Tag Archive for: apartment life

Lightproofing

Sound and Lightproofing Your Apartment Bedroom

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Sleep is glorious and grand. Everyone feels better after a great night of sleep, but there are tons of distractions that can prevent you from having a good night’s sleep. Your bedroom needs to be a quiet, peaceful place that promotes rest, but that can sometimes be difficult in an apartment. Creating a bedroom that muffles sound and blocks out light can be difficult, but here are some things you can try that will help you find a restful haven. 

Soundproofing with Rugs and Upholstery

Rugs, specifically with a good rug pad, and upholstery can help muffle sounds in your room from both outside and inside. A good rug pad under even the most ordinary of rugs not only makes the rug more plush, it also is a great sound barrier. If you have wall-to-wall carpet that is the best way to muffle sounds, but that is not an option in every apartment. A good, thick rug pad will absorb sound and make your room more comfortable. 

You don’t have to stop at rugs, however. Upholstered furniture and headboards also are great for absorbing ambient noise. The more soft surfaces you can add to the room the better. Consider adding a quilt or blanket that you can hang on the wall to help deaden sounds. This method works best on walls that are shared with another apartment next to you. 

Blocking out Excess Light

Of course, extraneous sound is not the only thing you need to block out. Light from parking lots or other sources outside can also be a hindrance to sleep. That is why blackout curtains can be a great addition. Blackout curtains are made of a heavier fabric like wool, flannel, or velvet. These types of thicker curtains not only block out light, they also act as a sound absorber. Sometimes you can even find blackout liners that can be added to existing curtains. 

You should also check the seals around your windows for light and sound gaps. Insulated foam strips can be purchased from a hardware store and used to fill any large gaps. This not only blocks out light, but sound through the gaps. They can even help in the winter to keep drafts out as well. 

These are just a few ways that you can make sure the bedroom in your new apartment is a restful space for a good night’s sleep. 

pet friendly

Finding a Pet Friendly Apartment

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When you move you want to find an apartment for your entire family. This includes the furry members of your family. While some apartments will not allow pets because of liability concerns, other will welcome pets as long as you abide the guidelines. This can include an extra pet deposit fee on top of your rental deposit, an extra fee on your monthly rent, or more. Some complexes may also limit you to only a dog or a cat, so finding a place that will accept your emu could be difficult. With some advice, however, you can find a pet friendly apartment that will make everyone in your family happy. 

What Amenities to Look For

How pampered is your pet? If you’re looking for a place to live and only a place to live many apartments are happy to accept pets. Others have amenities that can be specific drawing perks to pet owners. Many newer complexes not only accept pets, they will have dog parks, in-home groomers, and more. They view the dog park as part of the community so residents can connect with other residents, and this includes the dogs. In some larger cities they may even have access to veterinarians and more. 

Know Where Your Pet Can Go

While some apartments and buildings will allow pets, they don’t mean to allow blanket access to all parts of the building. There may be other businesses within the building that are not as pet friendly. While they are fine with you having your pet in the apartment unit itself and some of the hallways it is unlikely they will be welcome in community areas or the gym. You’ll also want to check and see what pet-friendly amenities are nearby. This includes a vet, grooming, and pet supplies. 

Find the Right Apartment

Your apartment itself can be pet friendly, but some apartments work better for poets than others. For example; if you have a pet that sheds an apartment with tile or laminate floors will be easier to clean than one with carpet. Having a unit on the ground floor is easier for dog owners so they can go outside easier. 

Check Your Lease

Finally, if you have a pet in your apartment you will need to learn the terms of your lease and how they relate to your pet. Some communities will have a weight or breed restriction on dogs. Most will have a pet deposit that is separate from the regular damage deposit. You might even have to pay a small fee each month on top of your regular rent. If you follow all of these steps, however, you can find the perfect apartment for you and your pet. 

couple unpacking with dog

Moving Without a Truck

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You’ve done it! You have finished all the hard work of scouting for a new apartment and found the place that has everything you’re looking for. You’ve signed your lease and there is only one last step to complete. Unfortunately, it is one of the toughest, because moving is never easy.

Moving is never much fun. While you weren’t looking it seems as if all of your possessions have multiplied. It also probably won’t fit in your car in just a couple of trips. Many people look into renting a moving truck for this, but sometimes you can get by without renting a truck. Here are some things to consider if you want to try going without a moving truck.

Can it be Done?

If your new apartment is your first home and you only have a few possessions you might be able to pull off moving without a truck. It also depends on how far you’re going, too. Moving across town can be done fairly easily if you can get friends and family to help. They can also be bought off with the promise of food and beer when the job is done. Moving across the state without a truck is trickier.

The amount of time you have to move is also important. If you have a few weeks you can make several small trips over time with maybe a day or two for some of the bigger items. If your time is limited, however, a truck will save on time since you can carry more in one trip as opposed to several smaller trips.

Do You Have the Equipment?

This also ties in to what you’re moving. Packing blankets, dollies, and other such things are often included in the truck, but if you don’t have access to these yourself it can be harder to move large, bulky items.

Most people also prefer moving trucks for large items such as mattresses and furniture. These are really hard to move in a standard car, but if you have friends or family with a pickup this is the best way around the bulky item question.

Can You Even Drive a Moving Truck?

Driving a large, bulky moving truck is vastly different from a regular car. It takes some getting used to and you’ll have to watch turns, overpasses, and much more. If you do choose to rent a truck you might have to pay separately for insurance, too. Your regular car insurance often will not provide coverage for moving trucks.

If these are questions you have satisfactory answers to, then have at it. A move can be done without a large moving truck and you can probably save money in the long run if you choose this option. The downside is that it can be a lot of hard work that you may not be ready to tackle. If you do choose to rent a truck after all make sure to read if the mileage is covered in the rental and how much fuel you have to leave in it as well.