h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

K and I have made some progress with apartment hunting (we're still going to look at some condo listings, but it sounds like K prefers to keep renting).

We looked at four units, two units each in two different buildings. We're working with a rental agency so I haven't yet found public listings, but can try to find photos later.

So now we need to decide on pros and cons.

Unit 1- we saw this one last week, too. The people who used to live there were slobs, so it needs to be painted and to have some minor repairs and major cleaning. 2 bedrooms and an office type room, eat-in kitchen, living room, and one bath. The interior wall is exposed brick, it has hardwood floors, granite counters in the kitchen, stainless appliances. Bathroom is done in slate tiles that look like bricks, on all the walls. Central heat and air. French doors in the kitchen with a Juliet balcony. Fireplace (which is no longer connected to a gas line and is decorative only, I guess. Laundry hookups in kitchen.

Unit 2- located next to #1. Same features, slightly different layout in the living room, and regular windows in the kitchen (no fake balcony). Also has the actual washer and dryer instead of just the hookups.

This building does not have on-site storage space and the scavenger service doesn't take recyclables to a recycling center. All the common areas in the foyers have exposed brick walls and wood floors.

Unit 3- three bedrooms, one bath (with a wood vanity and granite counter instead of brick tiles and ceramic fixtures). The vanity is located at a somewhat awkward angle to the toilet. In this unit, the living room has a decorative (disconnected) fireplace and a sun room type extension in the living room. Also the laundry hookup and furnace are in a closet on a living room wall.

Unit 4- bathroom is configured more normally. Laundry and furnace located in kitchen. Living room is a regular rectangle, no fireplace or sun room. Has a nicer view.

This building is located at the very end of a cul-de-sac which borders the riverbanks. I have always loved the look of buildings and houses which flank the river. The front yard is huge and full of bushes and flowers. There is a little area on the back porch which could accommodate a small grill. Both units have granite counters and stainless appliances in the kitchen. This is a brand-new rehab so no one has occupied either since the rehab. Common hallways have wood floors.

Both buildings have working door buzzers and intercoms, which would be nice to have- here we have to run up and down to let people in. Also all four units seem to have properly functioning air con.

We are waiting to find out if building #2 has on-site storage space and if there is an additional charge. Building #1, the rent is $175 more than we pay now; building #2 is $300 more. If we'd also have to pay for storage, that might affect our options somewhat. I'm positive we can afford the rent, it's just a matter of spending less on groceries and takeout.

Any comments? Feedback from friends is always useful when making big decisions.

$300 is a lot more! Is it a lot larger, more comfortable, too?

I don't think it is a *lot* larger... it's a three bedroom, whereas now we only have two, but the two in the second building have much smaller kitchens. The first one we saw last evening had a larger kitchen, about the same as what we have now.

It would also have working air conditioning, a working oven, windows that don't leak when it rains, a working doorbell, a bathroom floor that doesn't need repairing, and faucets that don't leak so bad they need to be turned off using the valves instead of the taps.

Are they cat-friendly, or just cat-tolerant?

Probably "tolerant". I think the cats would love them, though.

I also think we are leaning toward #1 provided 3 and 4 don't have storage on premises at no extra charge.

Well, we went to apply for #1 and put down a deposit, and at the last second I see that it's $25 a month for cats, and one max per unit. We have to have the agent call them again and see if they will negotiate allowing two cats. We'll pay $50 a month more if we have to, but I don't want to put down a deposit until we're sure.

Not sure why I am moaning about all this in my journal, as I have so few subscribers here.

Hmm, paying 50 bucks extra for the cats is a bitter pill to swallow, I agree.

Can't you just paint them with camo paint so the realty bodies don't know they are there?

Wow, how do they justify the extra costs?

I assume landlords justify charging extra pet deposits/ fees because some people don't pay enough attention to their companion animals and things wind up scratched or peed on.

The one we really wanted, they were completely unwilling to consider allowing a second cat. So last night we went over to take a look at a third unit in the second building I mentioned above. It was very nice, pretty much everything we need, and the views from some of the windows are really nice. So, we submitted an application along with a check to cover first months rent and the credit check. If the application isn't accepted (that would happen if either the landlord was not satisfied with our credit, or if someone else applied and the landlord accepted theirs first) we can get the rent portion back but not the credit check fee, but I am fairly certain that if we find another apartment with the same agency they would provide the same credit check results with the subsequent application. I think.

However, if this one doesn't work out, I think K and I are going to go buy a portable a/c unit for the bedroom to compensate for the malfunctioning central air, and just do some hunting around the neighborhood on our own. We still should only lose out the money we paid for the credit check- it's my understanding we only forfeit our first month's rent if we cancel the transaction, not if the landlord rejects us.

I don't expect to find out anything today- my boss isn't in the office on Tuesdays so I don't this she'd respond to an employment verification inquiry today.

KB- when we wanted a second cat, we tried to find one who looked just like Herman, using exactly that logic: as long as the landlord never sees them both at the same time, how will they know? We just brought Minerva home and hoped for the best... the only exchange that ever occured was the landlord looked at her, said "that cat looks different somehow" and K replied "it's a different cat". Landlord asked if something had happened to poor Herman. I responded that no, Herman was fine.. but that my grandmother had recently died and the other cat had no place to live.

Now both of those statements in that last sentence are 100% truthful. Does the fact that they are in fact completely unrelated make me dishonest?

Ooooh, a very...*presidential* answer. You'll go far!

And back to the application... guess whose application was approved, and who gets to sign a lease Saturday which commences August 1st?

ooohhhhhh conga rats

Well done, hunny!

Decent aircon is going to be a blast!


lil x

And a working oven, a working doorbell, doors that lock from the inside, and no water anyplace it's not supposed to be.

I'm really excited. Although the next few weeks will apparently be spent trying to motivate K to clear up years worth of clutter. He'll be sorry he didn't take stuff down to the alley when I asked him to, instead of letting it pile up on the back porch to the point where you can barely get to the stairs. Because we need to get through a lot of that stuff before we start packing- some of it can go to charity and I don't feel like paying movers to move it just to get rid of it.

Oh! I caught Hubby just beginning to do something similar last night... about 5 mins before the last viewers were to arrive!!!


The air con was needed here.. as I gave him an icy blast!

Our landlord is showing someone our current place tonight, already. I'll have to make sure when she's there that they have the dates clear so she's not expecting to move in before we've moved out. I don't think our landlords are jerks (just kind of flaky) but better to make sure we are all on the same page.

K is already bringing home boxes and the office manager here is going to let me borrow the tape gun from the office overnight each evening (as long as I bring it back with me each day) so we don't have to go out and buy one. So looks like once we've cleaned the windows, we can start packing this weekend.

Ooh! Did you remember to remove the pantie-liners from around the windows?

OMG, did I really tell you about that?!

Those were removed after every thunderstorm!

Oh, yus.... You have revealed all your inner secrets to us, dahlink!