Austin Apartments

Looking for art for your Austin apartment can be a chore, however it can be worth it. A nice piece of art can really change the mood of an Austin apartment and become quite a conversational piece for your guests. Here are some places to shop for attractive furnishings are also great spots to find art:

• Discount stores. Discount stores not cool enough for you? You may be surprised. It might take some digging, but you’re bound to find a few low-cost pieces of art that suit your taste. Look for prints you like—you can always embellish an existing frame or reframe the whole thing. Also try crafts stores like Michaels and Garden Ridge. Their prices are good, and their sales are great.

• Yard sales and flea markets. I’ve snatched up complete sets of four matching prints for as little as $10 at yard sales. If you’re a flea market lover, you’ll have even more to choose from for your Austin apartment.

• Online stores. Too busy to shop for art? No problem! Just log on to a few Web sites and shop whenever it’s convenient for you, even if it’s the middle of the night. Art.com (www.art.com) and Next Monet (www.nextmonet.com) have really nice collections for a variety of decorating styles for your Austin apartment.

• A child’s notebook. Ask the children in your life (e.g., neighbors, nieces, and friends) about their latest creations.

• Postcards and greeting cards. No matter your style or interests, you can probably find some postcards or greeting cards that appeal to you. Buy a few, purchase inexpensive frames, and create a grouping or use them all by themselves. They’re perfect for a hallway, stairwell, or other long, narrow spaces.

• Calendars. I have some friends who love the now-famous Blue Dog prints by the artist Rodrigue. But given the escalating cost of his work, one large framed print was the maximum for their budget. So I was surprised to see that their son’s bedroom now has several framed Blue Dog prints, and I asked how they’d done it. Easy, they said—they purchased a Blue Dog calendar (for about $25), and when the year was over, they removed and framed several months’ graphics. The result: six new prints, for just the small additional cost of very inexpensive frames. Plan ahead by purchasing calendars each year that have beautiful graphics you’d like to see hanging in your Austin apartment the following year.

Your Austin apartment bedroom also should be a fairly easy room to rearrange, since much of what you’re likely to find there are movable furnishings.

When you rearrange your Austin apartment bedroom, try to keep the following in mind:

• You’ll probably need at least one end table and lamp, especially if you like to read in bed.

• You may want a place to set reading glasses and books within arm’s reach of your bed, but it doesn’t have to be a table. A small ladder, a small bookshelf, or even a wall-mounted shelf at the correct height works great, too.

• If you have a large closet and a dresser that’s not too large, consider moving your dresser into your closet so all your clothing is together and easy to locate when you’re dressing each morning. This also frees up floor space in the Austin apartment room.

Do you think you’ve gotten creative in every room of your Austin apartment, and you’re ready to just sit back and take it all in, eh? There are just a few more things you might want to look at before you relax and enjoy your budget-conscious handiwork. You may have forgotten a few areas that are often overlooked, and they’re typically painted white or off-white. They’re your Austin apartment doorways and window frames, and although they might not seem all that important in the decorating scheme of things, you’d be surprised at what a difference they can make when they’re handled with care and creativity.

Consider these ideas for making your doorways and window molding a little bit special:

Purchase new or used corbels (decorative support brackets) and place them in the upper corners of a doorway.

If you lack elaborate window moldings, stencil one right onto the wall around your most prominent windows.

For larger doorways that have no door, install a curtain rod and hang draperies to create an elegant entry.

Use colorful paints and paint markers to decorate door moldings (and the areas around them) to complement your room decor. If you’re not confident in your artistic abilities, use stencils.

Drape plastic grapevine over windows and doorways for a “bringing nature indoors” effect.

If you absolutely do not like animals, you probably want to look for a Austin apartment that does not allow pets. Keep in mind that a tenant with a specific disability may be allowed a small pet, even in a no-pet apartment building. If you have a pet or plan to get a pet, make sure this is allowable. Also, know what type of pet is acceptable in an apartment.

Do you work second shift? Perhaps a secured entrance to your Austin apartment is preferred. Or maybe you want a Austin apartment with on-site security staff. You might want an apartment with a secure parking garage rather than a parking lot. If you ride the bus, an apartment with a bus stop in front is perfect for you.

You might have specific decorating ideas for your Austin apartment. Be sure to share these with prospective landlords. You may not be able to paint the walls blue or hang more than two pictures per wall. You may be limited on what you can place on your balcony or patio.

Do not forget to consider the neighborhood. Do you like to walk every morning or jog every evening? A neighborhood with sidewalks and minimal traffic is ideal. If you want to get involved in neighborhood activities, you probably do not want to live in a primarily commercial area. Ask around and see what type of events take place in the neighborhood.

Now that you have your list of “must-haves”, you can start your Austin apartment search. Prioritize your list in case you cannot find the perfect Austin apartment. Know what you can and cannot live without. This will make your search easy. And, you will be happy with your selection.

Finding the right Austin apartment is important to your success as a renter. If you move into an Austin apartment and immediately hate it, you are unlikely to get out of your lease without a financial setback. However, finding the right Austin apartment is not difficult. You just need to know what you can afford and what you want.

Before you start looking at any Austin apartments, know how much you can pay for rent. Better yet, know how much you can pay toward your housing costs. This includes rent, utilities, security deposit, parking, renter’s insurance, and pet allowance if you have a pet. If your rent is $650, but the cost of the other items exceeds $200 per month, your housing expenses are closer to $900. Make sure you can afford this.

Once you determine your price range, make a list of other considerations. Location is usually next on the list. Do you need to live near where you work? Perhaps you have to live in close proximity to family. What about your social networks? Maybe you want to live near friends or a significant other. Answers to these questions will help narrow down the area in which you search for an Austin apartment.

The next step is to identify specific features you want to have with your Austin apartment living experience. If you do not want the hassle of other tenants above you making noise, perhaps you want a top floor Austin apartment. Know whether you will use stairs or must have an elevator. If the elevator is temporarily shut down for maintenance, how do you feel about using stairs? You need to decide if you want a private entrance to your Austin apartment or if a common area is acceptable.

Determine what amenities you want with your apartment. Do you workout? A fitness center right next to your apartment will save you drive time and expense. If you have a family, a recreation center may be the perfect amenity. Make sure you can accept the center rules.

Are you ready to host your first party in your Austin apartment? Before you send out invitations, make sure you know the rules of your Austin apartment building related to parties. With appropriate planning, your party will be a great success!

Always review your lease. Make sure there are no limitations on the number of guests you can have at one time. You may be required to notify the landlord if you expect a certain number of visitors at one time. Consider the parking needs of your guests. Are there enough spaces in your parking lot or do you need to consider alternative parking? Notify your landlord that you are hosting a party so he is aware of the extra cars in the parking lot.

If you have guests visiting from out of town, make sure you have made appropriate arrangements. You may not have the space to accommodate overnight guests. Or you just may not want them staying with you, regardless of space. However, be prepared to assist guests who need alternative accommodations. Have a list of nearby hotels that you can share with your guests.

Make sure you have plenty of places for your guests to sit. Not all of your guests will like standing the entire time they visit with you. Use floor pillows and multipurpose furniture like footstools. If your Austin apartment is small, remove breakable items from the main rooms. Make as much space available as possible. Move furniture closer to walls so you have more floor space.

Food is critical. You can either provide the food yourself or ask each guest to bring a food item. If you do not have enough room for everyone to sit down to eat, set up the food buffet style and allow your visitors to serve themselves. Carefully consider serving alcohol. Since your guests will be consuming alcohol in your Austin apartment, you need to know your liability if they are injured either inside or outside your Austin apartment. Some Austin apartment buildings have an activities room or party center that you can rent. You might want to consider this option for larger gatherings, including small family reunions. Party centers are great alternatives to Austin apartment parties. Your Austin apartment is protected from potential damage.
Be sure your renter’s insurance is paid current. The more people you have in your Austin apartment, the greater the risk for injury or damage. Be prepared for the worst case scenario. Your best friend knocks over your television. Your cousin sits on your kitchen table, breaking it, and breaking his arm in the process. Make sure you are protected against just about anything. Know local emergency numbers and keep them near a telephone.

You are now ready to send invitations. Do not assume that just because you live in an Austin apartment, you can only have one visitor at a time. You just need to manage larger groups. Inform your landlord of your plans. Be respectful to neighbors and encourage your guests to do the same. And, party on!

Finding the perfect Austin apartment rental is great, but to turn that Austin apartment into a home, you’re going to need some furniture to fill out the space. However, don’t just rush out to the nearest store and buy the biggest leather couch money can buy. Sometimes, purchasing your furniture outright isn’t always the best solution - it’s often wiser to rent or lease your furniture, especially if you’re only going to be living in your Austin apartment for a couple months at a time. If you’re in this situation, it might be worth your while to check out a rent-to-own store.

The concept behind rent-to-own is simple, rent-to-own companies rent items, usually furniture, appliances, electronics and computers, with the condition that the item will be owned by the renter if the term of rent is completed. Rent-to-own contracts are generally written for a 12, 18 or 24-month terms, with weekly, bi-weekly or monthly payments. Since the rent-to-own agreement is a lease, as opposed to a credit sale, no interest is charged and most stores do not require a credit check, making it a popular choice with people who have no or poor credit history.

Rent-to-own customers include university and college students, corporate travelers on temporary assignment, military personnel and in-transit families. What they all have in common is that they have an immediate need for consumer household goods but can’t or don’t want to accept the long-term commitment that comes from purchasing major items such as furniture, appliances and televisions.

Rent-to-own also caters to peoples’ immediate needs - sports fans might pick up rent-to-own furniture or a big-screen TV for the big game, exchange students could use a rent-to-own computer or laptop to keep in touch with friends and family while traveling overseas, while others might use the rent-to-own service to temporarily replace a broken appliance that is in for repairs.

As mentioned above, if a customer fulfills the rental terms, ownership is acquired. However, the renter is not obligated to continue to rent the item until the term is completed. Most rent-to-own stores will allow the item to be returned at any time without penalty. Most of them also have a lifetime reinstatement clause, allowing the consumer to re-rent a returned item and receive full credit for all previous rental payments made.

While it’s true that you will end up paying more than the retail price for an item if you complete the rental term and acquire ownership, most rent-to-own customers enjoy the flexibility that comes with their no-obligation agreement, as items can be exchanged, returned or replaced depending on their needs and tastes.

In recent years, however, many rent-to-own stores have lowered their prices and are now offering shorter terms. If you’re looking for new furniture, computers or electronics for your Austin apartment rental but can’t or don’t want to keep the items for the long haul, now might be the perfect time to check out a rent-to-own store in your area.

Rent-to-own seems to be a bad word at times with various individuals. They see it as a knock against their ability to buy items and that can cause problems for self-esteem. However, there are many out there who do not care that they don’t own what they are using, for them they realize that they are doing the same thing with an Austin apartment.

There is no reason to shy away from rent-to-own if you can find the right place to rent from.

So, go out and rent-to-own some new furniture and enjoy adding another piece to your Austin apartment puzzle.