Fill Out a Quick Winter Utilities Survey for a Chance to Win $50 Gift Certificate

February 19, 2016 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

THE SURVEY IS NOW CLOSED. The randomly selected winner of a $50 Amazon gift certificate is…kaksakas from Los Angeles. Congratulations to the winner and thanks to all the survey participants! At MyFirstApartment.com, we are asked every day how to estimate apartment utilities. We did a summer utilities survey last July — see the results here —…

How Much Are Average First Apartment Rent and Utility Costs? Our Survey Results Infographic

October 3, 2015 | By Sarah AuthorMy First Apartment

The very first thing to consider when you’re ready to move out is “How much is this going to cost?!” If you can’t afford it, it can’t happen, so you must plan wisely. But how much does rent ACTUALLY cost? Keep in mind that the numbers you see below are averages, reflecting an apartment size overall…

How Much Does It Cost To Move To Your Next Apartment?

September 1, 2015 | By Sarah AuthorMy First Apartment

I’m in the process of moving to a new apartment, and I couldn’t be more excited about it! I am moving from a tiny place to a more spacious townhouse with a yard for our dog and a great location for both work and play. But, how much is all of this going to cost?…

Planning the Move to Your Next Apartment

August 29, 2015 | By Sarah AuthorMy First Apartment

I’ve been living in a small apartment with my boyfriend and our dog for a while now (you can follow my whole story by looking here) and we have been considering upsizing for about 10 months. In the last 6 months, we started seriously thinking about it, researching online, and making a list of things we…

First Apartment Budgeting Basics: Your Monthly Expenses Checklist

February 21, 2014 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

You’ve signed the lease and you have a move-in date. You know how much rent you can afford. But what are your expenses once you move in? Let’s break it down. First, there’s the moving. This is a one-time expense, but it can be a big one. You need to decide whether you’re using movers…

Tips for Hassle-Free Splitting of Bills with Roommates

June 30, 2013 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

You know how it goes. One roommate has the cable bill in his name. Another roommate has his name on the electricity and heat. And you’re the one that mails in the rent check. And then there’s groceries, which you try to trade off on, but it may just be that you’ve footed the bill…

Contest: Tell Us How You Got Screwed by a Huge Rent Hike and You Could Win $50

April 29, 2012 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

The contest is over and the winner is … nobody! We had zero, zip, nada entries to this contest. And it’s not like nobody saw it. Over the last week we have had more than 12,000 visitors to the site. The only thing we can read from this is that all the talk about landlords being…

Should You Buy Or Rent?

June 29, 2011 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

We focus much of our site about renting apartments. How to do it – from dealing with landlords, finding new (and sane) roommates, or hunting down movers – we got your back. But, housing prices are down, interest rates are low and there has been a flurry of rent vs buy articles in various places (including last week’s NYTimes…

How to Survive Moving Back Home After Graduation

May 31, 2011 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

We’ve received a couple questions lately from readers asking our advice for how to move back home, with mom/dad/grandma as landlord. With only 56% of 2010 grads working full-time jobs and those working taking pay cuts, it’s become a usual first step in post-college living. And, it’s OK. It’s just the financial reality right now. I…

New Way to Split the Rent With Your Roommates

April 13, 2011 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

I can’t believe it’s already mid-April and the prime moving season is just two weeks away…are you ready? Be sure to email us at [email protected] if you have any questions as you head out on your searches. We’re happy to answer q’s in our monthly mailbag posts. In the meantime, we’ll continue to give you ammunition…