Making The Decision to Change Apartments Part II

We recently moved apartments in the beginning of April. Our main reason for moving was to be in an apartment with its own washer and dryer, although we took other factors into consideration. We also wanted to cut down on our rent in order to increase our savings, especially with another child on the way. So around the beginning of February we started looking at apartments. Because we wanted to stay within 15 minutes of Tim’s work and also stay in our church congregation’s boundaries we knew we had to find a place close to our current location. Here are some things we learned in our quest to find a new place.

1. Learn how much notice you need to give your current location of your move
Our lease was technically up March 1st, and so I thought that if I gave them 30 days notice and informed them in February that we would be leaving, we could leave the 1st of March. Well, after talking to the office and re-reading our contract I learned we needed to give them 60 days notice of our leaving. So we ended up extending our contract one month because I never read our contract to see how much notice we needed to give them. Luckily there were no penalties or increases for the extra month of rent.

2.  Start looking at your options early
We started browsing at listings online and in the paper in January to get a feel for current prices and options. Since we were familiar with the area we quickly narrowed down our choices. At first we wanted to rent a small house but either the prices were too high or it didn’t fit our criteria. So we then started looking at other large complexes in the area.

3. Ask about current promotions or deals
This strategy mainly works for large apartment complexes, but it never hurts to haggle over price, deposit or other concessions. When we moved into our old apartment they were unable to take any money off of our rent, but they did lower our security deposit to $50. After we had toured our current apartment we asked about any concessions they were offering. At first they offered 1 1/2 months free rent if we were able to apply within a few days of an opening. Later they called with a new promotion and offered us 2 months free rent.

4. Talk to residents
We knew a few friends who lived in the complex that offered us the greatest deal and they were happy to give us their opinions of the complex. They were overall satisfied although with the complex although they had a few minor complaints. Their complaints weren’t major drawbacks for us and since we have lived in many complexes over the years as long as our family is safe and the apartment is sanitary we aren’t too picky.

5. Be willing to be flexible
After we had talked to our friends and applied for the apartment, the complex  asked us if we could move in a few days earlier. They offered to let us move in a week earlier rent free, as long as we signed the lease by a certain date. This arrangement worked out well for us because even though we signed the new lease on a Tuesday, we could wait to move in until Saturday when friends and family could help us. In addition, our old apartment’s lease wasn’t up until the next Monday so I was able to go back and clean an empty apartment. The only inconvenience about this arrangement was that we paid utilities for two places for a week.

We were also flexible about the type of apartment we wanted. Even though we would have preferred a bottom floor apartment, when none were available we agreed to take a top floor apartment.

Overall, we were happy with the new apartment we found, even though we had lost storage space. With the two months free rent, our rent was dramatically reduced, opening up more room in the budget for savings. In addition, the apartment came with its own washer and dryer, freeing up time and quarters. We feel like we found the best deal in the area and are glad we took the time to shop around for our housing options.

Garage Sale Season is Here!

One of our family’s favorite things to do in late spring and summer is attend garage sales. We can usually find some good deals and enjoy spending the time together. Here are a few things we do to get the most from garage sales. You can also skip down to the bottom of the post to see our latest finds.

1. Set aside a certain amount of cash each month specifically for garage sales
This month we set aside $14 for garage sales. We already had $11 left over from garage sales last month. The $11 doesn’t include clothing or furniture. We have set aside $20/mo for clothing and in the summer we buy most of that from garage sales. Since we moved into an apartment with less storage space, we have also set some money aside for shelving which we plan to pick up at a garage sale or off of craigslist.com. I simply divide my cash into different envelopes labeled “garage sales”, “clothing” and “furniture”. And when the money’s gone, it’s gone.

2. Know your target price on items
As I have gone to a few sales in the area this year I am starting to set my target price on items like shoes, clothes and children’s books. I try to get clothes for $0.25-$0.50 a piece and will pay no more than $1 for shoes. We are also trying to build our children’s library and my target price for books is $0.25-$0.50. Since I could go overboard easily on clothes and books, having a target price helps limit my spending.

3. Make a ListI find this especially helpful when trying to buy children’s clothes 1-2 seasons in advance. We have been very blessed to have been giving most of my son’s clothing up until 24 months, but one day I realized he had no clothing beyond 24 months. Since his 2nd birthday is this summer I recognized I had to get busy building his wardrobe during garage sale season. I have since compiled a list of the number of shirts, pants, etc he has in each size so that I know exactly what types of clothes to look for at garage sales.

4. Plan your route and if possible attend neighborhood or multi-family sales
On mornings when we are going to garage sales, we look up listings from our local newspaper online and check out craigslist.com for sales in our area. We highlight any neighborhood or multi-family sales to save on gas and time. We also take into account the areas where sales are. Since we live close to some wealthier suburbs we can often find high-quality items for a cheap price. After we have chosen the sales we print out a multi-destination map from mapquest and head on the road.

5. Leave early and bring snacks for kids
Although we rarely are out the door by 8:00 AM, we try to leave before 9:00 to beat the summer heat. In addition, leaving early means we make it back home by lunchtime and have a happier child. We have also learned the importance of bringing snacks for the road.

We have made great memories as a family attending garage sales and finding steals. Sometimes, like this morning, I just drive to a neighborhood garage sale and walk around to get some exercise and enjoy the weather. On these days if I happen to find a deal then great, if not I’m not too concerned.

This morning I went to a local neighborhood garage sale and picked up the following items in the top photo for a total of $10.

Here was the breakdown of the prices:

Baby BJorn Carrier: $3
Baby Bath: $1
Child’s Sleeping Bag: $2
Boy’s Snow Boots: $1
Boy’s Dress Shoes: $1
3 Bottles: $0.25/ea
2 Cans of Formula: $0.50/can
Girl’s Dress: $0.25

I was very excited to find the carrier and reasonably priced snow boots for my son. I am planning on breastfeeding our next baby but I picked up some bottles and formula just in case in an emergency we would need formula on hand. One of the lessons I learned from this week was to remember to check the condition of each item. After I got home I found that the sleeping bag’s zipper was broken. For only $2 I can’t complain since I could maybe (?) fix it, but I still should have checked the condition at the time. Overall though I thought I did great for $10.

All Moved In and Posting Again

Thank you everyone for your patience as I took a longer-than-expected hiatus. We are now all moved into our new apartment and busy preparing for our little girl due in August. I have added a few more piano students and between my pregnancy, teaching piano and chasing my active son I have found less time to blog. But I just can’t keep away because I have made so many positive changes the past few months and learned so much from others that I am anxious to blog once more.