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…

Your First Kitchen: The Ultimate Checklist

June 13, 2019 | By Stella M AuthorMy First Apartment

After a long hunt, you’ve finally done what might’ve once felt impossible: You’ve found an apartment you love, you’ve signed a lease, and you’ve put down a deposit. Congrats on landing your new place to live! Now that you’re living in your own place, it’s time to give your cooking game some serious upgrade, too.…

Things You Need on Move-In Day

May 18, 2018 | By Taylor AuthorMy First Apartment

Packing to move is a pain, and it’s easy for even the most organized person to lose track of things and forget which box has what in it. The problem is, there are some things that are fairly vital as soon as you get to your new place, and you may not want to (or…

Safely Cut Corners In Your New Apartment

May 9, 2017 | By Sarah AuthorMy First Apartment

Moving into your first apartment is EXPENSIVE. From paying moving costs, deposits, and the first few months of rent, it can be a major financial challenge. But, there are ways to make smart decisions to save you a little money throughout the process! Here are a few ways you can safely cut corners in your new apartment…

2 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Begin the Apartment Search

April 30, 2016 | By Anna R. AuthorMy First Apartment

In a few short months, I will be relocating for graduate school and begin the apartment hunt once again. It’s a new chapter in my life, and for those of you graduating college or relocating for new jobs or professional schools, you too may be feeling excited for the next phase of your lives. Before…

From the MFA Mailbag – Our All-Time Favorite Letter From a Reader!

July 15, 2015 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

My First Apartment’s mission statement has always been, “When you are ready to move out on your own, we’ll help you step-by-step to make it happen.” We don’t always know if we have achieved our mission, but a few days ago we received a letter from Jon J that gave our entire team a thrill…

Little Things I Wish I’d Considered When I Signed the Lease

February 13, 2015 | By Mary AuthorMy First Apartment

When choosing an apartment I looked for huge items such as cost, a safe living environment, accessibility to a metro station, and getting the most bang for my buck. But I also wish I consider some other items that didn’t even cross my mind. 1) Receiving Packages– I do not have a doorman which makes…

5 Housewarming Gifts They’ll Actually Like

August 26, 2013 | By Audra AuthorMy First Apartment

Fellow blogger, Christa, recently gave you guys some excellent tips on how to plan the perfect housewarming. Reading her post got me thinking. Just like with birthday parties and weddings, being invited to a housewarming party often requires a gift purchase of some sort (if you feel so inclined, of course). But what do the…

Moved in, but still living out of boxes!

June 22, 2013 | By Audra AuthorMy First Apartment

Hello again! If you’ve been following my apartment journey so far, you will know that my boyfriend and I have been living with his mom for the past month while we waited for our gorgeous apartment to become available. Well, the weekend before last, that day finally arrived. With the help of some good friends, we…

Reader Tips: Turn Your Apartment Into A Home

September 12, 2012 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

A couple of weeks ago, we ran a post calling for reader tips for how to make your first apartment feel like a home. We got some GEM advice. To make sure you saw all the great tips, we wanted to compile them into a fresh post – highlighting some of the key themes we saw:…