Heartdepauvera's Profile

When we moved to a different city from most of our family friends, we hoped to find an apartment with an office spare room that we could use as a guest room. We quickly realized that we couldn't spend that much money on an apartment and instead opted for a flip out couch for our 500 square foot apartment. Our parents can afford to stay in a nearby hotel which they do and friends and siblings have no problem sleeping on the sofa bed.

Large arm chairs in the livingroom provide optimal suitcase storage, there is an understanding that the cat can and will provide all house-guests with a night-time friend (meaning that allergic friends and my mom choose not to stay with us, which is fine). We stock the fridge and feed our guests breakfast, they are expected to fold up the sofa/sheets when they get up in the morning and we do the same when we stay with other people with similar sleeping situations.

We have a set of "guest keys" for them and a map of the city. As we both work irregular schedules and can't usually take time off to play tour guide. But friends are always welcome (although some are better guests than others) and we have been told by most that they prefer to stay with us over other friends, because our apartment is cleaner.

Maybe someone can explain this to me: in the US are required to move as soon as your lease is up? I had never heard of this before Apartment Therapy. Where I live (Canada) when your lease is over you just usually keep living there month-to-month; you still have to give 60 days notice to move out but you don't have to leave as soon as your year is over.

I love how much they've done without having unnecessary furniture just to fill the space, the size of their pieces relative to the size of the rooms is just lovely!

If Ikea generation means my parents re-did their kitchen in an old Victorian house with Ikea fixtures because they had the only ready-made cabinets that fit and although it was the early 80's they have NEVER even had to consider re-doing the kitchen because the look and feel is so clean it's pretty much timeless then yes, I'm generation Ikea. If only I too could AFFORD their furniture!