I have a new apartment (probably)

[thistlechaser]

I put in an application for a new apartment today. While I haven't heard back yet, my credit and rental history are very good, so I don't expect there to be any problems (famous last words). The studio apartments are all currently being renovated, due to be done by August 1st, and I need to move in in September, so turned out I got my pick of them (picked a corner unit in the back, hopefully will be the quietest). Ground floor. Apartment choice isn't in writing yet, I need to see to that.

Other notes:

No air conditioning, windows only in the front of the apartment (so no cross-breeze). It's early July and I haven't yet used my AC once this year, so... hopefully that won't be too big of an issue.

Has washer/dryer! That's a big, big positive and one I hadn't figured I'd be able to get. (Also has a dishwasher, which rocks.)

Pent rent is such a scam. I have to pay $65 extra every month because I have a cat... My current pet rent is $25, which is still a scam, but less so than $65. Highest listed pet rent I've seen was $75, so $65 is pretty bad.

Oddly the apartment comes with "high speed internet access". If it really is good access, I can drop Comcast, which will save me over $100.

It's maybe 5-10 minutes further from work. Technically it's one town over from where I am now, but it's so close to the border, it might as well be the same town.

Water/trash/net is about $100 a month extra. (I'm currently paying about the same for just water/trash here.)

Big minus: No assigned parking. Street parking is insanely jammed. There's a resident-only parking lot, but it's small. I strongly suspect there are more apartments than spots. This is likely going to be the issue that makes me eventually move. Sad. (You can get an assigned spot, but it's $160 per month...)

Is it perfect? No. But it's in my price range, and I'm getting more features than I had hoped I would (washer/dryer), so hopefully it will work out. It's really, REALLY small. I've always said I never needed much space and my current apartment is too big for me, so I guess I'm going to get to test that out. :P

Comments

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Good luck and fingers crossed! X

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm all nervous now, if it's the right decision or not, but if it's not... I can just move in another year. Heh. Fingers crossed, too!

[teaandfailure.livejournal.com]

The pet rent thing has become SUCH a scam. The hardest part of moving to my current town six years ago was finding a place that would even let me bring the cats. Most places here had a one pet limit, which I thought was totally unfair... my two cats at the time were much less hassle than like, one German Shepherd, but no, whiny ass big dog people had to go BLOO BLOO BLEE BLOO IT ISN'T FAIR SHE CAN HAVE TWO CATS AND I CAN'T HAVE TWO SAINT BERNARDS BOO BLOOFLE BLEE.

Yup, six years and a house later and I AM STILL BITTER.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Luckily we can generally have two cats, but then they DOUBLE the pet rent and pet deposit! I means seriously, if I had a second PERSON in my apartment, there would be no extra charge. But a CAT costs money? Scam McScam Scam.

I don't blame you at all for still being bitter!

[xxmadsenxx.livejournal.com]

Good luck! I agree with you, pet rent is so stupid. Total scam.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Now I just have to pack and move. :}

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Washer/Dryer was a must for me when I got an apartment. I just don't want to have to book time with the laundry machines in a shared space, just too many horror stories.

That pet fee is awful though, any way you can negotiate it down? I managed to get them to lower mine a little bit. With your good credit/renter history, maybe you could finagle something?

Hope it all goes well!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It pains me to not have AC, and the parking situation might be bad, but the fact I'm getting a washer/dryer is a BIG plus. I just do not want to have to share machines with people again. Like you said, too many horror stories. (Once some crazy woman threw my mother's laundry all around the building. Took out out from the machine in the middle of the cycle!)

Good idea to try to get them to lower it, thanks!

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

No A/C is a little bit crazy, perhaps you could use that when it comes to negotiations, I mean who doesn't have air conditioning?? I guess you'll have to get your own wall unit? At least you are on the ground floor so it should stay cooler than the upper units.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's one reason why I picked the ground. If there were windows in the back of the apartment, I might have picked the upper floor one, so I could leave them open in the daytime when I'm away or at night. But since the only windows are along the walkway... no use to being up there (other than no neighbor above me).

[manue7a.livejournal.com]

Good luck!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[ashmedai.livejournal.com]

Good luck and fingers crossed! What - pet rent? What the hell? I've never heard of that. :(

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

It's a thing they do in the US. So stupid, so clearly a scam. If I have a second human living in my apartment, there's no charge. But a cat? $65 more per month.

[ashmedai.livejournal.com]

That's ridiculous, and yeah, I agree it's a scam. :(

[hamsterwoman]

Yay for washer/dryer! I hope the parking situation proves to be OK despite no assigned parking.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Fingers crossed as well. My work hours are odd (I generally get home around 1 PM), which I think is the only thing that will make this work.

[hamsterwoman]

Oh yeah, then you could probably do fine without assigned parking. I imagine it probably doesn't start filling up until like 4 p.m. and later. And by 1 p.m. even the folks working programmers' hours should be at work already :P