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Just break out a magic sponge.
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Jun 10, 2012 22:55
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i like nice words
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psydude posted:Here's a fun tip:
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Jul 20, 2012 17:27
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:I'm buying a variety of new household stuff, having settled into a place more since I'm traveling less for work. Tired of using interim crap, I'm trying to carefully choose decent-quality, ergonomic, stylish stuff even for basic things like a toaster, can opener, etc. For whatever reason, I'm kind of hung up on the issue of what kitchen trash-can to get.
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Jul 26, 2012 15:26
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cuntvalet posted:That said, how do you guys get over the 'first little while in a new place' jitters? Are night lights immature for a 23 year old woman living on her own? When I moved in, I had a new deadbolt installed (there wasn't one before). The locksmith I chose had fantastic reviews on Yelp, lived/worked pretty far away, and seemed like a really nice guy in general. Now I'm the only one with keys to my place. I always lock the deadbolt and the doorknob lock, and the chain when I'm home -- not out of fear, just automatically (I live in New York City, for reference). Check your windows. If they're accessible, they should be locked. If it's riskier (fire escapes) or you need the airflow, you can get guards; some are cheap, some are attractive, landlords probably won't mind. If you want, you can get deafeningly, painfully loud alarms for doors/windows for about $10-20. My dad gave me a maglite, which is unlikely to be that useful for intruders, but I didn't visibly roll my eyes because it's a bright color that matches my place, and it's useful for power outages and examining my tonsils and poking a pigeon out from under my window AC. You might also like it as a security blanket kind of thing. See if there's anything (besides the spray, which stopped, right?) that sets you off. My bed isn't far from my front door, which is right next to my neighbor's door. So when I was in bed, if I heard their keys in their lock, my brain would have a momentary "are those keys in MY lock?" Obviously not, but my brain wasn't awake enough to realize in time. So I put a little bell on my front door. Keys + bell = my place. Keys alone = not my place, brain can keep sleeping. Tl;dr: Make your place secure for real, so it's really easy to remind your brain nothing is wrong.
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Aug 21, 2012 21:11
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 Guns, tasers, knives, and pepper spray are all really terrible ideas unless you're trained and experienced. You at least can't gently caress up as hard with a maglite/bat/baton, although you still shouldn't expect them to do much except as a security blanket (again, without training). Keeping your cell nearby is a good idea. Securing your place -- not just remembering to lock the door, but securing windows and everything else -- is by far the best thing you can do. It will actually have a positive effect and it can't be used against you. If you have a house or if you get into it, see if you can find the Discovery Channel show "To Catch a Thief." It's not bad to watch and it's really eye-opening about your place's security (mostly houses though). Anne Whateley fucked around with this message at 01:19 on Aug 22, 2012 |
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Aug 22, 2012 01:17
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Eggplant Wizard posted:What's the most efficient way to clean a bathroom?
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Aug 23, 2012 16:23
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What do you all do?
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Fixed Gear Guy posted:Jesus christ, there is an original two-seater Knoll Saarinen pedestal on Craigslist for $250 and my girlfriend won't let me buy it because the edges have some nicks in them. 
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Aug 31, 2012 02:06
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Just as a datapoint, my credit score has to be absolutely in the toilet, and I'm in New York, which is a really competitive market. I just got a nice place -- despite the credit check -- because I showed them paystubs, letter from employer, recommendation from last landlord (just the people I was subletting from), and bank balance. This was all standard on the application; they didn't make me jump through extra hoops or anything. I didn't even have a guarantor. I did put down a double security deposit, but I offered that and I'm not sure they'd have thought of that if I hadn't. They also gave me a one-year lease instead of a two-year lease, but I can renew for as long as I want anyway. Tl;dr: If you have a job and some savings, it's possible to get a nice place even with abysmal credit.
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Sep 15, 2012 00:17
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Sound_man posted:I live in an apartment and have an issue with the lighting in the kitchen. For an apartment the kitchen is large and well laid out but the only light is above the island. The sink is across from the island so while doing the dishes your body casts a shadow into the sink making it hard to see. It is just about time to renew the lease and I will see if the management company will add a light fixture.
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Nov 11, 2012 06:09
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It's totally an individual thing. It's like asking whether it's better to live in a big city or the middle of nowhere -- it just depends on you and your personality. I got a place of my own at 25 and I love it. It's pricier than having a roommate, but I did a lot of scouting, and I wound up with a place I love for only a few hundred more. Living by myself is fantastic -- I couldn't like it more. But I have friends who would go nuts if they were alone for five minutes.
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Nov 30, 2012 06:58
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Place A seems so much better that it's weird you're going with B for the sake of a few minor things. Why not take A and then spend maybe $150 and half an hour on swapping out the shower fixture and faucets? Couldn't be easier. Stick the old stuff in the back of a closet and swap back when you move out. As for the seat-making GBS threads, you're on your own, though. I don't want to know details but I suspect that's a goon thing rather than a size thing. I grew up in a 1920s house, my family (women included) ranges from 5'9" to 6'6", and it's never been an issue. I never knew it could be an issue. Anne Whateley fucked around with this message at 19:48 on Dec 15, 2012 |
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Dec 15, 2012 19:44
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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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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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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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A lot of formal leases also have a provision about covering a certain percentage of the floor with rugs/carpets. It isn't usually enforced, but when you're dealing with noisy upstairs neighbors, see if that's included and push on it.
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Jan 28, 2013 19:32
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If you look in the bottoms of cabinets (especially under sinks), you'll probably see what's up without looking like a big weirdo. And just to be obvious, you definitely don't want to jump to the strongest insecticides right from the start -- especially preventatively -- because that's exactly what creates resistance. Life is going to suck if you have a herd of roaches running around, but it's going to suck way worse if those roaches are immune to the worst poisons we have.
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Feb 10, 2013 15:33
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"No drama" in that situation barely gives me pause. Like I would note it, but it certainly wouldn't stop me from seeing the place and chatting to the landlord to find out what he was like. I would guess he just had a bad experience in the past, a couple that fought nonstop or someone who had the cops called on them or something. If I met him and he was nuts, obviously I would bail, but I think there's a good chance he just had a lovely craigslist tenant in the past. The monthly pest control (from someone else's post) wouldn't bother me at all either. In New York, that kind of preventative maintenance is completely standard in big buildings. They always do common areas, and they leave a sign-up sheet in the lobby if you want your apartment done too. If you're in a big building where pest control is a hassle to get, and has to be called out just for you, then that's a huge red flag. Anne Whateley fucked around with this message at 16:17 on Feb 14, 2013 |
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Feb 14, 2013 16:09
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Keeping your food in cupboards is definitely not enough. A mouse will go through a box of cereal or a plastic bag of rice like it wasn't even there. Invest heavily in Tupperware. And remember to keep things dry -- they're also looking for water around/under your sinks, in your bathtub, near a dripping faucet. In general a mouse is pretty obvious, though. There will be visible droppings, or visible chew marks, or a visible furry flash.
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Feb 14, 2013 22:24
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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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How could you think anyone but you was responsible? Like what would be the chain of logic there? Make an extra copy of your key and give it to your super/landlord (if you trust them) or a nearby friend.
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Apr 11, 2013 16:16
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Really depends on what you're into, but a little hobby area would be convenient. I would put a round chair (not a papasan, the folding kind) in the corner farther from the door, with its back into the corner. It looks like it'd be great to sit there using the sunlight to knit/sew/whatever. I would do a low, open, white Expedit-type thing under the window for storing colorful supplies, maybe a basket or vase on top. It looks like a taller bookcase would fit on the long wall on the other side. Another, more general option would be a deeper, built-in-looking shelf for storing records or coffee-table books, with the top set up as a window seat. That's a model apartment and not yours, right? If it is yours, putting that easy chair with its back to the door isn't doing the space any favors.
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Apr 17, 2013 01:31
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Maybe I'm missing something but it just sounds like their "virtual tour" could be in flash? You could check it out from a library computer if you think it might have some kind of auto-downloading malware, but seriously, don't underestimate brokers'/landlords' ability to have horrible websites.
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Apr 23, 2013 01:33
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Haha, WINDOWSCODECPACKTOTALLYLEGIT.EXE is amazing. If you're running into a ton of crap, are you maybe lowballing? When I was apartment-hunting in New York, looking for a cheap place, probably 90% of listings were fake or scammy (lots of "I'm out of the country so just wire me money and my buddy will drop off the key"). At higher price points, the ratio is dramatically different.
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Apr 23, 2013 17:02
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For curtain rods, look at stores with nicer homegoods, even department stores like Macy's (bigger selection online) or Penney's if they still do that. Yeah, if you go to Home Depot you'll find builder-grade curtain rods; that shouldn't be a surprise. Mine are from Macy's, solid metal, pretty and unique finials. I'm sure the usual suspects (West Elm, Crate & Barrel, Room & Board, Anthropologie, even Urban Outfitters) have their own nice ones too. Don't be surprised when they're pricier than Home Depot's.
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May 9, 2013 14:09
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There are no Ikeas in Queens so that doesn't work. 
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May 13, 2013 17:02
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$1200 for a piece of a shared house sounds insane anywhere in CT, unless you're in the depths of Fairfield County, but if you were then all your poo poo wouldn't be so lovely. Definitely price some comparable local options, either to use in the fight with your landlord, or just to move to instead.
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Jun 4, 2013 02:48
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I have a sweet bachelorette setup (it's a studio, though) and it sounds like we have similar goals. A full bed isn't huge, but it's more than big enough. Get a captain's bed or a high frame so you can store things under it. The dual-monitor setup works best for me too. Your space is limited enough it makes sense to wall-mount the flatscreen. Unless your place is bigger than it looks, though, 40" (42" class?) may be too much.
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Jun 9, 2013 14:47
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Those are probably actual listings to see if anyone's dumb enough to take the bait, but no, that is not how normal people live. There are plenty of options that are bigger, cheaper, and all-around saner. I have a 400(ish) sqft studio (separate kitchen, bathroom, hallways with closets, tons of perks like hardwood floors, elevators, prewar) near midtown for $1150. I had to look for it, but it wasn't unattainable. Even when I was paying $575 for one bedroom in a 2br, it wasn't like that.
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Jun 25, 2013 16:24
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Well, I definitely think there are more crazy-bad listings than crazy-good listings. This is because there are tons of dipshits who move somewhere pricey and then go "hmm...maybe I could monetize my closet floor???" But it doesn't mean that anyone's taking them up on it, or that the setup will work if they do. You may notice almost all of those ads are for sublets, i.e. placed by idiot renters trying to fly under the radar. Few if any are being rented by actual landlords, who are obviously constrained by things like fire codes. The exception is for places that are legal (ceiling height, windows, etc.) just without a lot of square footage. People do take those sometimes, because in New York, it's just not the norm to spend much time in your apartment. If you're only there to sleep and change clothes, it doesn't matter if it's small; convenience might be more important to you. I think there may be a couple other things going on, like super old-school SROs and a boarding house, but it's hard to tell since they only include a word or two of the ads. In general, though, remember that just because ads are placed doesn't mean anyone's moving in.
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Jun 25, 2013 17:26
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Rated PG-34 posted:How do you find these places? I went apartment hunting earlier this month and the best that 900 could get me was a 3br share in East Harlem. Granted, I'm looking in UES (Harlem isn't UES, CL listers
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Jun 28, 2013 00:52
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), but still.
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If you live in an older building that has something more fun than drywall (like plaster and lath, or my personal archenemy plaster and chickenwire), do a lot more research before hanging anything heavy. Or hire a handyman.
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Jun 28, 2013 14:49
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Farberware is just fine for almost everything. Here's a good set on sale for $70, you can probably find it for less (I didn't look around at all). It has your pasta pot, two smaller saucepans, and two smaller nonstick pans for eggs. If you fancy then you can get a big skillet, cast-iron or All-Clad or whatever, but for everything else this set should be fine.
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Jul 1, 2013 08:48
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Sorry if this is obvious, but consider the outer dimensions of the microwave. They're not super standardized, and it may be important for it to fit on a specific shelf or over your stove or whatever. Don't cheap out on a vacuum, sorry, especially if anyone with longish hair is ever at your place. I have shoulder-length hair (and mostly hardwood), and cheapo vacuums do nothing and then die horribly. Shamefully, I had to get a vacuum advertised for pet hair. If you have mostly hardwood, you'll also want a Swiffer -- I like the Wet Jet kind.
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Jul 8, 2013 13:03
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Get the long ones and hem them  Also be aware that if you're using a tension rod, the blackout curtains won't work as described; they'll be smaller than the window, so light will come in all around them.
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Jul 14, 2013 21:27
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cheerfullydrab posted:I was in Brooklyn last week and I've been thinking a lot about window AC units. All the ones I saw there and have seen on previous visits seem to be tiny and underpowered. Is that just a normal NYC thing? It's not normal to rely on your AC's wings (but it's also not normal for those wings to have huge gaps, I suspect poor installation). Go to Home Depot and look at all the stuff in their AC area other than AC units. There are plenty of foam snakes, squares, wings, you name it. If hot air is getting through, let alone bugs, something is wrong for sure.
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Jul 18, 2013 15:59
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Where are you located? Different places have different rates. I'm in NYC and gas+electric for my small apartment is $90-130/month. It's bullshit (especially compared to the bill for my last place) but ConEd won't send anyone to investigate.
Anne Whateley fucked around with this message at 14:28 on Jul 19, 2013 |
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Jul 19, 2013 14:22
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No, judge the previous tenant, but not the building. Their hands are tied; even if they had the manpower, they couldn't legally put her stuff on the curb, and they're not going to start eviction proceedings over 24 hours. They'll probably fine her, but you obviously won't see that. I agree you shouldn't move in until all her stuff is out and the place is cleaned (including whatever's standard in the way of repaintint, refinishing, etc.). Luckily it sounds like you have somewhere you can stay indefinitely?
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Aug 5, 2013 18:33
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Corelle is not a Walmart brand, Walmart is a store that happens to sell Corelle. You can buy Corelle all over the place, including their own outlet stores. I suggest googling before leaping to conclusions. Corelle is seriously the best. I have no idea why people buy crappy cheap dishes. It's super light and thin (saves on space, plus it's kinda cool it's so thin you can read big text on your phone through it) and almost totally unbreakable. The tech is also really neat. They have basic designs as well as more modern looks.
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Sep 10, 2013 20:52
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They probably just don't want every apartment turning over at the same time.Jet Set Jettison posted:Yeah I found a friend who could take it. They're only baiting the apartment, so no poison gas but I'm going to inspect the apartment for the bait location to see if she'll be in any sort of danger.
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Sep 20, 2013 19:52
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| # ¿ May 3, 2024 04:32 |
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You're talking about renting an old house -- 99% of possible problems are the owner's responsibility. Just check all the things you normally check when renting: the space, utility bills, water pressure, signs of pests, outlet placement, etc. And get renters' insurance.
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Oct 13, 2013 23:16
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