Pros and Cons: Studio vs. One-Bedroom Apartment

May 29, 2020 | 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. When you’re hunting for a place to live alone, you’ll generally encounter studio and one-bedroom apartments. The main difference between these spaces is that, in the latter, the bedroom is walled off rather…

Nine Tips for Safely Moving During Coronavirus

May 5, 2020 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

Social distancing measures for limiting the spread of COVID-19 have drastically changed the shape of everyday life. Restaurants, bars, offices, and other businesses in which people regularly tend to come within six feet of each other have been closed, with essential businesses remaining open under strict social distancing guidelines. Moving into a new apartment looks…

Four Ways to Introduce Yourself to New Neighbors

February 26, 2020 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

Living alone in your own apartment is nice, but chances are that you’re never 100 percent alone. If you step out into the hallway, you might see your neighbors, and in many apartments, you’ll sometimes hear your neighbors moving around or listening to music in their apartments. It can feel slightly uncomfortable to know your…

How to Downsize Into an Apartment

February 5, 2020 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

Moving into your first apartment can be a challenge, but there are checklists galore for stocking up on furniture, kitchen equipment, and other household supplies. What about when, for the first time in ages, you have to downsize into an apartment from a house or other large space? Whereas buying a bunch of new things…

Why Moving With Debt Isn’t Right For Everyone

December 30, 2019 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

Rent payments tend to comprise a massive chunk of the average person’s budget. If you’re looking to move into your first apartment, your rent payments might feel like even more of a strain on your finances if you’re also paying off debts such as student loans, an auto loan, or credit card debt. Thus, if…

Six Tips for Moving Apartments in the Winter

December 18, 2019 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

When you think about moving, you probably picture breaking a sweat as you load your belongings into your moving truck, unload them into your new apartment, and unpack and organize all your possessions. Chances are that you’re picturing sweat because you’ve often moved in the summer – after all, summer moves are far more common…

What Documents Do You Need To Shred When You Move?

July 23, 2019 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

As you pack all your belongings for your upcoming move, you might stumble upon a bunch of old documents you’ve been holding on to, not sure what to do with them or even if you need to keep them in the first place. If you’re not using these documents, you might not want to bring…

Six Questions People Forget To Ask When Apartment Hunting

July 17, 2019 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

Finding a new apartment can be exciting, but there’s no doubt about it: the process is exhausting. As one address and complex blurs into the next, it could be easy to forget to ask certain questions. In this anxious mindstate, it can be easy to forget to ask your agent, landlord, or property manager some…

How To Change Your Address When You Move

July 11, 2019 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

There are a lot of important personal contacts, as well as government authorities, that need to be notified of your new address when you move. Sure, you can try to change all those contacts yourself, but that’s a lot of time spent — and it’s very easy to miss a few along the way. How…

Should You Hire Movers? Pros and Cons

July 9, 2019 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

Finding a new apartment can be super exciting, but the act of moving is usually pretty dreadful. Boxing up all your belongings can be a chaotic and stressful process, and so is moving these boxes and your big furniture pieces from your old place into your new digs. Moving can be exhausting and a huge…