Thrift Shops: the Best Places for Furniture Bargains (and for a Good Cause)

October 4, 2012 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

As you move into your first apartment, you quickly discover that furniture can be expensive, very expensive. But, as a friend of mine says, furniture is one of those commodities that you can get at any price – it’s just as possible to have an aunt give you her old coffee table for free as it…

Put the Finishing Touches on Your Place: Four Great Online Sites

September 27, 2012 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

Now that it’s autumn, there’s a good chance you’ve found your apartment, you’ve moved in, and you just need a few finishing touches to make the apartment truly yours. Some of us have an ideal thrift shop we turn to, or a discount furnisher that we love – but a lot of us, especially if…

How Much Should You Plan for Utilities?

August 19, 2012 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

2017 Update: You can download our new Printable Apartment Budgeting Worksheet and use it to estimate your rent and budget for all your expenses. Update: If you are trying to figure out how much rent you can afford, also check out these three posts for more calculations and expense guidelines: How Much Rent Can I…

Renting 101: Negotiating with Your Landlord

August 3, 2012 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

Negotiating is perhaps one of the scariest aspects of dealing with landlords. This is because, for whatever reason, American culture is almost completely devoid of bargaining. In fact, it’s almost taboo: if you walk into a store in the U.S., you expect to pay the list price. No American negotiates the price of a duvet…

6 Tips for First-Time Renters on How to Sound Like You Know What You’re Doing

July 21, 2012 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

The first few times you deal with leasing agents, landlords, and rental offices, it’s easy to be intimidated. It’s also easy to get pushed around, particularly if you are young and appear even younger, or sound inexperienced or nervous over the phone. A reader recently emailed us to say that she and her fiancé (who…

Book Review: NYC Rental Bible

July 20, 2012 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

When I was asked to review the new ebook, NYC Rental Bible, it felt like a familiar assignment; I’m well acquainted with informational booklets. This is because, at every stage of my life, my father has given me a book on how to do that which I am about to do: a book on how…

The Latest Scoop on Renting and Your Credit Score

July 7, 2012 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

Whether you like it or not, your credit score affects your renting capability. The higher your score, the more likely you are to get a place, and the lower the score, the fewer options you’ll have. We’ve touched on this before: Alissa wrote about credit scores for renters, and I recently wrote about how to…

Lease Is Up: To Move or Not to Move?

June 25, 2012 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

Alissa and I just realized our lease is up for renewal. So, do we move, or sign on for another year? The answer isn’t always easy, and it’s a question that many of you will face at this time of the year. To help you with the decision, I’ll break down the different factors you…

5 How-To’s Every First Time Apartment Hunter Should Know

June 7, 2012 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

1. How to Research a Neighborhood Neighborhoods are important, but choosing the best one has a lot to do with your personality and finances, and it’s hard to truly know until you move whether you’ve made the right choice. Growing to love a city takes nine months to a year, so as long as you…

Apartment Security 101 For the First-Time Renter

May 19, 2012 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

You’ve put down your deposit and you’re excited about your new place. And you should be: it’s your first apartment and you’re ready to make it your home. However, along with having a home comes responsibility. You need to make sure your apartment is secure. So, here are a few tips: Make sure your smoke…