Apartment living can be both a wonderful and harrowing experience. The stress starts the moment you need to start hunting for an apartment, and it doesn’t end there. It can be difficult to even start looking. However, the answer to these problems is simple. You can look for property websites or even visit sales galleries (For example, The Como Bukit Jalil sales gallery). To get started is the easy part. The headache starts after you’ve found an apartment, as living in it is by no means a picnic. You could have noisy neighbors, or horrible landlords to add on top of the tight spaces. However, do not despair. With the right tricks up your sleeve, you could turn your experience of living in an apartment from a bane to a boon. 1. Find the perfect place The first step to better apartment living is obviously, to find a good apartment. With a good apartment in your hands, you’ve already won half the battle. Well, almost half the battle. It might take a little research, and a little patience, but with a little bit of hard work, you should be able to secure a nice apartment in a nice neighborhood. Just be sure to do all the requisite checking. Don’t just look at the apartment, but look at the area it is in. Starting with a good apartment is the key to making the uphill battle of apartment living a more easy-going journey. 2. Maintain a good relationship with your landlord A good landlord-tenant is essential for a good apartment living experience. So, when you’re out looking for apartment, don’t just go look at the unit. Remember that the landlord is equally important. Work out the personality of your prospective landlord and get to know them better. It also helps to get everything in writing: this includes documentation on the current condition of the apartment. Be friendly to your landlord, but also know your own rights. Stand your ground if you know you are right but always leave room for negotiation. Above all, if anything ever goes wrong, hold your landlord accountable. 3. Save your rent Once you start off on a good foot with your landlord, try negotiating the rental price. Many landlords are willing to give a bit of leeway in this, as long as there isn’t a pool of other tenants competing for the same rental property. Also, living in an apartment comes with a lot of hidden costs, try to negotiate on things like pet fees or parking spaces. These expenses are outside of the actual rental cost but can add up to a hefty sum. This is an easier way to save money on your monthly rent. 4. Upgrade it (temporarily) A huge downside on apartment living is that you can’t upgrade a lot of things as much as you would like. You may not be able to repaint or upgrade the space as you please, but you can perform a lot of temporary upgrades that can make things look a little nicer and work a little better, such as switching out fixtures or hardware. If you’re angling for a bigger upgrade that you wish to do yourself, try talking to your landlord and negotiating the cost. Your landlord might be okay with you making an upgrade, especially if it adds value to the house and saves them money in the long run. 5. Ease roommate tension Living with others is both a convenience and a burden. There may be a whole new set of issues that you need to deal with, depending on the personality of your roommate. For example, you have to make sure you do your share of the chores, divide up expenses and share close quarters in living space. Thus, choose your roommates wisely. Really put thought into the person who is going to share you apartment with you. It helps if you have a conversation to lay down the ground rules early on, so that anything that pops up in the future can be dealt with with precedence and preparation. 6. Deal with noisy neighbors If you live in an apartment, you and your neighbors are separated by walls, which can sometimes be paper-thin. Living in an apartment means higher resident density. Hence, you may have all kinds of neighbors, some of which are bound to be noisy. Whether your neighbor is prone to loud music, lovemaking or noisy parties, you do have options. You can have a mature conversation with them. However, depending on the outcome of that conversation, you may have to go to the management to file a complaint. Or go for a more subtle way of sending them the message. If your apartment is relatively peaceful, do make sure that you’re not the noisy neighbor. 7. Avoid rent increase Rent increase are notorious in apartment living. Just because you got yourself a good deal on the rent at the beginning of your lease, doesn’t mean that it’s all sunshine and roses. If you’re unlucky, your landlord may increase your rent the next year. Of course, all this is avoidable if you have a good conversation with your landlord. Also, know your rights, and know if it is technically legal for them to increase the rent. Try negotiating the rent down with your landlord. A good conversation is always the place to start. 8. Save on energy costs There are many energy-saving measures that can be pulled off if you live in an apartment. Consider installing windows shades, turning off appliances when not in use, or even installing energy efficient light bulbs. 9. Make it feel like home Do try as much as you can to make your apartment feel like home. Use décor and accents to keep your space from looking too bare. You may not be able to repaint your apartment or install new flooring, but you can add a large rug to the floor to give a personal touch to your home. 10. Use your space wisely Perhaps the most important and useful apartment tip is to make sure your space is used wisely. Living in an apartment means less square footage, less free space and more tight fits. Use smart storage ideas to keep your space clutter free and more open. You can also consider using your vertical space well if horizontal space is limited.
1 Comment
1/24/2021 09:15:15 pm
That’s a good point that an understandable landlord can help you have a pleasant apartment living experience. My friend wants to move into the city so he could continue his math studies. We'll look out for apartments around his school before finalizing anything!
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