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Any suggestions for house plants that can deal with low light in the UK?
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Mar 12, 2013 10:43
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| # ? May 16, 2024 12:23 |
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COUNTIN THE BILLIES posted:Are any of the Ikea bed frames sturdy? They all look rickety as hell. Malm 4 lyfe. I've moved it twice without issue. Queen size, and none of the parts are all that heavy. One person can disassemble and move it.
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Mar 12, 2013 17:22
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Has anyone ever heard of, or actually used, this product?: http://www.enviroholdusa.com/products/Envirohold-6L-1.58-GAL-Ready-to-use.html I have two raised mulch beds in front of my condo with very few shrubs or plants, and every time we get a bad wind/rain storm half my mulch ends up blown or washed away. I was looking around online for ideas on how to keep it in place, and stumbled upon this site, but I haven't been able to find much in the way of customer reviews. Any input on the product, or other suggestions for hanging on to my mulch would be much appreciated.
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Mar 12, 2013 19:17
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I'm apartment hunting once again, and I think I've found the place. I don't want to go into too much detail, but it's not a big building, but a three story building with just two apartments, and the owner/landlord lives on the ground floor, an old two-flat. I've found the place, the rent is in my range, and in a fun turn of events, the guys living upstairs are acquaintances of mine, I was in a community theatre show with one a while back, and he also worked with the guy who will be my roommate for a while. All that said, I've talked with the guy who will be my roommate, and he's worried about his credit score. I've not got much of a credit history, but my parents have agreed to co-sign on the lease, but he's concerned. I believe him (he's had some credit card/student loan issues in the past), so how would I go about raising this concern to the landlord? I'm going back home (where he's currently living) this weekend to have him and my parents fill out applications, and we're expected to bring credit checks ourselves (in lieu of an application fee), so by next week I'm hoping to call her up to give her the applications. She wants to meet him as well, but he won't be free to come up until the first weekend in April (move-in date is May 1), so it will pretty much be me and her talking. She's a very nice older lady, and she seems to like the idea of tenants who already know each other, as well as who are all involved in theatre, but I'm just concerned, because the apartment is gorgeous, and the kitchen (which is always what I put first in an apartment hunt) is amazing, with an island, and a great old chef's sink, nice appliances, etc.)
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Mar 12, 2013 21:55
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I think the general feeling is that a lot of landlords aren't looking for your credit score or a spotless history, they are looking specifically for previous apartments/rentals you have blown out of an have hanging around in your history. Like if someone has been late with their card that isn' the killer, it's the judgement for the place you abandoned in 2009 that's an issue. Having said that, I think that the best way to handle this is to be up front and honest about it. Let her know that your friend has had some issues in the past, but explain how they are past those or how they won't be an issue. Especially when you are dealing with an individual, it serves you best to humanize the numbers. This is particularly true if there was actually some decent cause for the problems (like a family emergency or an accident) that isn't likely to recur. Copping to the problem makes you seem honest/trustworthy, and explaining it will mitigate how irresponsible it might have been. The other option is for you to show that even with poor credit you have the resources for this place. If you can show that you have good income from a stable source, or money in the bank, they are more likely to overlook some credit issues. I actually had this in reverse, where the landlord was concerned about our income compared to the rent (because my wife had stopped working to look after our kid) and our credit history was able to convince him that we were responsible and could be trusted to run a tight budget.
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Mar 12, 2013 22:18
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Ashcans posted:I think the general feeling is that a lot of landlords aren't looking for your credit score or a spotless history, they are looking specifically for previous apartments/rentals you have blown out of an have hanging around in your history. Like if someone has been late with their card that isn' the killer, it's the judgement for the place you abandoned in 2009 that's an issue. Well, on the bright side of things, unless he's hosed up severely in the 7 months I haven't been in town, his rent/living situation has been pretty stable. I'll have a talk with him about it this weekend, and go from there. The other issue is that he won't have a job for a little while when he comes up here. He's working a temp thing now back home, and when he comes up here he'll pretty much be starting from scratch.
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Mar 12, 2013 23:44
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The landlord doesn't care which tenant pays rent as long as it gets paid (assuming you're on the same lease), so if you/your parents have a good enough credit and renting history for the landlord to be comfortable knowing someone can cover the rent if he ends up not being able to pay it shouldn't be a problem. If you both had poo poo credit with no cosigners then that would be a problem.
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Mar 13, 2013 04:01
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Fraction posted:Any suggestions for house plants that can deal with low light in the UK? I have a full spectrum light that I have directed at my plants. I have it on a timer so it comes on in the morning and goes off in the evening automatically. The plants do move towards the light and I have to rotate them frequently just like you would if they were by a window. I'm pretty sure this is the one I have (the long one, not the lightbulb-sized one), I actually bought it for my parrots but since they aren't at my house right now I started using it for the plants. http://www.parrot-and-conure-world.com/vita-lite-full-spectrum.html If you're looking for specific plants that like low-light conditions, I think many types of ferns would be a good choice.
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Mar 14, 2013 19:36
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Fraction posted:Any suggestions for house plants that can deal with low light in the UK? Zamioculcas, or "ZZ Plant," is great for low light and very hardy.
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Mar 14, 2013 20:07
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Any of the tropical understory plants are a good choice, because low light is their natural habit anyway. Bromeliads make a showy choice in that regard. And snake plants are probably the best low light plant. They are almost impossible to kill, which is why you see them in office buildings so much.
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Mar 15, 2013 02:27
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I'm about to go mattress shopping because A) my mattress is older than me, B) My back hurts pretty much all the time and C) it squeaks super loud if I make any movement at all. I've been using SleepLikeTheDead.com for comparing mattresses. It seems like a pretty good website. It even has a ranking for how good each bed is for sex, which is both hilarious and useful! I think I settled on wanting a latex mattress. Anyone have experience with this kind of mattress? Should I just go Memory foam? Coil mattresses just seem like a bad investment, at least according to that website. I've also been thinking about getting the latex mattress from IKEA but I'm worried E: I am specifically refering to this mattress Bread Set Jettison fucked around with this message at 19:31 on Mar 15, 2013 |
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Mar 15, 2013 19:29
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I don't know anything about latex mattresses, but if your mattress is thinner than usual, you will go through a special hell with your fitted sheets.
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Mar 15, 2013 19:39
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i like nice words
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Anne Whateley posted:I don't know anything about latex mattresses, but if your mattress is thinner than usual, you will go through a special hell with your fitted sheets. I'm already shopping at IKEA 
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Mar 15, 2013 19:41
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Jet Set Jettison posted:I'm already shopping at IKEA I've got IKEA sheets, and the fitted sheet is actually wider and taller (deeper) than a Queen sheet should be, and I even have a memory foam topper on my mattress, which should fill it out more. I definitely think a half-size mattress would be annoying in that regard.
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Mar 15, 2013 21:18
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Jet Set Jettison posted:I'm about to go mattress shopping because A) my mattress is older than me, B) My back hurts pretty much all the time and C) it squeaks super loud if I make any movement at all. I've been using SleepLikeTheDead.com for comparing mattresses. It seems like a pretty good website. It even has a ranking for how good each bed is for sex, which is both hilarious and useful! I have this mattress and I love it. It's comfortable as heck and I've never had a problem with my sheets.
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Mar 18, 2013 02:06
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 I made a checklist for going apartment viewing. It's here. I'd appreciate suggestions if you think I missed anything. A lot of it can be filled out beforehand if you do your homework on a place before seeing it, or just from the ad, but I like to have all my data in one place.
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Mar 18, 2013 22:01
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It looks really good. Layout wise I'd suggest putting the options / check boxes below the questions instead of next to them. It's a little hard to read as is.
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Mar 18, 2013 22:20
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It turns out that the neighbor beneath me is a giant rear end in a top hat. His friends come over frequently and yell at each other until about 4am and I assume gave a Royal Rumble. After several complaints from me (and apparently other tenants), he finally got his first warning notice. I know about the notice because I found it crumpled up at the bottom of the stairs. So, in retaliation he waited until just after midnight last night to turn up his stereo as loud as it goes. I called the cops. They spotted the cop car on the way up and shut it off before he got there. It got real quiet after some bewildered shouting about someone calling the cops. I complained again today, the manager wasn't available, but I was told all they can do is call him. At this point is there anything else I can do other than call the cops and complain every time?
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Mar 19, 2013 00:33
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Record it and note the day and time of the recordings and bring it to management next time you complain so they can hear for themselves how dickish your neighbors are. Otherwise there's really not much you can do.
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Mar 19, 2013 03:47
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Iron Crowned posted:It turns out that the neighbor beneath me is a giant rear end in a top hat. I'm not sure where you live but in states like Virginia in many local jurisdictions noise violations are actually just that - violations of law. As such you have the right to, as a witness and victim, seek criminal charges on your neighbor for violation of a noise ordinance. If there is one. I recommend this to people all the time if the cops come and don't hear it and then can't help you and/or if property management become ineffectual.
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Mar 19, 2013 10:52
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Waiting to be emailed an application for an apartment I saw the other day. I want it but there's another couple interested too 
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Mar 25, 2013 14:07
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KILL THEM. It doesn't hurt to send a follow-up email or phone call expressing your serious interest. Or, you know, KILL THEM
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Mar 25, 2013 15:23
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BED UPDATE: I decided against the IKEA mattress. I tried the latex mattress out and I liked it but felt like I needed to see more mattresses before I committed. I read a bunch of reviews and didn't like that the biggest complaint was "it only lasts 2 years." Honestly I think I was a bigger fan of the Malm set than the bed itself so I just didnt feel like dropping that much dough on a mattress I only sort of like. I went to a local place, and FELL IN LOVE with a foam encased spring mattress. It is the most comfortable thing ever. All together with the queen sized frame, the box-spring and the mattress I payed about 675$ which is about on-par for how much I budgetted to pay for a decent mattress. The queen boxspring wouldnt fit up stairs. The dude said this happens all the time and he brought a split boxspring. He had to charge me 50$ more to cover the cost but was nice about it and didn't include tax. At first I thought "gently caress HES RIPPING ME OFF FUUUCCCKKKK" but according to my coworkers most mattress sales people don't come prepared for stuff like this. They will just leave the mattress on the first floor and say "It doesn't fit  ."My old box spring had to be snapped in half to get down the stairs. I have no loving clue what witch craft got that thing up the stairs in the first place. The boxspring was already damaged and the fact that it had to be broken more to even get it out makes me wonder if we damaged it when we transported it ourselves. Bread Set Jettison fucked around with this message at 16:03 on Mar 25, 2013 |
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Mar 25, 2013 16:00
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Jet Set Jettison posted:I needed to see more mattresses before I committed. I read a bunch of reviews and didn't like that the biggest complaint was "it only lasts 2 years." How do you tell if a mattress is worn out? Is there something specific that I should be feeling for when I lie down on it? I've had the same mattress for 5 years for what it's worth.
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Mar 25, 2013 16:29
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Initio posted:How do you tell if a mattress is worn out? Is there something specific that I should be feeling for when I lie down on it? It depends on the type. This may sound obvious but if your mattress is uncomfortable to sleep on then you should replace it. A common complaint about old mattresses is sagging so that could be a sign its time to replace it. I've heard that a typical mattress is good for 6-8 years. According to Sleeplikethedead.com a mattress usually lasts half the length of its warranty. If you're comfortable it doesnt matter. If your back constantly hurts and/or you're getting lovely sleep like me it could be its time to upgrade.
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Mar 25, 2013 16:51
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Initio posted:How do you tell if a mattress is worn out? Is there something specific that I should be feeling for when I lie down on it? The most noticeable difference is in the stuffing: does your mattress have a big dent in the middle? Or are the edges sort of bunged up looking? The stuffing will shift and compress over time, where and how fast depends on the brand and quality. Also, everyone should be flipping their mattresses at least yearly, ideally every 6 mos. Just turn the mattress so the foot end is now the head end, and the top side is now the bottom side. This will help it wear more evenly and last longer.
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Mar 25, 2013 17:18
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I found an apartment I liked that was an absolute steal, so a lot of other people were interested, too. I turned in my application and credit check fee on Thursday. On Friday, the rental agent called me back, said she gave the unit to another couple that could move in right away, and asked if I would like a unit in a completely different part of town. What really bothers me here is that she gave the unit to someone else and still ran my credit afterward. Is that sort of thing normal?
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Mar 25, 2013 17:38
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I assume her justification would be that she can use that credit check for any other application you make, but if the unit was already passed on by the time she got to you, yea, it's lovely. You could probably make a stink about it and try for a refund, but I assume that will only work if you are actually walking away from this agent.
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Mar 25, 2013 17:45
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Well, I found the posting on Craigslist, and she only had one unit in the area I wanted, so I have no problem walking away there. For anyone familiar with LA, I'm looking in the East Hollywood/Los Feliz area, and she offered me an apartment in the Valley. Not exactly neighbors. I don't really know how these checks work. I'd like my money back, yes, but I also don't want my credit pinged a bunch while I'm apartment hunting. Would I be able to request the credit report they got so I can pass that on to other places, or am I better off just getting my money back?
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Mar 25, 2013 17:56
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Well, you can definitely make a fuss about it and try to get your money back (although granted, she doesn't have a ton of incentive to do that in general besides just making you stop bothering her). You could also ask for a copy of the credit report, but my experience is that most agents/landlords are pretty wary of a self-provided check. It would be pretty easy for you to doctor it before handing it over, if you had a bunch of stuff to hide. I mean, some people might be fine taking it, but I imagine many places won't (I also suspect that a number of people are making some small change on charging you $50 for a credit check and getting them done for $30, or whatever, so they're even less incentivized to avoid that).
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Mar 25, 2013 17:59
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Eggplant Wizard posted:Waiting to be emailed an application for an apartment I saw the other day. I want it but there's another couple interested too If it's really important to you, you can barter with them. With my last place, I lived in a SUPER competitive housing area, where it's basically impossible to get a nice place to live because they get snatched immediately. Even though there were already some people who had applied before me and she was just waiting on the credit check, I offered to sign a two year lease and pay $50 dollars more a month (it was still a steal).
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Mar 25, 2013 19:37
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I live on the first floor facing the street. I'd like to put my shades up and get some light in, but I'd rather not have people staring into the apartment. Does anyone have experience with frosted glass spray or stick-on film?
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Mar 26, 2013 04:06
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Xandu posted:I live on the first floor facing the street. I'd like to put my shades up and get some light in, but I'd rather not have people staring into the apartment. Does anyone have experience with frosted glass spray or stick-on film? My mom bought this for a huge picture window in her new house and it's absolutely gorgeous in the sunlight. I've seen other patterns that are pretty hideous (usually the faux stained glass patterns), but that one really impressed me.
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Mar 26, 2013 06:30
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Xandu posted:I live on the first floor facing the street. I'd like to put my shades up and get some light in, but I'd rather not have people staring into the apartment. Does anyone have experience with frosted glass spray or stick-on film? Here's a post from one of my favorite design blogs about putting window film on their side door: http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/12/frosty-the-side-door/ I have to include this "Before" photo because it cracks me up  By the way, here's their kitchen now. These people are fantastic, and really know their stuff.  Here's a link to another post of theirs with step-by-step instructions for the window film: http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/12/tackling-the-basement-chapter-nine/
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Mar 26, 2013 18:17
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Wow they did a good job. The place really improved after they removed the creepy neighbor who kept staring through the glass door.
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Mar 26, 2013 19:24
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Speaking of mattresses, I've kept a mattress in an outdoor storage unit for over a year now. I'm ready to move back on my own in a couple months. I've kept this mattress wrapped up and sealed. The mattress was 4 years old when I put it in storage. Is it sanitary to use this mattress again? I checked on it in storage last week, and it looked and felt fine. I'm thinking of waiting for a day of nice weather to bring it out and maybe spray it with some disinfectant. Is this a bad idea? I want to get a couple more years out of it if I can. It's a full sized mattress, if that helps.
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Mar 27, 2013 21:27
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Jet Set Jettison posted:It depends on the type. This may sound obvious but if your mattress is uncomfortable to sleep on then you should replace it. A common complaint about old mattresses is sagging so that could be a sign its time to replace it. I've heard that a typical mattress is good for 6-8 years. According to Sleeplikethedead.com a mattress usually lasts half the length of its warranty. Supposedly you can just put a couple blankets under a sagging mattress to extend its useful life. Pick up a few from the thrift store if you can, the ugliest ones you can find, give them a good wash if you want (probably unnecessary in most cases), and throw them between the box spring and the mattress, roughly in the middle, or wherever it sags. I just threw one under mine a few moments ago actually, have been meaning to do so for a while and finally remembered thanks to this thread. I will try to remember to report back once I test it (with both 1 and 2 people). It's not so bad that I get back pain or anything though, so I can't tell you if it will help with that.
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Mar 27, 2013 22:11
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Costello Jello posted:If it's really important to you, you can barter with them. With my last place, I lived in a SUPER competitive housing area, where it's basically impossible to get a nice place to live because they get snatched immediately. Even though there were already some people who had applied before me and she was just waiting on the credit check, I offered to sign a two year lease and pay $50 dollars more a month (it was still a steal). I did finally get the application and fill it out. Eh, there are other contenders if this apartment doesn't work out. It's not a high competition area I think but the lead times on when things are listed are short compared to what I'm used to- usually 0-3 weeks. Anyway, the one I'm applying for is one floor of a three-unit house and the owner lives on the top floor. She is pretty unusual landlord-wise so I do not know that she'd give a drat about negotiating. She's mostly looking for people she won't hate. I assume the other couple were equally inoffensive. I should have showed her some Luna pictures; she's a cat lady (1 cat, not the bad kind of cat lady) like me. Maybe I'll ask for a status update and attach some. >.>
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Mar 28, 2013 02:18
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I'm glad the other apartment dicked me over, because now I'm getting a much nicer place in a much nicer area. The manager has a little kitten that kept rolling over for belly rubs while I was there. He also did the credit checks for my boyfriend and I for $20 total (as opposed to $25 each). Score!
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Mar 28, 2013 04:17
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| # ? May 16, 2024 12:23 |
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Anyone have a good solution to making a second bedroom work as both a guest bedroom and an office? We only need it to be a bedroom about a week each year. Currently we have an old full-size futon which is OK but not really very nice to sleep on, or very nice as a couch.
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Mar 29, 2013 00:04
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