Zelda (no, really)'s Profile

I am actually moving Saturday! The best advice I was given is to have some overlap time where you are still in your old apartment but have the keys to the new place. Although it can be expensive my roommate and I have already cleaned everything on the list and more and are now taking over breakable items and other things we don't want in a dirty moving truck.

I am disappointed that this list isn't very helpful. My roommate and I are actually moving in two weeks (sooner if we could) because the landlord refused to do anything about noisy neighbors (who it turns out are also small time drug dealers) despite having received complaints from us verbally, over e-mail, and in person for over three months.

I agree with Emmi, if the neighbors have erratic behavior they are not going to stop because you ask , and asking them over and over before you go to the landlord will only result in them trying to get back at you. in my case they wake up at 5 am just to bang on my ceiling with a broom, and I also believe they punctured hole in my tire. Please take my advice, if your neighbours are being disrespectful/erratic, contact the landlord asap. If the landlord does not resolve the issue within one month call a lawyer and document everything! You will be saving yourself a lot of heartache down the road.

I am also dealing with a loud, inconsiderate (downstairs) neighbor. Speaking with my neighbors did not work, and eventually they stopped answering their door when I came down. I had to speak to management multiple times and it wasn't until I let management know that I would be contacting the police from now on until the issue was resolved that things finally started to get better.

Before I had this problem myself I thought it would be very selfish to go to the landlord but after a while the noise/banging will fry your nerves. Your home deserves to be a place you can go and relax and not a place you dread being in because of such issues. If the problem does not improve within 1-2 weeks of contacting management let them know that you will be calling the police until the issue is resolved. If the noise is bad enough that you can hear it over TV and feel vibrations all over your space (same story with my neighbors who had their bass going all day and night) then the police should be able to come out.

It was really hard for me to do, as I consider myself to be a really nice person who doesn't like to make waves, but it sounds like contacting management is the best way to go.

The paint and the furniture look very pretty, but I cannot get over the checkered valences. I actually like the bold pattern but the shape just reminds me so much of the early 90's and "contemporary country" themes that were popular then. I think that with the dark paint color (also popular then) it is unfortunately dating the room. I think you could keep the curtains, just remove the large valences and get a nice curtain rod instead.

Was this place advertised as two-bedroom. I know that in a lot of cities a bedroom door is actually required for your landlord to legally call your space a bedroom. You may want to look into that and if it's the case the landlord will have to install something, or change the listing (and maybe reduce the rent to comparable one-bedrooms in the area?)

Other than that the only solution I see are the curtains. I know they are not what you are looking for but as a grad student I know all about budget (many of these solutions would be way out of my budget) and most of the other affordable ones don't sound very safe.You also have to keep in mind this is something you will have to open and close every day, so you don;t want it to be too heavy or impractical.

I am currently in grad school, and if someone bought me a $35 mouse pad I would have a strong desire to punch them in the face. When most kids are in grad school they are still building a foundation of the basics. From a design perspective I would much rather use that money for a set of matching lamps (either big-box or thrifted), a large print or piece of art to cover the start white walls that come standard with most apartments, or for a thrifting spree-for $35 I could easily get glass to make my own terrarium, an interesting pencil holder, a unique soap dispenser, a bottle opener, and have money left over.

I just moved into a new place with a similar bathroom, but the times are a faded mustard yellow with white grout, ahh! I went with a bold shower curtain that I already had, a mat that matches that (for less than $10 you can go to most big box stores and choose from dozens of colors) and some art above the tile. The art gives you a chance to DIY and you can look for frames, prints, shower curtains and window curtains at local thrift stores to cut down on costs (just make sure you wash EVERYTHING!) For some reason I see a really bold piece of art above your mirror, and sheers on the windows -let light in without flashing the neighbors!

It sounds like you are the owner. It also sounds like you are over-thinking things a bit. Renters don't expect basement apartments to be perfect. That's why they are usually cheaper than ground floor and upper-level units. That big, beautiful window hidden behind the TV in your space really saves it, and it's going to appeal to someone who has been looking at dank dungeon units all day. So first thing's first, move that TV!

I agree that the next best option is to paint. Creme/tan colors on the walls (yes it's a little boring, but it will let the light in much better than anything else) and a matte white on the ceiling, It looks like a lot of that tacky "shine" you are getting is coming from a gloss paint on the ceiling.

I also agree with some of the other comments about putting in a cheap floor verses painting concrete. That paint will not hold up from tenant to tenant and you will have to re-paint every time someone moves in and out. It will also make the place much colder in the winter.

Laws about providing heaters verses having a heating system vary from state to state and possibly from region to region (def illegal in my native northern Ohio). Look up to see what the policy is where you live (this costs nothing) to make sure you are covering yourself in case of emergency. The fireplace is by no means a deal breaker. I have lived plenty of places with non-working fire places, and if anything I considered that it was an architectural feature that many of my neighbors did not have. Also, depending on your region the mural might be back in style with younger tenants, and it could save you a lot of time in having to paint it.

Lastly, while in most places you are not legally obligated to tell your new tenants about past flooding, I would strongly recommend that you encourage your future tenants to get good renters' insurance that covers flooding. Again while you are not legally obligated to do this, the last thing you want is another flood, the tenants feeling that you should pay (which legally you should not) and walking out on you or trashing the place as a result. Also it's good karma for you. My parents always encouraged me too have good renters' insurance, but many people are clueless about it.