tugging at the scars. Where it all began…
These are not so much scabs as they are scars.
So i’m not doing too much damage by tugging on them, picking at them. It’s a self-reflexive exercise in objectivity that is a necessary, albeit uncomfortable one to complete this project.
Now to re-structure the mosaic of photos, notes, ads that were taken during our journey.
this is where and when it all began…
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2010
home, not so sweet home…
Nothing can shake anybody more to the core than losing a home.
A place to live, sleep, find comfort, feel safe.
Without all those things, every day living seems a little less bearable.
This past Tuesday, E and I found out that we are basically being kicked out of our apartment. The landlords have decided to re-appropriate the place and make it their own. They own more than dozen properties/apartment blocks. That’s more than 50 units.
Why they singled us out is, upon speculation and processes of elimination of various facts/factors, the verdict is that we have been here for the past 10 years. Our rent is cheaper compared to the other units. They “move in” for a few months, make some half assed repairs and then re-rent it for almost double what we are paying for it.
Triple what it’s worth…
We were served the papers by a bailiff on Monday night. A day after my huge meltdown chez mom, fatigue, chronic pain, the inability to live a normal life due to this pain, and the onset of winter (the horrible in between stages of grey/lifeless landscapes and pretty snow covered wonderland) all began to erode away my spirit. This was the straw that broke my back.
I almost went into shock.
We had been battling noisy downstairs neighbors for some time. Four student foreign exchange students - pompous, arrogant, and selfish, running around the place at all hours of the night. Basically treating the apartment like a dormitory/sex den/pub/garbage dump. We had to call the cops twice because of the serious noise. Parties every night. They have quieted down, (they actually confronted/bullied us, asking “was it you who called the cops on us?” ) but just enough so we can’t call the cops because, from the immediate picture four well groomed attractive teenagers sitting around a kitchen table laughing their asses off at 3am doesn’t warrant police intervention.
We are going to fight this eviction. The grounds for them giving us the boot is ”well, you’re place was the cheapest and we need a place to live”. Bastards. Just last week, they gave us the pablum of song and dances, telling us they were going to break the lease of the kids below us because we weren’t the only ones who complained about the noise and that the monsters were to be served papers on Monday.
But joke was on us.
We were the ones who got the papers.
And so the task begins, picking up, looking for a new home. After 10 years, a forced move from a place we called “home sweet home” will not be our home anymore.
During the 7 months that we were looking for apartments, the amount of “questionable” things that we would consider compromising/not compromising on began to mount:
- exposed wires sticking out of a socket where a light should have been - surrounded by rotting plaster and a water damaged stained ceiling
- pieces of wood strung together with twine, looking like a railing of a 3rd story balcony
- mysteriously stained/varnished wood that smelled too much like animal urine
- an apartment that was supposed to be an hospice for old men, but because of lack of funding, was abandoned. Frozen in a design time warp
and each time we heard the words: “it’s work in progress”, we shuddered.
What exactly does a “work in progress” look like to a landlord who has too many buildings, not enough money, empathy or responsibility?
One place in the “Hip and up-and-coming part of the city” was a “work in progress”. Despite all the surface maintenance, it was all the subtle nuances that became disturbing. The door with the rusted lock that would not close properly, which could mean open season/open door for burglars. The “not so obvious slant in the floor” which could signal problems with the foundations.
But this one was a classic.
bird shit…
“Oh yes, the landlord* is working on the problem. He is going to fix the open space above the balcony where all the pigeons sit. It does look bad, but honestly, we can clean that up right away. Once we get the repairs done, you will not have any problems. And besides, there are not any pigeons nesting this time of year…”
By the looks of the pile, somebody had already tried to sweep/shovel the incrusted mess which had now become a mountain of incrusted mess. It was the beginning of March. A whole new flock would make their home here. Rent free. A delinquent superintendent* who was the talking head of a slumlord* promised us a space free of toxic animal waste.
Why did we not believe him?
because it was a “Work in progress” = I really don’t give a fuck…
* all the same…
I pity the child who said they could play down here. Although with the mattress up against the wall, I shudder to think what else happened… #dungeon #hell
And the cupboards were all bare…
I’m slowly coming back to this project. I had left it behind for so many reasons: melancholy, bad memories, anxiety, exhaustion.
Little did I realize that completing this project is a lot like getting ready to move.
Classification, compartmentalization, organization. Putting all my photos, thoughts, into tiny boxes, folders. I am thrown back to a year ago - under a deadline to clean up fragments of things that belonged to me.
But I’m pushing through. I can see the end, the final goal, in sight.
Stay tuned. More to come. The big move will happen soon…
Sitting with it a while…
I just had a fantastic session with my CBT therapist.
She came over to my house to sit with me during my re-examination of this Not Yet Home project; a project that i have been avoiding for what seems like an eternity. We sat at my desk, at the computer, staring into the 1000 + photo abyss of images I had collected during the difficult apartment hunt last year, gauging my feelings, putting a percentage on these feelings of anxiety, fear, hope.
So many emotions inside - put it all in a blender on liquify = me right now.
i’m trying to shift perspective and re-frame, realizing that this is not as horrible as it seems, reminding myself that in the end, everything did eventually work out. Even better than I thought it would and could.
And this too, shall work out in its own way. This project will unfold, take its purposeful path and come to an end. I will look back in retrospect, find confidence in my ability to push through the uncomfortable, the uncertain, turn a negative into a positive. Begin a journey, take the unknown road, then feel satisfied that not only have I reached my final destination unscathed, but am now filled with self awareness and renewed courage.
Nobody will die.
No blood will be shed.
The world will not end.
And just like this apartment I now sit in, I will find myself a year from now, in a happier place, more comfortable in my surroundings, and able to look back on a situation that caused me an undo amount of stress, and know that i came through - completely.
Sometimes sitting with uncomfortable feelings is as important as sitting with the comfortable ones - detaching, observing, analyzing, realizing and letting go.
Just like the waves on the beach, follow the ebb and flow.
Breathing: catch and release.
A very necessary thing to do.
All I want for Christmas…
This was the first place we saw.
And so began our journey.
More to come…
APARTMENTS
Find the Perfect Apartment for You by Asking the Right Questions
By Alan Henry, Nov 25, 2011
Searching for a new apartment can be fun. The thrill of finding listings, and choosing candidates based on photos, maps, and amenities can be enjoyable, and there are plenty of tools to make the search easy. The real trouble starts when it’s time to tour a prospective home, meet the landlord, and learn a little about the neighborhood. This is where you have to put on your detective’s hat and start asking questions. Here’s what you should find out before you sign a lease.
Step 1: Do Your Research to Find Apartments Worth Visiting
Finding the right apartment for you is a topic we’ve tackled several times, and we’ve even discussed some great tools to help you find rentals that are in your price range and in your preferred neighborhoods. We particularly like Padmapper and Apartments.com, both of which do a great job of helping you narrow your search to neighborhoods and communities you’re interested in, filter based on price and amenities, and get regular updates when availability changes.
That said, finding a great apartment to visit is only half of the battle—and in many cases can be the easiest part of the process. Looking at promotional photos and Craigslist snapshots is only part of the job. Once you’ve used these tools to narrow down your list of candidates, it’s time to go see the units in person, and that’s where the real challenge begins.
Step 2: Check Out the Neighborhood Before Scheduling a Visit with the Property Owner
If you’re moving to an area you already know or that’s close to where you live now, you have the luxury of driving through or visiting the area before you schedule an appointment to see the property with the owner. Check out the community and see if the amenities match up with what you’re looking for. If you enjoy eating out and nightlife, make sure you’re not moving to a sleepy cul de sac far away from the action. If you want a quiet neighborhood where your children can play, a house rental along a major road may be affordable and look good on paper, but isn’t the best option.
Spend some time in the neighborhood if you can. If it’s a thriving community with shops and restaurants, stop in to a local cafe for a bite to eat, and chat up a friendly-looking employee. Let them know you’re moving into the area and ask them what they think of the community. Sometimes they may not live there themselves, but in many cases you’ll get someone who’s willing to offer you some insight into what the neighborhood is really like. If you can, stick around until after-hours, or come back late in the evening and drive around. After the sun sets, you’ll get a real feel for whether the neighborhood is safe at night, is as quiet (or as lively) as you hoped, or is somewhere you’d like to come home to after a long day of work.
Step 3: Schedule Your First Visit with The Property Owner
Depending on the rental market in your area, you may not have much time to waste when it comes to scheduling visits. When I gave up an apartment in the suburbs for a unit in the heart of the city, I learned quickly that the rental market in my city’s popular neighborhoods is brutal—apartments that were open and available on Monday could have a tenant moving in by Wednesday, and that’s even if you scheduled a viewing on Tuesday. Don’t waste time, but don’t feel rushed either - new units come on the market regularly.
Call the landlord or property owner and ask them when they can meet with you, and if there are any regular tours scheduled or applications already in on the unit. This last bit is important—you don’t want to waste your time or take off work to go visit a unit where there’s already an application unless you know you have to see it. Make sure you find out from the landlord how popular their property is and how likely it will be that the unit will be gone before you even get there. With Craigslist, a number of landlords prefer to do business over email, or schedule group open houses. That’s fine, but try to get them on the phone whenever possible. Speaking to someone gives you the opportunity to make your case and get immediate feedback, while email can get lost or be ignored for days on end.
Once your visit is scheduled, it’s time to make a list of questions you want answered while you tour the unit.
Step 4: Show Up to Your First Viewing with Questions In-Hand
Your first visit to an apartment may be your last one before you submit an application, if the unit is in high demand. Don’t waste the opportunity to ask your future landlord as many questions about the property as possible.
Ideally, you’ll show up armed with the basics, and you’ll just need to confirm them with the property owner or landlord. You’ll already know how large the unit is, how much it will cost you, whether there’s parking (assigned or not), and how far you are to your job, major roads, amenities, or mass transit. These are all things you can look up on the internet before you go, don’t waste much time during your visit with them unless you need to confirm them. Here are a few more probing questions to help you get below the surface.
How long as the unit been empty? How long did the last tenant stay? You want to know how long the unit has been on the market because, especially in competitive rental markets, if an apartment has been empty for months or the last tenant was only there for a few months (or worse, was evicted), something may be wrong with it. Plus, it gives you a chance to ask the landlord a pointed question to see how they react. Regardless of whether they’re forthcoming with the information or try to avoid the question, you’ve learned something useful about their character.
When was the building constructed/How old is the property? Have there been any major changes or renovations? The age of a building tells you other important information, like how old the facilities in the walls are (which you’ll ask about in a moment) or how likely you may be to have maintenance problems resulting from old flooring, ceilings, windows, or plumbing. Asking if there have been any renovations gives the landlord the opportunity to highlight any work they’ve done recently that may be beneficial to you, like new plumbing, windows, or weatherproofing.
How old is the wiring? Can I see the fuse box? If you’re reading Lifehacker, odds are you have a good amount of gear in your home. A large TV, maybe a couple of computers, several monitors, game consoles, and so on. All of that gear is going to need power, and you don’t want to trip a breaker every time you heat up some nachos without turning off your computer first. You may not immediately know what you’re looking at when you see a fuse box, but you should be able to tell super-old from brand new. Ask if there are fuses that you’ll be expected to keep and replace should one blow. Take the opportunity to look around and make sure there are enough outlets in each room for your needs.
Do all of the appliances work? How old are they? You’ll want to ask this question while you’re testing whether the stove burners get warm or the oven light works, or whether the fridge feels cold and there’s good water pressure from the sinks and showers. At the same time, if the unit has been empty for a while, the landlord may have the appliances turned off or unplugged, and you’ll want to know before you put in an application, much less sign a lease.
Are there any major repairs coming up in the next year? Will any repairs be completed before I move in? If there’s nothing going on with your unit, there’s nothing going on. However, if you see repairs in progress, or things that you would want addressed before you move in like painting, appliance replacements, window repairs or the like, make sure you bring them up immediately, and follow up by getting them in writing.
What utilities are included? Is heating/cooling individually controlled? You should know this from the ad, but make sure to verify this and anything else from the ad that you may have questions about or want to make sure you’re clear on. In some places, “all utilities included” is a ticket to centrally controlled heating, air conditioning, and hot water, and shared electric bills based on average use by the entire community. “Cable and internet included” can mean your landlord will add a cable-splitter to their line and run a cable through the floor, or offer you free use of their Wi-Fi. Be wary of that, it may save you money, but you could sacrifice comfort for it. If heating and cooling aren’t included, check the windows and doors to make sure they’re insulated properly, and bring up any concerns to the landlord.
Who will be responsible for maintenance and repairs? What about emergencies? If you’re leasing from a management company, this one’s probably easy: you call their office number, put in a maintenance request, and they respond (you should ask about response times, as well.) If you’re renting from an individual or small management company, you definitely want to know what you’re on the hook for yourself and what you can call about, and who you should call if the toilet starts leaking at 2am. Do you call a contractor or plumber and take their fee out of your rent? If so, get it in writing. Do you call the landlord at 2 in the morning and they call a plumber and pay for it? Get that in writing too.
Who’s responsible for pest control? Often, large communities and condominiums have a contract with a pest control firm that works with their residents. They may send them out to you when you request their help, or you may simply be required to use their services instead of another company’s. At the same time though, many landlords leave the responsibility for pest control on the tenant, unless there’s some kind of pre-existing condition when they move into the unit. I’ve seen leases that say after the first 30 days, a tenant is on their own when it comes to pest control. Ask the landlord on your first viewing if there have been pest problems, and if so, who they use for pest control.
If you’re renting from a management company that handles multiple units in the property, you can take some of these questions further, and ask about the types of maintenance requests they get, how often they get them, and what modifications they’re willing to make to a unit upon request. Apartment Ratings has a great list of questions for landlords as well, although they’re largely directed to management companies, not individual landlords or property owners who may wind up being your upstairs neighbors. Just remember, if you get concessions or any agreements as a result of the questions, make sure to get them in writing when it comes time to get a lease drawn up.
Step 5: Talk to Others in The Community for Their Opinions
One of the best ways to find out more about a community before moving in is to talk to other people who already live there. You don’t have to be a creeper, but sit out front of the building with a cup of coffee or your smartphone, and casually ask a passer by if they live in the are or in the building you’re interested in. Be open with the fact that you’re considering moving into the place, and you’d like to know what they think of the community, landlord, or management company. Most people, as long as you’re nice about it and open with the fact that you’d appreciate their help, are willing to lend you their opinion.
Ask them specific questions that don’t waste their time, like how long they’ve lived there, and whether they’ve had any serious maintenance, pest, or management problems, or if there’s anything they had addressed right after they moved in that they wished they had known about earlier. We’ve discussed how to make sure you find a decent landlord before, but ask others what they think of the landlord as well. Ask them if they plan to renew their lease or continue living in the community, and ask them if they have any advice for someone who’s just now looking at apartments or homes in their area.
If you have more time, ask them if they looked at any other buildings or communities in the neighborhood as well, or if there’s anything they learned after living there for a while that they wish they could have found out earlier. For example, you won’t know until you’ve lived in an apartment for a few weeks that the garbage trucks are particularly noisy on Tuesdays, or that a huge cargo train slowly rolls by the back of the complex every three weeks. There’s a great post and comment thread about these types of things over at Apartment Therapy, and it’s good reading for anyone looking at homes. Apartment hunting is something of a universal experience. In most cases, the people you meet will be willing to lend their opinions and experiences, as long as you ask the right questions.
Step 6: When You’re Ready to Sign, Go Over Your Lease Carefully
When I asked Bruce Dachis, our very own Adam Dachis’ father and a property owner and landlord himself, what he hears from his tenants when they complain “I wish I had known that before I moved in,” he explained that a lot of people fail to do two things that would protect them when they’re shopping for a new place and interviewing potential landlords—two things that any reasonable and honest landlord should never have a problem with you doing:
Know your rights. Familiarizing yourself with the landlord/tenant laws and regulations for your jurisdiction should be one of your top priorities, and going to your visit or into your lease negotiations armed with the knowledge is important. Many landlords and management companies will give you copies of the local bylaws, but only as part of your welcome package—the one you get when you sign the lease. Don’t wait on them to educate you. Check out the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s page linking to individual state laws, and do some digging on your own (usually Googling “landlord/tenant laws —state name—” will do the trick.) This way you’ll know if someone’s trying to pull the wool over your eyes.
Read your lease completely and thoroughly, ask questions if anything’s unclear. Bruce couldn’t emphasize enough how important this is—and how few people actually do it. Read your lease thoroughly, ask if you can review it overnight, or even just take it to get a cup of coffee and read it somewhere away from the pressures of the rental office or landlord’s home. If you’re not sure what something means or if you thought something was supposed to be included that isn’t speak up and have a conversation about it. Don’t wait until you’ve signed to ask about something you’re unclear on.
He reiterated the importance of some of the questions above, especially with regard to maintenance requests, response times, and whether you’ll be responsible for vetting a contractor or repair-person or they will. Make sure you’re aware of any fees that the landlord may not discuss until the last minute, like move-in/out fees, parking fees, or anything else. He also explained that depending on the nature of the rental market, you may have to take what you can get and some landlords will be less inclined to make accommodations for you, but you should always ask the questions and decide for yourself where you’re willing to compromise.
When you do sign the lease, make sure to ask any lingering questions you may have before handing over your copy, and if there are any last minute agreements you come to, make sure you get them—and everything else—in writing as an update or addendum to your lease. Remember, you never know what you can get until you ask for it, and until you have it in writing, you have no proof you actually got anything you asked for.
Step 7: Enjoy Your New Home
The key to finding and landing the perfect home is part research and good timing, but also largely a matter of asking the right questions before you visit, when you visit, after you visit, and when you sign the lease. Make sure you’re as well informed as possible and that you go into your new home with both eyes open to what you’re getting into. When you’ve finished your move and you’re sleeping in your own bed in your new home, you may still encounter a few surprises, but hopefully it’s nothing significant enough that you wished you had asked about before you moved in.
Do you have any questions that you make sure to ask when touring a potential apartment or house? Any tips to make sure you’re not blindsided by the lease or some other issue that may be lurking beneath the surface? Share your tips and house hunting suggestions in the comments below.
Bruce Dachis owns multiple rental properties and has been on both sides of the landlord/tenant negotiating table. He graciously offered his experience for this article, and we thank him.
You can reach Alan Henry, the author of this post, at alan@lifehacker.com, or better yet, follow him on Twitter or Google+.
Bucket list
So it’s been a year last week since we got our notice to move out of our apartment.
I remember that day so well. I don’t want to, but it’s hard to forget.
The only thing that really mattered to me was that my mother would be cancer free, my husband’s company would not go bankrupt on his watch and that we would find a nice place to live.
That was it. My bucket list.
Nothing else really mattered.
I didn’t want anything else. For me, the ability to lay my head in a place called home, without shifty screaming neighbors, slumlords trying to pull a fast one or a property whose ghosts wailed throughout the night.
All I wanted to was to be calm. In my apartment. Find my center, rebuild my crumbling self esteem, battle weary body and fragmented soul.
And now that I am in my new home, i can work on the real bucket list:
- A trip to Greece, swimming around the islands, scuba diving in the ocean, with the sharks, dophins
- Have a solo photography show that travels throughout Europe
- see a volcano up close
make movies that make me respected, not necessarily famous (but that would be nice)
- Cross (2) country road trip by myself
I’m beginning to find those dreams again. This is only the tear stained, water damaged pages that survived the move.
But I’m working on it.
Putting on a new coat of color and opening up the windows of life…
Half assed job at making things clean…
No matter how much soap, paint, disinfectant was applied, some apartments were just downright dirty - either on a physical level or spiritual one.
Apartment hunting is a full time job. And getting a jump on places is at the best of times, hectic. At the worst, it’s nerve shattering, back breaking work.
Sites like Craigslist have completely shifted the whole paradigm of the hunt for a new home. It used to be: look in the paper, circle the ads that meet your criteria for what you are looking for, call each apartment, and go to see the ones you called.
Then the viewing. You see the place, suss out the landlord as he susses you out, and either express your interest, or gracefully decline.
If you do find something you like, you might have to agree to certain conditions: no pets, no dark paint, no noise after midnight, no cooking with grease, post dated cheques for a year, first and last month’s rent in cash, allowing your landlord access to your house at all times, even without prior notice to enter. Credit check. Even though its illegal, its still being asked.
The list is endless.
And you might find lineups at the open houses. Might feel like cattle herded in and out of a flat as 6 other people squeeze by you. Enter. Exit. The high demand for apartments keeps people hunting, and even killing. I have seen fights break out, seen people cry. Finding a place to call home is an emotionally charged experience. Especially when you are forced to move.
So many people in cities across this country have been given notice: re-appropriation of property by landlord. And the bottom line is: a nice cheap apartment, if well renovated, makes a beautiful expensive condo.
More people looking, more people being kicked out, fewer apartments available equals inequality.
You do the math…
If you can’t afford a condo or house, your new home is at the mercy of the market, or how obsessive, determined and brutal you choose to be in trying to find the next ‘rental’.
A louer/for rent
A sign that I now read with simultaneous anger and relief…
tugging at the scars. Where it all began…
These are not so much scabs as they are scars.
So i’m not doing too much damage by tugging on them, picking at them. It’s a self-reflexive exercise in objectivity that is a necessary, albeit uncomfortable one to complete this project.
Now to re-structure the mosaic of photos, notes, ads that were taken during our journey.
this is where and when it all began…
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2010
During the 7 months that we were looking for apartments, the amount of “questionable” things that we would consider compromising/not compromising on began to mount:
- exposed wires sticking out of a socket where a light should have been - surrounded by rotting plaster and a water damaged stained ceiling
- pieces of wood strung together with twine, looking like a railing of a 3rd story balcony
- mysteriously stained/varnished wood that smelled too much like animal urine
- an apartment that was supposed to be an hospice for old men, but because of lack of funding, was abandoned. Frozen in a design time warp
and each time we heard the words: “it’s work in progress”, we shuddered.
What exactly does a “work in progress” look like to a landlord who has too many buildings, not enough money, empathy or responsibility?
One place in the “Hip and up-and-coming part of the city” was a “work in progress”. Despite all the surface maintenance, it was all the subtle nuances that became disturbing. The door with the rusted lock that would not close properly, which could mean open season/open door for burglars. The “not so obvious slant in the floor” which could signal problems with the foundations.
But this one was a classic.
bird shit…
“Oh yes, the landlord* is working on the problem. He is going to fix the open space above the balcony where all the pigeons sit. It does look bad, but honestly, we can clean that up right away. Once we get the repairs done, you will not have any problems. And besides, there are not any pigeons nesting this time of year…”
By the looks of the pile, somebody had already tried to sweep/shovel the incrusted mess which had now become a mountain of incrusted mess. It was the beginning of March. A whole new flock would make their home here. Rent free. A delinquent superintendent* who was the talking head of a slumlord* promised us a space free of toxic animal waste.
Why did we not believe him?
because it was a “Work in progress” = I really don’t give a fuck…
* all the same…
I pity the child who said they could play down here. Although with the mattress up against the wall, I shudder to think what else happened… #dungeon #hell
And the cupboards were all bare…
I’m slowly coming back to this project. I had left it behind for so many reasons: melancholy, bad memories, anxiety, exhaustion.
Little did I realize that completing this project is a lot like getting ready to move.
Classification, compartmentalization, organization. Putting all my photos, thoughts, into tiny boxes, folders. I am thrown back to a year ago - under a deadline to clean up fragments of things that belonged to me.
But I’m pushing through. I can see the end, the final goal, in sight.
Stay tuned. More to come. The big move will happen soon…
Sitting with it a while…
I just had a fantastic session with my CBT therapist.
She came over to my house to sit with me during my re-examination of this Not Yet Home project; a project that i have been avoiding for what seems like an eternity. We sat at my desk, at the computer, staring into the 1000 + photo abyss of images I had collected during the difficult apartment hunt last year, gauging my feelings, putting a percentage on these feelings of anxiety, fear, hope.
So many emotions inside - put it all in a blender on liquify = me right now.
i’m trying to shift perspective and re-frame, realizing that this is not as horrible as it seems, reminding myself that in the end, everything did eventually work out. Even better than I thought it would and could.
And this too, shall work out in its own way. This project will unfold, take its purposeful path and come to an end. I will look back in retrospect, find confidence in my ability to push through the uncomfortable, the uncertain, turn a negative into a positive. Begin a journey, take the unknown road, then feel satisfied that not only have I reached my final destination unscathed, but am now filled with self awareness and renewed courage.
Nobody will die.
No blood will be shed.
The world will not end.
And just like this apartment I now sit in, I will find myself a year from now, in a happier place, more comfortable in my surroundings, and able to look back on a situation that caused me an undo amount of stress, and know that i came through - completely.
Sometimes sitting with uncomfortable feelings is as important as sitting with the comfortable ones - detaching, observing, analyzing, realizing and letting go.
Just like the waves on the beach, follow the ebb and flow.
Breathing: catch and release.
A very necessary thing to do.
All I want for Christmas…
This was the first place we saw.
And so began our journey.
More to come…
APARTMENTS
Find the Perfect Apartment for You by Asking the Right Questions
By Alan Henry, Nov 25, 2011
Searching for a new apartment can be fun. The thrill of finding listings, and choosing candidates based on photos, maps, and amenities can be enjoyable, and there are plenty of tools to make the search easy. The real trouble starts when it’s time to tour a prospective home, meet the landlord, and learn a little about the neighborhood. This is where you have to put on your detective’s hat and start asking questions. Here’s what you should find out before you sign a lease.
Step 1: Do Your Research to Find Apartments Worth Visiting
Finding the right apartment for you is a topic we’ve tackled several times, and we’ve even discussed some great tools to help you find rentals that are in your price range and in your preferred neighborhoods. We particularly like Padmapper and Apartments.com, both of which do a great job of helping you narrow your search to neighborhoods and communities you’re interested in, filter based on price and amenities, and get regular updates when availability changes.
That said, finding a great apartment to visit is only half of the battle—and in many cases can be the easiest part of the process. Looking at promotional photos and Craigslist snapshots is only part of the job. Once you’ve used these tools to narrow down your list of candidates, it’s time to go see the units in person, and that’s where the real challenge begins.
Step 2: Check Out the Neighborhood Before Scheduling a Visit with the Property Owner
If you’re moving to an area you already know or that’s close to where you live now, you have the luxury of driving through or visiting the area before you schedule an appointment to see the property with the owner. Check out the community and see if the amenities match up with what you’re looking for. If you enjoy eating out and nightlife, make sure you’re not moving to a sleepy cul de sac far away from the action. If you want a quiet neighborhood where your children can play, a house rental along a major road may be affordable and look good on paper, but isn’t the best option.
Spend some time in the neighborhood if you can. If it’s a thriving community with shops and restaurants, stop in to a local cafe for a bite to eat, and chat up a friendly-looking employee. Let them know you’re moving into the area and ask them what they think of the community. Sometimes they may not live there themselves, but in many cases you’ll get someone who’s willing to offer you some insight into what the neighborhood is really like. If you can, stick around until after-hours, or come back late in the evening and drive around. After the sun sets, you’ll get a real feel for whether the neighborhood is safe at night, is as quiet (or as lively) as you hoped, or is somewhere you’d like to come home to after a long day of work.
Step 3: Schedule Your First Visit with The Property Owner
Depending on the rental market in your area, you may not have much time to waste when it comes to scheduling visits. When I gave up an apartment in the suburbs for a unit in the heart of the city, I learned quickly that the rental market in my city’s popular neighborhoods is brutal—apartments that were open and available on Monday could have a tenant moving in by Wednesday, and that’s even if you scheduled a viewing on Tuesday. Don’t waste time, but don’t feel rushed either - new units come on the market regularly.
Call the landlord or property owner and ask them when they can meet with you, and if there are any regular tours scheduled or applications already in on the unit. This last bit is important—you don’t want to waste your time or take off work to go visit a unit where there’s already an application unless you know you have to see it. Make sure you find out from the landlord how popular their property is and how likely it will be that the unit will be gone before you even get there. With Craigslist, a number of landlords prefer to do business over email, or schedule group open houses. That’s fine, but try to get them on the phone whenever possible. Speaking to someone gives you the opportunity to make your case and get immediate feedback, while email can get lost or be ignored for days on end.
Once your visit is scheduled, it’s time to make a list of questions you want answered while you tour the unit.
Step 4: Show Up to Your First Viewing with Questions In-Hand
Your first visit to an apartment may be your last one before you submit an application, if the unit is in high demand. Don’t waste the opportunity to ask your future landlord as many questions about the property as possible.
Ideally, you’ll show up armed with the basics, and you’ll just need to confirm them with the property owner or landlord. You’ll already know how large the unit is, how much it will cost you, whether there’s parking (assigned or not), and how far you are to your job, major roads, amenities, or mass transit. These are all things you can look up on the internet before you go, don’t waste much time during your visit with them unless you need to confirm them. Here are a few more probing questions to help you get below the surface.
How long as the unit been empty? How long did the last tenant stay? You want to know how long the unit has been on the market because, especially in competitive rental markets, if an apartment has been empty for months or the last tenant was only there for a few months (or worse, was evicted), something may be wrong with it. Plus, it gives you a chance to ask the landlord a pointed question to see how they react. Regardless of whether they’re forthcoming with the information or try to avoid the question, you’ve learned something useful about their character.
When was the building constructed/How old is the property? Have there been any major changes or renovations? The age of a building tells you other important information, like how old the facilities in the walls are (which you’ll ask about in a moment) or how likely you may be to have maintenance problems resulting from old flooring, ceilings, windows, or plumbing. Asking if there have been any renovations gives the landlord the opportunity to highlight any work they’ve done recently that may be beneficial to you, like new plumbing, windows, or weatherproofing.
How old is the wiring? Can I see the fuse box? If you’re reading Lifehacker, odds are you have a good amount of gear in your home. A large TV, maybe a couple of computers, several monitors, game consoles, and so on. All of that gear is going to need power, and you don’t want to trip a breaker every time you heat up some nachos without turning off your computer first. You may not immediately know what you’re looking at when you see a fuse box, but you should be able to tell super-old from brand new. Ask if there are fuses that you’ll be expected to keep and replace should one blow. Take the opportunity to look around and make sure there are enough outlets in each room for your needs.
Do all of the appliances work? How old are they? You’ll want to ask this question while you’re testing whether the stove burners get warm or the oven light works, or whether the fridge feels cold and there’s good water pressure from the sinks and showers. At the same time, if the unit has been empty for a while, the landlord may have the appliances turned off or unplugged, and you’ll want to know before you put in an application, much less sign a lease.
Are there any major repairs coming up in the next year? Will any repairs be completed before I move in? If there’s nothing going on with your unit, there’s nothing going on. However, if you see repairs in progress, or things that you would want addressed before you move in like painting, appliance replacements, window repairs or the like, make sure you bring them up immediately, and follow up by getting them in writing.
What utilities are included? Is heating/cooling individually controlled? You should know this from the ad, but make sure to verify this and anything else from the ad that you may have questions about or want to make sure you’re clear on. In some places, “all utilities included” is a ticket to centrally controlled heating, air conditioning, and hot water, and shared electric bills based on average use by the entire community. “Cable and internet included” can mean your landlord will add a cable-splitter to their line and run a cable through the floor, or offer you free use of their Wi-Fi. Be wary of that, it may save you money, but you could sacrifice comfort for it. If heating and cooling aren’t included, check the windows and doors to make sure they’re insulated properly, and bring up any concerns to the landlord.
Who will be responsible for maintenance and repairs? What about emergencies? If you’re leasing from a management company, this one’s probably easy: you call their office number, put in a maintenance request, and they respond (you should ask about response times, as well.) If you’re renting from an individual or small management company, you definitely want to know what you’re on the hook for yourself and what you can call about, and who you should call if the toilet starts leaking at 2am. Do you call a contractor or plumber and take their fee out of your rent? If so, get it in writing. Do you call the landlord at 2 in the morning and they call a plumber and pay for it? Get that in writing too.
Who’s responsible for pest control? Often, large communities and condominiums have a contract with a pest control firm that works with their residents. They may send them out to you when you request their help, or you may simply be required to use their services instead of another company’s. At the same time though, many landlords leave the responsibility for pest control on the tenant, unless there’s some kind of pre-existing condition when they move into the unit. I’ve seen leases that say after the first 30 days, a tenant is on their own when it comes to pest control. Ask the landlord on your first viewing if there have been pest problems, and if so, who they use for pest control.
If you’re renting from a management company that handles multiple units in the property, you can take some of these questions further, and ask about the types of maintenance requests they get, how often they get them, and what modifications they’re willing to make to a unit upon request. Apartment Ratings has a great list of questions for landlords as well, although they’re largely directed to management companies, not individual landlords or property owners who may wind up being your upstairs neighbors. Just remember, if you get concessions or any agreements as a result of the questions, make sure to get them in writing when it comes time to get a lease drawn up.
Step 5: Talk to Others in The Community for Their Opinions
One of the best ways to find out more about a community before moving in is to talk to other people who already live there. You don’t have to be a creeper, but sit out front of the building with a cup of coffee or your smartphone, and casually ask a passer by if they live in the are or in the building you’re interested in. Be open with the fact that you’re considering moving into the place, and you’d like to know what they think of the community, landlord, or management company. Most people, as long as you’re nice about it and open with the fact that you’d appreciate their help, are willing to lend you their opinion.
Ask them specific questions that don’t waste their time, like how long they’ve lived there, and whether they’ve had any serious maintenance, pest, or management problems, or if there’s anything they had addressed right after they moved in that they wished they had known about earlier. We’ve discussed how to make sure you find a decent landlord before, but ask others what they think of the landlord as well. Ask them if they plan to renew their lease or continue living in the community, and ask them if they have any advice for someone who’s just now looking at apartments or homes in their area.
If you have more time, ask them if they looked at any other buildings or communities in the neighborhood as well, or if there’s anything they learned after living there for a while that they wish they could have found out earlier. For example, you won’t know until you’ve lived in an apartment for a few weeks that the garbage trucks are particularly noisy on Tuesdays, or that a huge cargo train slowly rolls by the back of the complex every three weeks. There’s a great post and comment thread about these types of things over at Apartment Therapy, and it’s good reading for anyone looking at homes. Apartment hunting is something of a universal experience. In most cases, the people you meet will be willing to lend their opinions and experiences, as long as you ask the right questions.
Step 6: When You’re Ready to Sign, Go Over Your Lease Carefully
When I asked Bruce Dachis, our very own Adam Dachis’ father and a property owner and landlord himself, what he hears from his tenants when they complain “I wish I had known that before I moved in,” he explained that a lot of people fail to do two things that would protect them when they’re shopping for a new place and interviewing potential landlords—two things that any reasonable and honest landlord should never have a problem with you doing:
Know your rights. Familiarizing yourself with the landlord/tenant laws and regulations for your jurisdiction should be one of your top priorities, and going to your visit or into your lease negotiations armed with the knowledge is important. Many landlords and management companies will give you copies of the local bylaws, but only as part of your welcome package—the one you get when you sign the lease. Don’t wait on them to educate you. Check out the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s page linking to individual state laws, and do some digging on your own (usually Googling “landlord/tenant laws —state name—” will do the trick.) This way you’ll know if someone’s trying to pull the wool over your eyes.
Read your lease completely and thoroughly, ask questions if anything’s unclear. Bruce couldn’t emphasize enough how important this is—and how few people actually do it. Read your lease thoroughly, ask if you can review it overnight, or even just take it to get a cup of coffee and read it somewhere away from the pressures of the rental office or landlord’s home. If you’re not sure what something means or if you thought something was supposed to be included that isn’t speak up and have a conversation about it. Don’t wait until you’ve signed to ask about something you’re unclear on.
He reiterated the importance of some of the questions above, especially with regard to maintenance requests, response times, and whether you’ll be responsible for vetting a contractor or repair-person or they will. Make sure you’re aware of any fees that the landlord may not discuss until the last minute, like move-in/out fees, parking fees, or anything else. He also explained that depending on the nature of the rental market, you may have to take what you can get and some landlords will be less inclined to make accommodations for you, but you should always ask the questions and decide for yourself where you’re willing to compromise.
When you do sign the lease, make sure to ask any lingering questions you may have before handing over your copy, and if there are any last minute agreements you come to, make sure you get them—and everything else—in writing as an update or addendum to your lease. Remember, you never know what you can get until you ask for it, and until you have it in writing, you have no proof you actually got anything you asked for.
Step 7: Enjoy Your New Home
The key to finding and landing the perfect home is part research and good timing, but also largely a matter of asking the right questions before you visit, when you visit, after you visit, and when you sign the lease. Make sure you’re as well informed as possible and that you go into your new home with both eyes open to what you’re getting into. When you’ve finished your move and you’re sleeping in your own bed in your new home, you may still encounter a few surprises, but hopefully it’s nothing significant enough that you wished you had asked about before you moved in.
Do you have any questions that you make sure to ask when touring a potential apartment or house? Any tips to make sure you’re not blindsided by the lease or some other issue that may be lurking beneath the surface? Share your tips and house hunting suggestions in the comments below.
Bruce Dachis owns multiple rental properties and has been on both sides of the landlord/tenant negotiating table. He graciously offered his experience for this article, and we thank him.
You can reach Alan Henry, the author of this post, at alan@lifehacker.com, or better yet, follow him on Twitter or Google+.
Bucket list
So it’s been a year last week since we got our notice to move out of our apartment.
I remember that day so well. I don’t want to, but it’s hard to forget.
The only thing that really mattered to me was that my mother would be cancer free, my husband’s company would not go bankrupt on his watch and that we would find a nice place to live.
That was it. My bucket list.
Nothing else really mattered.
I didn’t want anything else. For me, the ability to lay my head in a place called home, without shifty screaming neighbors, slumlords trying to pull a fast one or a property whose ghosts wailed throughout the night.
All I wanted to was to be calm. In my apartment. Find my center, rebuild my crumbling self esteem, battle weary body and fragmented soul.
And now that I am in my new home, i can work on the real bucket list:
- A trip to Greece, swimming around the islands, scuba diving in the ocean, with the sharks, dophins
- Have a solo photography show that travels throughout Europe
- see a volcano up close
make movies that make me respected, not necessarily famous (but that would be nice)
- Cross (2) country road trip by myself
I’m beginning to find those dreams again. This is only the tear stained, water damaged pages that survived the move.
But I’m working on it.
Putting on a new coat of color and opening up the windows of life…
Half assed job at making things clean…
No matter how much soap, paint, disinfectant was applied, some apartments were just downright dirty - either on a physical level or spiritual one.
Apartment hunting is a full time job. And getting a jump on places is at the best of times, hectic. At the worst, it’s nerve shattering, back breaking work.
Sites like Craigslist have completely shifted the whole paradigm of the hunt for a new home. It used to be: look in the paper, circle the ads that meet your criteria for what you are looking for, call each apartment, and go to see the ones you called.
Then the viewing. You see the place, suss out the landlord as he susses you out, and either express your interest, or gracefully decline.
If you do find something you like, you might have to agree to certain conditions: no pets, no dark paint, no noise after midnight, no cooking with grease, post dated cheques for a year, first and last month’s rent in cash, allowing your landlord access to your house at all times, even without prior notice to enter. Credit check. Even though its illegal, its still being asked.
The list is endless.
And you might find lineups at the open houses. Might feel like cattle herded in and out of a flat as 6 other people squeeze by you. Enter. Exit. The high demand for apartments keeps people hunting, and even killing. I have seen fights break out, seen people cry. Finding a place to call home is an emotionally charged experience. Especially when you are forced to move.
So many people in cities across this country have been given notice: re-appropriation of property by landlord. And the bottom line is: a nice cheap apartment, if well renovated, makes a beautiful expensive condo.
More people looking, more people being kicked out, fewer apartments available equals inequality.
You do the math…
If you can’t afford a condo or house, your new home is at the mercy of the market, or how obsessive, determined and brutal you choose to be in trying to find the next ‘rental’.
A louer/for rent
A sign that I now read with simultaneous anger and relief…
