Tag Archives: apartments

Moving with Kids? Consider the Affects

February 21, 2012 Jonathan Clark

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Due to school holidays, and many clubs also having a summer break, the summer vacation period is a popular time for moving to a new area. It is often an extremely busy time for state to state moving companies. Of course, there are always concerns with a move. As well as the practical aspects of packing up your old home and moving to a new one, there are things such as helping the children to adapt to their new surroundings and preparing them for starting at a new school which also need to be addressed. Some kids may find this an easy period, while others may find it more challenging. Following, you will find some tips to make the transition to a new residence and a new place of study less stressful for you and your children.

Building Excitement

Getting your kids worked up and excited, in a good way, about the move to a new school can be one of the best ways to deal with the changes that are coming. Buying new school supplies is always a good start when moving to a new school, especially since most classrooms vary a bit as to what they want your children to have. Some of these things are necessary purchases; but if you generate some excitement by turning it into a shopping spree, it may well rub off on the kids. Buying a brand new backpack, some new pencils, and perhaps some new clothes will help them feel more confident when heading off to a new school even if they are worried.

Get Familiar

Another good idea can be to get with the school or school officials to plan a day to take the kids for a tour before they start. This is not usually a problem for the school, and can be very beneficial, as the children will have a head start on their first day feeling more comfortable with their new surroundings. If it is possible, organize this tour before the school year starts. Make sure that you consider the need for this tour, as to build some familiarity with the place before your children begin attending classes there, when you are setting up your moving schedule.

Be There and Communicate

Finally, and probably most importantly, let your kids know that you are there for them to confide in if they have any issues with the move. It can be very daunting, even overwhelming for children, to move not only to a new city and a new home, but to a whole new school environment as well. As the parent, you can smooth the way for them as much as possible by taking steps to put their minds at rest and assist them with all the adjustments they will need to make. In this way, they will hopefully settle in to their new environment quickly and with as little stress as possible.

Apartment

Find An Apartment Online with These Six Easy Tips

February 3, 2012 Jonathan Clark

Gone are the days of finding an apartment by solely searching phone books and classified ads in the newspaper. The internet has opened a whole new method of finding the perfect apartment. Multiple websites exist to aid in a search for the right apartment for anyone.

1. www.apartments.com

The oldest player in online apartment searching. Virtually every town in America is listed on this website. Prospective renters are able to search by location and apartment size. Amenities and public transportation nearby are listed within the search. Photos of apartments and the complex are available for viewing before going to an onsite look at the apartment. An iPhone application is built into the website to help renters find what they are seeking.

2. www.myapartmentmap.com

This website is a fabulous tool for anyone looking to find an apartment online. Renters are able to narrow down a search by pet friendly apartments or military housing. Potential renters are able to search by city, state or zip code. College students have the ability to input the name of their college to discover if there are any available rentals near the college. This handy site will email new listings that match a criteria set by the apartment hunter.

3. www.hotpads.com

This website offers a unique approach to apartment hunting. Users are able to enter search criteria and receive results tailored to their search. Heat maps are available to show renters what others are paying in the area for comparable rentals. These heat maps have the ability to indicate age ranges and income brackets of an area. Renters are able to find available sublets and potential roommates on the website. Hotpads also lists homes for sale and foreclosures in the area.

4. www.craigslist.org

Craigslist is a great website to find apartments not owned by a management company. Potential renters will be able to find a huge variety of rental listings in the area of their choice on Craigslist. Homes for rent are available on Craigslist for the person who desires to rent a house instead of an apartment. Sublet and roommates are able to be found with a quick search on the site

5. www.lyoncommunities.com

Similar to local online classifieds, this website offers a comprehensive list of apartment communities for a wide range of areas from apartments in Georgia to Orange County, CA apartments. You will have the opportunity to view a wide range of floorplans, pricing options, monthly rental specials and can even submit an application online.

6. Local Online Classifieds

Renters should not neglect to search local online classified ads. Large cities often have websites offering classified ads to residents of the area. A quick search online will help a renter locate these sites. The majority of newspapers offer their classified ads online. Performing a search on a newspaper website may help a renter find an apartment that is not listed on any of the typical online apartment websites. Some property owners prefer to utilize newspaper ads only. Doing a search through the newspaper will guarantee the renter is not missing out on any hidden gems.

Apartment

Apartment Search: Finding a Pet-Friendly Apartment

January 21, 2012 Jonathan Clark 2 Comments

Hunting for a pet friendly apartment is an experience that requires patience when it involves finding one that welcomes pets. A pet owner needs to know the rules of the lease contract, and be willing to abide by them, before settling on a few choices for final consideration.

The first rule on finding an apartment, if a person is a pet owner, is to narrow one’s search to those apartments that have a pet policy, not one in which the manager says, “Well, it depends.” There is too much room for subjective decisions in this situation. If allowed at all, the pet may be a point of contention with the manager later. Apartment locating services can perform this service since pet policies are high on the list of questions apartment hunters have.

One of the mistakes apartment hunters make is to decide upon a place where they want to live and then keep their fingers crossed that their pets will be allowed to move in as well. They are often disappointed and have to make a decision about whether to give their pets up for adoption or find a different apartment.

Many apartment managers have a pet policy that they share in their advertisements, but many others do not mention such a policy. It should never be assumed that their failure to mention it means that pets are acceptable. It is very disappointing to find out after touring the property that pets are forbidden.

After an apartment shopper has a list of places to tour, he should visit them with his pet in mind as well as himself. For example, forcing an older dog with hip problems to climb stairs for several walks per day will cause both the dog and his keeper to enjoy their new home less.

Other things to consider while touring a list of possible new apartments are walking areas and pet-friendliness in the apartment community. If an apartment complex has nothing but a parking lot, concrete walkways, and no areas where the pet can sit in a sunny window, it is not particularly pet-friendly.

On the other hand, an apartment complex that has dog-walking areas, a small fenced-in patio, and other friendly pet owners who live in the community, may be a renter’s delight.

Apartment

Tips for Renting an Apartment for the First Time

January 16, 2012 Jonathan Clark 1 Comment

Someone who decides to move away from home for the first time, and into an apartment, steps into an independent lifestyle as well as a world full of new questions.

Driving by an apartment complex with several swimming pools and meticulously kept landscapes, a sight that is appealing for many first-time renters, is not the same as living there, and it does not cost any money, not yet.

Preparing oneself for the sales pitch from the apartment manager, and the questions she will have for the new renter, can feel like preparing for an excruciating job interview, but it is really much easier, and potentially just as exciting, as landing a new job.

Apartment managers want to know a few things about the renter. Most importantly, they want to know that the new renter will pay his rent on time and not bail out of the lease agreement, forcing expensive court action on the apartment owners. New renters should expect apartment managers will run a credit check and check with the renter’s employer to verify he has the means for paying the rent.

Landlords also want to know how many people will be living in the apartment. They may ask some impersonal questions about the relationship between the renter and the person sharing the apartment. What they are really asking is whether the renter intends to rent space in the apartment to someone else.

Some apartments have strict policies against subleasing arrangements. Getting caught in this, a tenant may commit a breach of the lease contract and be evicted.

Apartment managers will also share with the tenant a list of apartment community rules. This is a way of advising the new renter, before either party commits to the lease, what kind of personal behaviors are forbidden. For instance, there will be rules about noise levels, conducting business in the apartment that might infringe upon the privacy of other tenants, how many cars a tenant can park in the parking lot, and keeping pets in the apartment.

These rules are not personal, but they are put in place to protect the rights and privacy of the community as a whole.

Renters should go into the interview with questions of their own. They should ask what is included in the price of the rent. Some possibilities are internet service, cable television, and utilities. There may also be a fee for the use of amenities such as private party rooms, swimming pools, and other recreational extras.

Moving into independent living is an exciting time. Finding the perfect match of an apartment with a renter is a rewarding experience. Coming into the process prepared will ensure that both parties are equally satisfied.

California Apartments Blog

Tag Archives: apartments

Moving with Kids? Consider the Affects

Building Excitement

Get Familiar

Be There and Communicate

Find An Apartment Online with These Six Easy Tips

1. www.apartments.com

2. www.myapartmentmap.com

3. www.hotpads.com

4. www.craigslist.org

5. www.lyoncommunities.com

6. Local Online Classifieds

Apartment Search: Finding a Pet-Friendly Apartment

Tips for Renting an Apartment for the First Time

Information and Reviews of California Apartments