5 Apartment Living Hacks

By Ian Acosta on December 23, 2016

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As a college student, living in an apartment can be one of the most exciting experiences a student can have. From finally moving out of the dorms to living more independently with friends, it can teach you a lot about responsibility, time management and budgeting.

Of course, when first living in an apartment, new tenants may not know all the tricks to get the maximum use out of their new living space. This is where this article will hopefully provide some clarity. Here are five not so well known tips to get the most out of an apartment.

1. Negotiate rent.

As a fair forewarning, this strategy does not always work but it does not hurt to try! When touring apartments, get a few quotes in terms of price for specific floor plans and compare. Depending on what the ideal space, number of bedrooms, and amenities are, the landlord may or may not be more inclined to negotiate rent and certain aspects of it.

One aspect that can almost always be negotiated is the fee for a parking spot. Because not all tenants use one, the landlord may be inclined to lower the price a bit in order to make at least some money on the space. Remember, supply and demand is key. If certain locations have trouble finding tenants, they will be more inclined to give better prices. Keep an eye out!

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2. Utilize utilities efficiently.

Utilities are a burden, especially for student tenants. Bills can not only end up causing a huge bill at the end of the month, but also eliminate potential living spots due to the tenant choosing to or not to include water, electricity, cable or the like. If living in an apartment with no utilities covered, keep a tracker of the usage per month and the associated cost.

This can help tenants manage their use of water, electricity, and etc. more efficiently and keep overall costs down. When going home for breaks or holidays, unplug as much as you can, make sure all of those faucets are off, and that the thermostat is set at a specific temperature. This will help cut costs a great deal and ensure tenants do not pay for what they don’t use.

3. Organize a plan for each room.

Do you or your roommate take planning and organization to the extreme? Create a blueprint or floor plan for each room to allow for the best space for everyone. For example, a problem I personally had from time to time with my roommates was our kitchen and cabinet space. With three people in a limited size kitchen, you can imagine how valuable cabinet space was.

By creating a plan to organize all of our food, pots, and other utensils, we were able to make the space seem bigger in a sense and maneuver our kitchen mostly hassle free. Plan out your bathroom. Plan out your closet. Plan out your common area. An organized plan is key to making every space seem much bigger, which in turn helps you get the most out of limited apartment space.

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4. Decorate.

Bring some decorations and colors from home. When first moving in, an apartment space is a pretty plain area. With adding in some posters, lights, photos, books, and the like, it can help make the space homier and inviting to both yourself and guests. Add in a throw pillow to the living room. Put up some funny posters in the kitchen to look at while cooking. Have a photo of friends or family on the desk in your room.

The possibilities are endless but the point still remains the same. Make your apartment as comfortable and inviting as you make your home. Follow this, and you will be sure to get the most enjoyment out of apartment living in no time.

5. Create a cleaning schedule.

Cleaning is a necessity. A cleaning schedule helps you and your roommates stay on top of the daily hassle of staying organized in the limited space in a college apartment. Dirt creates clutter, which creates stuff all over the place.

College is where you create habits that will last you for a long time. Take the extra hour to organize and clean. Create habits like these to create other great habits to better yourself throughout college, and to carry on after graduation.

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