5 Tips for Bonding with Random Roommates

September 15, 2014 | By Melissa AuthorMy First Apartment

There are many ways to get stuck living with strangers. Maybe it was by choice! Perhaps you found a group via a roommate speed-dating event, or perhaps a realtor recruited you all to live together in the limited-time property he was showing. More likely than not, you’re filling a room in a multi bedroom apartment…

Avoid Roommate Problems…Choose Wisely!

September 13, 2014 | By Sarah AuthorMy First Apartment

There’s a lot more to choosing roommates than you may think, especially in your first apartment. They need to be fun but not too wild, responsible but not rude. When I first moved to school, I didn’t get to choose my roommate and she and I were complete opposites. It was fine, but definitely not…

3 Reasons Why I Choose to Live Alone

August 28, 2014 | By Jessie AuthorMy First Apartment

My roommate pees in the living room. No, my roommate is not a wild party animal. He is just an animal—an orange and white tabby cat, named Winchester, and his litter box is in the living room. Long before I started apartment hunting, when I was planning a move to a new city for my…

Apartment Housekeeping Plan

August 9, 2014 | By Sarah AuthorMy First Apartment

In an apartment of your own, housekeeping can be a free-for-all. No parents or responsible adults to empty the dishwasher, vacuum the living room and remind (nag) you to clean your room. What does that mean for us? Time to step up! Luckily for me (and my boyfriend-roommate, Matt), I am a bit of a neat…

8 Rules For Living With Your Significant Other

June 21, 2014 | By Audra AuthorMy First Apartment

Living with your significant other — like living with a roommate — comes with its own set of ups and downs. However, what makes this situation different from just living with a good friend, a relative or a person that you met online is the fact that your romantic relationship gets tangled up in the small day-to-day details…

5 Ways to Figure Out Your First Apartment Must-Haves

March 18, 2014 | By Alex AuthorMy First Apartment

When you’re in the market for an apartment, it’s easy to dream. Perhaps a bit too easy. You want lots of space, cheap rent, a balcony, a doorman, maybe even a swimming pool and a gym. Laundry in-unit, of course, a nice flower box with ever-blooming roses … and then you pinch yourself and return…

New Girl Moves In: 3 Rules for Switching Roommates

January 13, 2014 | By Melissa AuthorMy First Apartment

When the time comes to renew your lease, the more roommates you have, the more likely changes will happen. Apartments are temporary; you pick to live in a rental with roommates because you’re in a transitional period in life. Most twenty-somethings who live in apartments have ever-changing jobs, relationships, grad school acceptances, and other unpredictable real-life adult factors…

Take This Quiz Before You Look for Roommates

November 12, 2013 | By Sabrina AuthorMy First Apartment

Are you clueless about what type of roommate situation is best for you? Well, I am pleased to tell you that this little quiz will help you decide…or at least it’s a fun activity to get you thinking. As you go through the quiz, write down the letter that best describes your behavior. 1.) When…

Four’s a Party, Five’s a Crowd: Setting Rules on Visitors

November 1, 2013 | By Melissa AuthorMy First Apartment

When you live in a shared space, how do you decide on a fair guest policy? Some people love a crowd, they truly believe in the more the merrier, and are happy with friends passed out on every square foot of their apartment on a regular basis. Others prefer personal space and would rather check…

It’s Not Me, It’s You: Breaking up with a Roommate

October 27, 2013 | By Melissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Sometimes things don’t work out the way we expect: relationships, friendships, living situations. No matter how mature or experienced we are, when something goes awry, there will be hard feelings. The cardinal rule of roommate break-ups is don’t blindside your roommates. Don’t just pack up and leave a post-it on the fridge. Also, it’s not cool to announce that…