The apartment hunt has officially begun. Yes, I'm aware that the move is 5 months away, but I need a plan or I'll lose my mind. I made a few calls today and came to the sick realization that apartments in Orem/Provo are EXPENSIVE. That is, unless I want to live in something nasty, halfway underground lacking sunlight and most major appliances... So, here's the question of the day: Do I pay mucho bucks and get something semi-nice with all of the "essentials" - washer/dryer, dishwasher and A/C? Or do I go for cheap and suffer the consequences? In my past life, I did the cheap and the results were not pretty. The apartment itself was okay, well not really. It had carpet that was crunchy and worn through and the neighbors consisted of ex-cons, drug dealers and other not-so nice people. I never had any luck parking anywhere remotely close to my unit AND the managers were jerks. The next place I lived was pricey and the most amazing place I've ever lived (excluding Bellingham which somehow combined cheap and amazing). The apartments were beautiful, grounds well kept and the neighbors were nice. I never had any trouble. So, again do I pay the money and get what I want?? Or go for dirt cheap and use the money I saved to buy a bullet proof vest? I'll let the pictures do the talking.
Exhibit A: $750 per month
Exhibit B: $619 per month
What to do... what to do...?
Besides the depressing apartment hunt, I felt great today. I slept like crap last night, but wasn't sick this morning. I think it was a combination of late night snacking and Billy Joel that made for a better day. Or maybe the knowledge that I was having Cheesecake Factory for lunch. It was yummy! :)
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8 comments:
exhibit b looks like where scott and i lived in salt lake.
Yeah, it seems to be the general architectural design for most Utah apartments built in the 70's-80's. I'm going for something a little less crack house.
yeah, crack house is fun. i don't know what to tell you other than, good luck. i guess i need to start working on that too...
love maren
:)
You crack me up. Where did you find that second photo? ;-)
Dad went with me to Silverdale and I've been researching sewing machines. My wonderful old Bernina is developing age issues. Of course they were having a sale that ends in two days so after looking at the mid-range Vikings (purpose of the trip)... we brought one home! Wasn't what I expected to be doing TONIGHT. Looks like impulse buying but I've read sewing reviews into the wee hours until my eyes developed terminal bloodshot. To get another Bernina with the features I wanted would have been too much... so there you have it! I feel like I'm being extravagant this year. ;-)
If this machine holds up as well as their sergers... it will do just fine. It's electronic... better bump up the learning curve.
Maybe I should have talked on my own blog instead of trashing up yours... but you already trashed it up with that picture. ;-)
Happy hunting!
I personally would go with A....but B seems like it would entail much more of an adventurous life where you're constantly living on your toes and awaiting danger at every corner....sounds like an Indiana Jones movie!
But I heard your phone conversation with "Mare Bear" today....Apparently I resemble Alex....but I still think Austin does more than me....eh
Самое лучшее везения с поиском квартиры!
I hope that made sense.
Oh wow, Schlawn, I think you'd better stick with Exhibit A if possible! It all depends on what you can get by on---will you guys have enough to afford that rent each month without going in the red? In my opinion, though, sometimes it is worth the bucks for the peace of mind. I would die if I was among drug dealers and ex-cons... :P
Good luck! Let us know how it turns out. :)
Wait... are you calling $750 a month, for two people, steep?
I guess I'm used to paying an arm and a leg for rent. I'm paying $450 a month for a 4-bedroom apartment with six occupants... But you've seen it. It's a nice neighborhood...
I'd go for the more expensive, sadly. That money you'll be paying counts towards more than just the amenities and floor space. Also consider location, neighbors, rules, view, sound, etc. I see you're already worried about neighbors, though. lol
Are you going to look for a cat-friendly apartment complex? Because if you end up getting a no-pets one again I may have to just keep Kitty for awhile longer... D: (which is fine)
Speaking of Kitty, I should tell you of some of her recent exploits:
The Good: Her playfulness baffles me. You know the Costco toilet paper? One day I emptied out the bag they were in, and left it on the bedroom floor while I used the restroom. I'd planned to take it downstairs immediately after.
I come out of the bathroom and there's Kitty, siting on her stomach on the floor, IN THE BAG. I don't understand why she did that, but I laughed so hard!
The Bad: She puked threee times the other day. IN ONE DAY. She at least had the decency to let me know. lol She was meowing at me A LOT, then walked up to her gift, looked at me, and kept meowing. ::rolls eyes:: She's so weird...
Hey Kristine, as your money saving friend I am sure you, and your hormones, will appreciate what I have to say. :) Provo as far as I know is super cheap for housing. That is as far as places I know-Vegas, Cali and Idaho (it's twice as much to find a place in Vegas)
I don't know if you think our place is trashy, but for instance, the other side has freshly painted walls, crown molding, wood floors, washer/dryer hookups, swamp cooler which works great, you park right next to your front door, have your own yard, big master bedroom and spare room for $550/month. Not bad. Those prices are about everyone in our ward which is very reasonable. You can get trashy basement apartments for $400 range (not quite worth it) but I would try not to spend too much. When you add utilities (if you have to pay for them), all other bills and a baby to the mix, you'll appreciate not having a steep rent bill. Dishwashers in my opinion are essential after a baby comes, but if you can't find a cheap apartment that comes with one, it's much wiser to spend a hundred or two on a portable one then paying an extra hundred a month for one that's installed.
It is a weird time to be looking at places though. I remember thinking I wouldn't find a place less than $700 a month but actually there are tons of places, nice places too, less than that. It's around semester turnovers everyone posts their places so it's possible you just didn't get a lot of options. Go to BYU's housing website in a couple months and hopefully you'll have better luck!
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