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The first place does sound better on paper, but I can see where he's coming from on the cramped kitchen/bathroom. You spend a lot more of your time in those places than you realize, and if cramped spaces bother you it can get pretty irritating. It also sounds like he will be doing some kind of training program that maybe will mean he's not home a lot? The litter around the pond at place B is not nice though. :\
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Dec 16, 2012 16:13
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So we are moving to a new apartment a few blocks away in Baltimore. Movers are really freaking expensive but even though I could probably get a few guys to help me, I have no idea how to pack a truck and we have this huge breakfront with glass doors in front and our current apartment is a second floor, so we'd have to maneuver it - and everything else - out of the door and down the stairs. What do I do goons? Edit: The only things I can't do easily by myself are that breakfront, a large dining room table, two couches, one of which is a decent sized three-seater, two large formica bookshelves, a big dresser, and a nightmare of an old corner desk. Doghouse fucked around with this message at 03:20 on Dec 17, 2012 |
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Dec 17, 2012 03:17
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WTF is a breakfront? (Dictionary tells me "a piece of furniture with a curved front" like that's loving useful!) Regardless, remove the glass doors before you move it. If it has any interior parts or shelving (doors imply such) pull that out too. Same with all your other big poo poo - break stuff down into the smallest single pieces you can (if this sounds obvious... well, you asked). With a few extreme exceptions (giant grand piano on an upper floor requiring a crane and a balcony window) movers aren't going to do anything you can't do yourself. Granted, they may have more muscle than you, and they'll have more experience on how to twist things like long couches through tight corners, but nothing they do is magic. If you have the muscle available and the willingness to make the effort, you can usually figure out the "what angle do we lift and slide this couch from to negotiate this turn" bit, though sometimes it'll take a few tries. The furniture got up there somehow, so obviously it can make it back down (unless it was some monstrosity you assembled up there; but that means it should be easily DISassembled too).
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Dec 17, 2012 05:58
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You should know too that professional movers that behave like professionals are the exception, not the rule. Truck rentals are fairly cheap, and it's usually ~$20 to go from a right-sized 14 foot 'truck that would fit everything if you packed it perfectly' to a 19 foot 'truck you can pack like a knucklehead and still fit everything.' Add a furniture dolly, a handtruck for boxes, and five stout friends and you're as well off as hiring a mover. Since it's an across town move, you need to worry less about how to pack your television or priceless Ming vase than if you were hauling it 2,000 miles. I prefer to have my friends break my things, thankyouverymuch.
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Dec 17, 2012 18:08
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Oh jesus, don't just rent a huge truck and throw poo poo in there. Learn the basics of how to pack and secure stuff. Packing a truck isn't just about getting it all the fit in the least space, it's about minimizing the amount of shifting about and ensuring that your stuff doesn't all crush itself. You don't want to pull to a stop and hear a series of thuds and crashes from behind you as your bookcases topple over onto your box of dishes. Also, 'across town move' is practically as bad as a long-distance move, because the majority of jolts and shifting occurs during in-town driving (starting and stopping at lights, hard corners, etc) compared to long-distance (cruising on the interstate at 60mph for eight hours). If you have a bunch of fit friends who are not knuckleheads, you can certainly do 90% of the job for a fraction of the price. But I do think that it can be worth it to hire professionals if you have some crazy piece of furniture that is heavy, fragile, or awkward (or any combination of those three). You can also feel free to call around movers and get estimates to just to do an unload - if you can get something into your truck but aren't sure you can get it up some winding stairs, for instance, it might be worth having people come out for an hour to handle it. Be aware that some movers won't do this, and some will have a minimum rate even if it only takes them ten minutes.
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Dec 17, 2012 18:45
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So I moved into a new apartment about a month and a half ago but I have been too busy with school to buy furniture at all. Now I have time but I am not sure what aesthetic look I want or what would fit with the room. Any suggestions are appreciated. I don't have a set budget for this I am guessing $2000-3000 for both rooms but I can afford more if necessary. The living room is http://imgur.com/kZKd8 Dining area is http://i.imgur.com/x0vEU Off to the side of the living room I have a small study that is unfurnished as well.
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Dec 19, 2012 00:35
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I could see a nice round white table going in your eating area in front of that window. My aunt has a very similar setup with this table (or something like it) in it and it looks nice.
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Dec 19, 2012 02:08
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Eggplant Wizard posted:The first place does sound better on paper, but I can see where he's coming from on the cramped kitchen/bathroom. You spend a lot more of your time in those places than you realize, and if cramped spaces bother you it can get pretty irritating. It also sounds like he will be doing some kind of training program that maybe will mean he's not home a lot?
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Dec 19, 2012 02:19
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I've had three, possibly four break in attempts so far (someone trying the front door at 3 AM a couple months back (scared off by dog), trying the front door again the night of the Friday after Thanksgiving (scared off by dog again), opening my back gate and chickening out and running away when it squeaked really loudly at midnight on Monday night, and just now trying my back door). I legitimately do not feel safe in my apartment anymore and feel like I need to be armed 24/7 while I'm in my own home. After the first attempt I was fairly confident they wouldn't be back but clearly I was wrong. I want to move the hell out but my lease isn't up till June. I'm going to talk to management tomorrow about it to see if anyone else has been experiencing the same thing. I'm inclined to think I'm being targeted because it's obvious that it's just me living here and I have a pretty set routine/schedule. Last night when I was walking the dogs I saw some pretty sketchy characters who looked like they were casing a nearby house, I know what the people who live there look like and these guys weren't them and left pretty drat quick when they noticed they'd been seen. What sets me on edge is that these are probably the same guys who have been trying my doors in the middle of the night, and they're several grown men and not the scrawny teenager I saw the first time. I could take down a scrawny teenager, three grown men are a different story. Then an hour or so ago my back door opened, right around the time I usually go to bed (I'm up later than usual because I don't have work tomorrow). It had been shut but not locked since I had been going in and out earlier. When I went to check there wasn't anyone there (and by check I mean bodyslamming the door and immediately deadbolting it, then peering out my peephole). Either my door unlatched and opened itself, or someone opened it and chickened out when they noticed I was home and awake. The cops can't do anything since no one's actually succeeded in entering my apartment. I did call them and they said they'd step up patrols of the area but obviously that's ineffective. Is there a point where I can legally GTFO without legal repercussions or having to find a subletter? I've become incredibly jumpy and I don't know if I can deal with six more months of this. I keep a gun on me and one in my bedside table, deadbolt and chain lock my doors, lock my bedroom door, and have called the cops. What the hell else can I do? Any good security systems that don't require a landline phone and don't suck?
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Dec 20, 2012 06:46
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I really don't think incredibly jumpy + convenient guns is a good combo; I would suggest looking at other solutions first. I've posted before about simple, small alarms they sell at any Home Depot (etc.). You put one side on the door/window and one side on the wall, and whenever the halves aren't in contact, they make an alarm that is literally painfully loud. It won't telephone the cops, but you and your neighbors and the burglar are all going to be extremely aware of it. Nobody's going to be able to open anything stealthily. The downside is that you can't arm it on the door you're leaving from; you could only have 100% coverage when you're inside. Cameras might help -- you can get cheap webcams and set them up so they only go on when there's motion, then stream or upload video. Always use all the locks you've got and think about upgrading. It sounds like when the door opened, you only had a latch on? I would get used to using the deadbolt, chain, and anything else you've got 24/7. Hopefully the locks themselves are secure -- they have bumper plates and the deadbolt goes into a metal frame. Also feel free to exaggerate a tiny bit to the cops. If they won't do anything unless someone came inside, are you sure you didn't hear a footstep in the foyer? Obviously the goal is to gtfo, and I really hope you can get your landlord to accept it, but these might help in the meantime.
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Dec 20, 2012 08:48
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i like nice words
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:I've had three, possibly four break in attempts so far (someone trying the front door at 3 AM a couple months back (scared off by dog), trying the front door again the night of the Friday after Thanksgiving (scared off by dog again), opening my back gate and chickening out and running away when it squeaked really loudly at midnight on Monday night, and just now trying my back door). I legitimately do not feel safe in my apartment anymore and feel like I need to be armed 24/7 while I'm in my own home. After the first attempt I was fairly confident they wouldn't be back but clearly I was wrong. I want to move the hell out but my lease isn't up till June. Unlikely. You could make an argument that the warrant of habitability is breached but that's a question for a lawyer and really really hard to prove. Especially since what you wrote seems more like you being paranoid than anything actually happening. Get renter's insurance and stop worrying about it.
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Dec 20, 2012 17:27
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Having said that, you can still make a stink with the management/landlord every time something happens, and potentially demand that they replace/upgrade doors and locks if you think they are inadequate (stop leaving them unlocked before that, though). It's very possible that they'll get sick of you griping and be willing to let you out of the lease either clean or with a sublet rather than deal with you all the time. Get that in writing, though.
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Dec 20, 2012 17:36
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Generally speaking, the landlord cannot make guarantees nor is expected to make the place safe. Things like deadbolts, charlie bars on sliding doors, etc are required by code. Even things like exterior lighting aren't required, but if provided the landlord has an obligation to maintain it. That's to to say the landlord won't let you out of your lease if you have repeated problems, but that generally speaking he is not required to. You may find a sympathetic judge if you intend to pursue it though.
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Dec 20, 2012 17:51
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I have to admit I made that post last night while still in heart-attack mode from my back door opening so it may have come off as more paranoid than I actually am. I'm more pissed off than anything that I can't relax at night in my own home I guess. I think I have a right to be mildly paranoid, anyone who tries repeatedly to open someone else's door in the middle of the night is up to no good. And it's not just me imagining it, I've seen/heard someone running away when the dogs start barking and I get up to look. One attempt? Okay whatever. Stupid teenager with too much time on his hands. Multiple times? I have no reason to believe they won't keep trying until they succeed. Even my fiancé doesn't like going outside here at night whenever he comes to visit and has been leaning on me to try to get out. I've seen a ton of people moving out recently and not too many people have been coming in to replace them, and the people who are moving in are kinda sketchy. I do have renter's insurance so if my stuff gets stolen I'm covered. I'm mostly worried about them finally succeeding at breaking in while I'm gone over the holidays (dogs won't be there to scare them off, nor will I) and I'll come back to a week-old crime scene and no chance of catching them or getting my stuff back. I haven't gone to the management yet, I was planning on asking them if they had keys to lock the bedroom doors from the outside. We have a safe, and if that safe gets stolen I will have lost all of my personal records and other important, irreplaceable things (birth certificate, social security card, financial records, etc). If I can just keep that room secure they can go hog wild taking the rest of my stuff. Even if management can't do anything, they should at least know that someone's been going around trying to open people's doors. I can't be the only one they've tried. I thought about getting one of those peephole security cameras so I can catch whoever's doing this, but the idiots they paid to repaint the exteriors painted over the peepholes then did a half-assed job of wiping them off so they're kinda useless. A coworker bought one of those portable security systems that supposedly had good reviews and it didn't actually work so I'm kinda hesitant to just buy one blindly off the internet.
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Dec 20, 2012 18:46
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Maybe you could get a safe-deposit box at a bank to store your irreplaceable papers and small valuables. As you said, rental insurance will cover everything else, and I'd bet that a safe would be an attractive target to a thief, since people usually only keep valuable things in them. Also, safes are much easier to break open if you can move them to a place where you have tools and time.
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Dec 20, 2012 18:51
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Usually burglars are just looking for an easy target. If you have a dog or a loud alarm, they'll probably just go for something that's easier. The fact that they've been scared off a couple times but they keep coming back means they think you have something really good. Money, guns, whatever. Definitely don't leave your most important stuff there while you're away. See if you can lock it up at work, leave it at a friend's, get a bank box, put it in secure storage, anything but leaving it alone there for a week. Once they're in your place, they can do anything to get into your room, even just taking the door off the hinges. If your safe isn't a wall safe, or something similarly built in, they can just take it out and open it at their leisure.
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Dec 20, 2012 19:02
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I was planning on transferring some stuff from my little documents safe to my fiancé's gun safe, which is huge, heavy as poo poo (the two of us could barely get it up the stairs on our own empty), and in a really awkward location that requires moving furniture if you want to move it. However it's not attached to anything so if someone really wanted it they could still take it but not as easily. A safe deposit box is a good idea, I might look into that but seeing as I'm leaving at o dark thirty tomorrow morning I don't really have time to set one up before I leave. They have reason to believe I have money, I have a relatively nice car with a parking permit from one of the better employers in the area. I also don't have a family to drain any income. I haven't upgraded most of my cheap college stuff, but they don't know that. They've also seen my dogs, which aren't very threatening. They're not little chihuahuas or anything, but they're not huge either. There's a guy who hangs around a lot but doesn't actually live here who would ALWAYS ask me if they were my dogs, not in a "oh can I pet him?" kind of way, but more of a sizing-up kind of way if that makes any sense. My sister had a good suggestion, she says her local police department will do courtesy checks on people's houses while they're away. I'm gonna see if my local PD will do the same. I live a block from the police station so it's not like they'd be going out of their way.
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Dec 20, 2012 19:24
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Do you have any friends who can house-sit while you're gone?
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Dec 20, 2012 19:30
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If it's paperwork or even small stuff like jewelry, take it with you. If your descriptions are accurate, then there are a handful of guys working together, so they're not going to have a problem carrying the safe. And after they've broken into your apartment, they're not going to be like "oh wait, we would have to move the couch to get the guns and ammo and money, guess we'll leave without any of it." If you're most concerned about losing your birth certificate or social security card or other little stuff, then don't leave it there for them.
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Dec 21, 2012 00:28
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Burger Crime posted:So I moved into a new apartment about a month and a half ago but I have been too busy with school to buy furniture at all. Now I have time but I am not sure what aesthetic look I want or what would fit with the room. If you don't mind used furniture and have a Cort Clearance Center nearby, that's a good option for your price range. Basically they rent furniture, but when it's at the end of the life cycle for rental, they sell it. They have package plans where you get 21 pieces of furniture for a bedroom, dining room, and living room. The plans locally were $1300, $1500, and $2000, the higher priced plans just meant nicer stuff. It's not the greatest furniture, but it's good starter furniture, especially if you don't have anything. The only real problem is that the selection is kind of limited, but you do have some mix and match options. I did it this week partially because my parents muscled me into borrowing money for it from them, and partially because they had a round table available in the $1300 package. I'm not too thrilled about the couch and chair I'm getting, but it was much more comfortable than the other option I had. At least I won't be sleeping on the floor anymore.
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Dec 21, 2012 09:10
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I'm moving soon and trying to figure out the cheapest way to move from Chicago to Boston. I only have a couple of boxes with clothes, books, and a couple other things. Definitely don't need a U-Haul. Was looking at Greyhound and it looks like they ship really cheap. I'm not worried about waiting for the items to get to me, just whatever is the cheapest option.
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Dec 25, 2012 04:24
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Hey yall, I have a home decor/space issue. My boyfriend and I have amassed a collection of trinkets and poo poo we are not ready to let go of. So... I come to you to ask about installing simple wall shelves to display things instead of wasting precious floor space. Problem is, we might be going against apartment rules by doing that poo poo to the walls. I want to know if any of you have gotten away with it, and if it is worth the risk? The way I see it its just a few holes drilled in the wall that can easily be covered up by wall putty when we are ready to move out, but I'm not a handyman type of person to really know what is better, any thoughts on the matter?
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Dec 27, 2012 00:26
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Vanessie posted:Hey yall, I have a home decor/space issue. My boyfriend and I have amassed a collection of trinkets and poo poo we are not ready to let go of. I think you should be fine - every apartment I've been in has let us hang picture frames, shelves, etc. and I just use putty to fill in the holes when I move. Then they just paint over the walls before the next tenant moves in - they'd do that regardless of holes in the walls anyway I think. If you are worried, you can contact the apartment office via email to ask. Then you have a "paper" trail.
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Dec 27, 2012 06:23
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COUNTIN THE BILLIES posted:I'm moving soon and trying to figure out the cheapest way to move from Chicago to Boston. I only have a couple of boxes with clothes, books, and a couple other things. Definitely don't need a U-Haul. Was looking at Greyhound and it looks like they ship really cheap. I'm not worried about waiting for the items to get to me, just whatever is the cheapest option. Ship your books USPS media mail. It doesn't get much cheaper than that. The other (now much lighter) stuff you can take your pick on how to ship.
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Dec 27, 2012 20:31
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Vanessie posted:Hey yall, I have a home decor/space issue. My boyfriend and I have amassed a collection of trinkets and poo poo we are not ready to let go of. Are you looking at something like the floating shelves from IKEA? If so them you should be OK. The mounts are designed for European stud widths so you likely won't be able to drill into more than one stud. You can try using anchors but I'd just go with the smallest toggle bolts you can find. In that case you're looking at 3-4 3/16" holes per shelf, which are easily patch able. The bigger question is: do you actually want your trinkets out? If you don't want to risk the hole issue, just put the prize stuff out and store the rest. Fixed Gear Guy fucked around with this message at 03:52 on Dec 29, 2012 |
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Dec 29, 2012 03:50
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Anyone have any recommendations for an arco lamp knockoff? I can't afford the real thing. There looks like a lot of decent reproductions in the $400 range. Anyone have one?
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Dec 29, 2012 03:53
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Anyone have any recommendations for replacing carpet? I have about two rooms of carpet fairly trashed by raising kittens, and I'd like to replace it with a nice wood laminate. And for anyone making a long-distance move on a budget, media mail is awesome. I shipped what I can only describe as a book infestation 1500 miles very cheaply; it arrived in about three weeks.
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Dec 29, 2012 04:40
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Fixed Gear Guy posted:Anyone have any recommendations for an arco lamp knockoff? I can't afford the real thing. There looks like a lot of decent reproductions in the $400 range. Anyone have one? I've been looking for one for a while as well. I don't think we'll be able to go super cheap with the knock-offs, because for a lamp to be able to be weighted correctly will require more quality control than the average "stick with a base" style lamp.
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Dec 29, 2012 19:24
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vonnegutt posted:I've been looking for one for a while as well. I don't think we'll be able to go super cheap with the knock-offs, because for a lamp to be able to be weighted correctly will require more quality control than the average "stick with a base" style lamp. I looked a bunch on apartmenttherapy and the Chiosso one apparently rocks. EQ3 makes one but I don't know about shipping to PA. It looks like the ones in the ~$400 range are all from the same factory so it really doesn't matter much. As long as the marble is nice and heavy then it should cantilever OK. The knockoffs with the round puck/plinth base are eve cheaper but I really want the original style (with the broom hole and all). Apparently the real deal isn't too hard to find in antique stores because no one wants to move a 200 lb slab of marble, but I hate hunting through stores for something specific.
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Dec 29, 2012 21:56
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A few quick things I haven't seen mentioned yet: Rental Application Fee: Only apply for one Apt at a time, You're only going to be living in one apartment. If you have more than one app open when you sign a lease you just wasted the money on all those other apps. Renters Ins: Most often is only for the benefit of the building owner. Make sure your policy covers YOUR stuff also. This is especially true if the landlord / rental company is offering it. For Finding an apartment: Throw away the apartment hunters Books that are given out for free. Pick an outlying neighborhood from town and drive around looking for rent signs. You will often find something not listed in CL, and find a great deal. Be careful when looking for apartments in College Towns. Disgustingly often you will find they are renting out each *room* in that awesome four bedroom. Be certain what's being offered. This happens a lot on craigslist and I flag those posts whenever I find them. Craigslist and freecycle aren't only great places to find boxes but furniture as well. We have spent *zero* on Furniture over the last couple of years. Be careful choosing mattress though. Wash down every thing you get. Washer and dryers can be bought for around $100 each. As for break-ins we have had only one attempt in two years. My Wife was still in bed at the time when someone tried opening the bedroom window. She opened the curtains full on thinking it was me. She's a big girl, having 8 kids will do that. She was in all the glory of her birthday suit, and he hasn't been back. 
Kungfootek fucked around with this message at 02:17 on Dec 30, 2012 |
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Dec 30, 2012 01:36
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So I am looking for a corner TV stand. Challenge: it must not be black and made of glass and metal. Any ideas?
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Dec 30, 2012 14:13
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AmbassadorTaxicab posted:So I am looking for a corner TV stand. Challenge: it must not be black and made of glass and metal. Any ideas? Got any preferences for what it SHOULD be made of? Wood/particle board, wood colored, white...? [Wayfair search performed in less than the allowed time for edits before showing "edited" thing] n/m here you go http://www.wayfair.com/Corner-TV-Stands-C413914.html real edit: I'm not trying to be a jerk, just bragging about my 1337 internet furniture skillz 
Eggplant Wizard fucked around with this message at 16:35 on Dec 30, 2012 |
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Dec 30, 2012 16:33
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I just got a kick from that wayfair link. There's something about corner TV stands that seems so 90s, and the black/glass ones (which constitute half of the search results) doubly so. Just mount it on the wall 
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Dec 30, 2012 16:58
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Fixed Gear Guy posted:I just got a kick from that wayfair link. There's something about corner TV stands that seems so 90s, and the black/glass ones (which constitute half of the search results) doubly so. Just mount it on the wall
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Dec 30, 2012 18:35
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Dominoes posted:Or a simple desk/table. On that note, a recent trend in poor TV placement is wall-mounting far above eye-level. And yeah a parson's table would be great. Plenty of thickness in the tabletop and legs to hide cables behind.
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Dec 30, 2012 20:02
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My philosophy has been to use social networking sites such as SA and Reddit when it comes to roomates. When I moved to Toronto for a job, I used Reddit. I ended up living in downtown Toronto for $600 a month with awesome roomies. I'm generally trusting of people on such websites as they aren't threatening, have similar interests as you and can be vetted by checking their post history.
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Dec 30, 2012 20:34
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Fixed Gear Guy posted:And yeah a parson's table would be great. Plenty of thickness in the tabletop and legs to hide cables behind. I will look through that site, and hopefully find something I like.
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Dec 30, 2012 21:08
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I live in a small ground-floor apartment in a two story building. I have electric baseboard heat. The upstairs is one large apartment heated by a furnace in the basement. We just found out today that because the building's chimney is faulty, the exhaust pipe from the furnace has rusted out. This discovery came because the upstairs tenants have no heat currently. Has anyone had a similar problem with a building they live in? The lack of heat doesn't apply to me, but I'm worried about carbon monoxide being released from the furnace.
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Dec 31, 2012 21:15
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As simple as it sounds, try getting a carbon monoxide detector, preferably with a digital readout.
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Dec 31, 2012 21:31
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cheerfullydrab posted:The lack of heat doesn't apply to me, but I'm worried about carbon monoxide being released from the furnace. Get carbon monoxide detectors if your building has gas, whether or not the furnace is old and in disrepair. If your municipality requires carbon monoxide detectors in dwellings with gas, then your landlord is required to pay for them himself. Especially since he's probably negating his insurance otherwise anyway.
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Dec 31, 2012 21:37
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