Mom has decided that I need to move out of the house by June. Recently a couple of apartments came up for rent in the small blocks at the end of the street. Since they don't come up for rent often, and living close to home would have benefits (especially since I don't own a car, which would make visiting difficult), I went to check them out.
One block has two apartments available, a one bedroom and a two bedroom. The one bedroom is currently occupied, so I wasn't able to peek in, but I was shown around the two bedroom. The apartment itself is fine (not "OMGmusthaveSHOWMETHELEASE," but no major flaws), but the hallways stink of cigarette smoke. UGH! (Smoking in the public spaces is not allowed... so either people aren't following instructions, or the smoke is seeping from their apartments.) That was pretty much a deal-breaker for me. I don't want to have to hold my breath whenever I come in or out.
The second building only has a two bedroom apartment available, but it's basically the same price as the one bedroom in the first block I looked at... so in a way I'd be getting a spare room for "free". It was hard to get a good look at the apartment because the previous tenant was in the process of moving out (*very* cluttered!), but the apartment seemed equivalent to the one next door, but the rest of the building was much better. There was no smell of smoke in the hallways (there are some smoking tenants, but new tenants are all non-smoking, plus the halls had linoleum tile instead of smoke-absorbing carpet), and the room with the storage units and washer and dryer were nicer. Basically, I really like the place. I just also happen to enjoy living at home, and five more months of free room and board vs paying for myself makes a difference in the bank account (or a difference in when I pretty much abandon my dissertation and get a "real job".)
Apartment Pros:• doesn't stink
• top floor of building, so no one walking on my ceiling
• I think the landlord said the walls are cement, so no noise through them
• building well maintained (the landlord was even upgrading the stainless steel plumbing simply because the other stuff he's putting in is better)... he even asked me what colour I'd like the kitchen cupboards painted! (They're currently painted an extremely pale blue and are kind of hard on the eyes.)
• two bedrooms, spacious kitchen (big enough to eat in, although not big enough for a large table)0
• no signs of insects or mildew
• close to family
• supposedly decent apartments are hard to get these days
• it's in a neighbourhood I'm familiar with and know people
• fairly close to downtown, so not too bad to get to other areas of the city
• good neighbourhood (close range... further away it gets rougher)
• close to the art club I've joined
• single bus ride to get to two yarn shops (not that that is high on my list, but it is a "pro")
• I could potentially have a roommate
• the bedrooms both face away from the busy street (It's not a highway, but it's not a residential street either)
• close to a number of bus routes
• I think I like the apartment
• the apartment has north, east, and south exposure, and the west side is a hallway... so only adjacent neighbour is below
• hardwood floors, except kitchen and bathroom which are linoleum
• if it comes to it, I should be able to afford the apartment on a full-time minimum wage job
• really cute landlord, who appears to be my age (but I don't think he's single... I think there were two names on his answering machine)
Apartment Cons:• available January 1
• no fan in the bathroom (although also no sign of mildew)
• not close to grocery store
• I haven't looked around much, so I don't know how this apartment compares generally in terms of price and/or advantages
• not close to any of my close friends
• may not be close to where I end up working (more knitting time on the bus, but still a drawback)
• only a single washer and dryer in the basement, so I can't do all my loads at once (that ability is, in my opinion, the only benefit to coin-operated washing machines), or may have laundry-collisions with other residents (I think there's only 8 apartments in the block, so I'm not sure how bad it will be)
• third floor walk-up (only really one and a half flights of stairs, not a real problem)
• January is a *cold* time to be carrying boxes and furniture outdoors
• switch from dissertation-mode to support-myself-mode earlier
• really cute landlord is probably not single
(I'm sure I'll think of more pros and cons... I'll add them as I think of them.)
So, do I rent this now to ensure a nice place, or do I play the waiting game, saving money but perhaps ending up somewhere not as nice? Am I just hesitating because I like living at home? Will I feel any better about moving out any closer to June?
