living in an off-campus apartment on a year-long lease. This lease term is convenient for your fall and spring semesters, but what do you do if you’re not planning to be anywhere near campus for the summer? You’ve got to pay that three or four months of summer rent…