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.
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The Tale of 2 Housing Sections Proceeds in the Greater Vancouver Residential Realty Market3/29/2018 " Frankly, an adequate quantity of supply might aid to ease this fad, however there is simply inadequate supply within the marketplace to satisfy current demand levels," added Ryalls. "Historically, a balanced market in Greater Vancouver requires about 14 to 15 thousand listings to run smoothly, yet currently, we have regarding nine thousand. As a result, many property owners within the region have determined to discover their next house prior to listing their house, as they watch out for finding a sufficient upgrade, which is in turn contributing to the scarcity in supply."
Impact of demonetisation on different segments of the real estate market When broken down by housing type, the average price of a condominium surged by 17.6 percent year-over-year to $622,392, while the average price of a bungalow appreciated by 3.5 percent year-over-year to $1,422,458. The average price of a common two-storey house dropped, going down 1.1 per cent to $1,532,849 over the very same period. VANCOUVER, Oct. 12, 2017/ CNW/ - Inning Accordance With the Royal LePage Residence Cost Survey1 released today, sales task and also customer confidence across the Greater Vancouver household real estate market continuouslied recuperate in the third quarter of 2017. While residence cost admiration softened in the separated segment, condominiums continued to prop up the area's real estate market, many thanks partly to their relative price. During the quarter, the accumulated residence rate in Greater Vancouver increased by a moderate, however healthy and balanced 2.5 per cent year-over-year to $1,229,133. Though present problems have actually not respected those seeking to break into the Greater Vancouver property market, they have actually helped many move-up buyers presently in condominiums and entry-level houses manage a separated home. As these two sections remain to increase at reasonably high rates, and also two-storey home values modest, the rate space between them continuouslies narrow, permitting purchasers to capitalize on the existing disparity in price appreciation within the market in order to relocate into bigger, separated homes, particularly within suburban areas where residential properties are a lot more cost effective. Re-Thinking Commercial Real Estate Market Segmentation During the quarter, cost restraints drove numerous possible buyers right into the condo market, placing a severe stress on supply degrees as well as intensifying competitors within the segment. Brand-new home loan guidelines, which were introduced in October of in 2014, just worsened this pattern, restricting customers' acquiring power as well as pressing numerous down right into the entry-level section of the market. As rates continue to climb, as well as the price that continues to be within the market weakens, potential homeowners formerly on the sidelines are going back to the market in anxiety of being permanently evaluated. " Recently, many move-up purchasers living in condominiums throughout Greater Vancouver have actually chosen to benefit from the current price softening in the removed market, capitalizing on the narrowing differential to discover a much bigger house for their household," concluded Ryalls. "In the last year alone, the gap between both segments has diminished by roughly $110,000, suggesting that purchasers have more power at the negotiation table thanks to present market headwinds. When aiming to move into areas that are much more inexpensive, this fad only ends up being more noticable." Farming an Area or Market Segment in Real Estate - The Balance " In spite of having actually currently taken 30 to 40 percent of entry-level purchasers out of the marketplace entirely, the new home mortgage regulations, and also requisite stress tests, have actually aided to significantly drive condo rates up," claimed Randy Ryalls, basic supervisor, Royal LePage Sterling Realty. "The cost of a down payment for a removed residential property in Greater Vancouver has currently exceeded the typical house price in several markets in Canada. Prospective buyers have rerouted their attention to condos, contending to get in the marketplace before prices rise to levels that are just beyond their reach." |
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