Posts about luxury apartments in baltimore

Decorating Your Apartment for Fall-image

Fall is just over a month away. If you are like most people , autumn, with its pumpkin spice everything, cozy cable knit sweaters and jack-o-lanterns, is your favorite time of year! Get your apartment ready for the greatest season of the year with these décor ideas and tips!   Add a Cozy Throw There’s nothing better than cozying up with a blanket and a cup of something warm on crisp fall day. Add some beautiful throws and comfy blankets to your couch and bed to create the perfect cozy spot. Go for classic prints (like this plaid one from Bed Bath and Beyond), and materials like chunky cable knit . Once you’re cozied up under your new throw, check out these movies coming to Netflix this fall and these cozy fall drinks that will warm your soul.   Switch Out Pillows   You can quickly transform the feeling of a room by trading out pillows. Again, plaids and knits are great options, but you can also go for less subtle options like this pillow set from Wayfair, or this adorable pillow from Kohl’s that will help you show the world you love fall and your fur baby.   Add a Fall Scent   Fall-scented candles are very popular, but open flames in your home can be dangerous. Instead of the traditional fall candle, consider some of these alternatives to add ambient lighting and delicious scents to your home.   Make a Pumpkin Centerpiece   Pumpkins are synonymous with fall, but you don’t have to go to the pumpkin patch, or even use real squash to achieve a beautiful and festive centerpiece . We love these sweater pumpkins , these velvet pumpkins , and these rustic wood pumpkins – all found on Etsy!   Make a Wreath   Dress up your door with a colorful fall wreath. You can buy wreaths from stores like Home Depot , or you can make your own using supplies like cobs of corn, pine cones and swaths of fabric. Here are some great ideas for some DIY wreaths !   Don’t Forget the Welcome Mat   Add a festive welcome mat to give you one more reason to look forward to coming home. We like this one from Overstock and this minimal one from Wayfair .   Switch Out Your Kitchen Linens Displaying some fall tea towels and oven mitts in your kitchen is a quick, easy and inexpensive way to add some autumn coziness to your home. This pumpkin dish towel from Crate and Barrel is bold and festive, and this heirloom pumpkin oven mitt and potholder set from Williams Sonoma will bring back memories of being in your grandmother’s kitchen.   Add a Coffee Bar   Fall is the season of cozy drinks – from ciders, to flavored coffee, to hot chocolate. Carve out a little nook in your kitchen for a sweet hot drink station. Make sure you have the essentials – like the perfect fall mugs and canisters for things like cream and sugar. Then add some fall décor accents, like pumpkins, leaves and cinnamon. Get some ideas for bringing it all together on Pinterest.   Use Fall Flowers   Fresh flowers are such a lovely way to decorate your home, and fall is known for some truly beautiful flowers , like chrysanthemums, dahlias and goldenrod. If fresh flowers are not your thing, you can use dried grains and wheat and a cute and festive vase (like this scarecrow one from Etsy) to create a display that is just as stunning. You can also decorate your own fall vase using items you’d find at the Dollar Store! So tell us, is fall your favorite season of the year, too? When do you start decorating your apartment for fall? Let us know in the comments!  

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Tips for Living with a Roommate-image

Having a roommate can be a very rewarding and pleasant experience. Outside of the obvious cost-saving benefits, there’s someone with whom to share the chores, someone from whom to learn new recipes, someone to introduce you to a new circle of friends… But, like with all relationships, it takes work to make it successful. Here are a few tips to make your roommate relationship as enjoyable and supportive as possible:   Set Expectations Up Front As roommates, you'll be sharing a small space for a long time, and you'll need to respect each other's needs and preferences. Don't assume that your roommate will just figure out your preferences and expectations; that could lead to a lot of conflict. What are the rules for guests? How are you going to split the chores? Can they help themselves to your milk if they’ve run out? Make sure you and your roommate have a clear understanding of how living together will work so you don’t get on each other’s nerves the entire time.   Don’t Keep It In Even with great communication, problems can still arise. If your roommate is doing something that's bothering you, address the issue as soon as you notice it so you can do so in a calm and friendly manner. Maybe your roommate isn’t even aware there’s a problem. The longer you let it go, the more habitual their behavior will become, and the angrier you will get. Not nipping issues in the bud will almost certainly lead to an argument, not to mention, unnecessary stress and anxiety for you.   Be Conscious of Your Own Habits What side of the over-vs-under toilet paper argument are you on? As silly as it sounds, getting used to someone else’s habits can be challenging and even infuriating. Do what you can to be a good roommate – try not to leave dishes in the sink, put things back where they belong when you’re done with them and just be mindful that sharing a living space can be a struggle and takes constant work from everyone involved.   When you’re inviting people over, give your roommate the courtesy of letting them know ahead of time. Maybe they’ve had a particularly hard day and would rather have a quiet night. Or, perhaps, they need to study and will plan on going to the library instead of coming home to allow you the opportunity to entertain your friends. And when you do have guests, make sure they are respectful of your roommate’s space and expectations, as well.   Keep an Open Mind Your roommate can have a background that’s very different from yours or even come from a different culture. He or she may have an entirely different lifestyle, ideology, and perspective than yours. Keep an open mind and respect the differences between you. You might even find the diversity this experience brings to be very rewarding.   What tips do you have for making the roommate relationship work? Let us know in the comments.

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Great Indoor Dog Games for Apartment Living-image

Whether young or old, big or small, all dogs need some sort of exercise . But, combining adequate exercise with the space restrictions can be tough for dog owners who live in apartments. Especially during poor weather or, say, quarantine for instance.  Lack of mental and physical stimulation not only results in a bored dog, but can actually create destructive behavior , such as getting into the trash or destroying items in the household. And obviously, there are the physical health issues related with lack of exercise, like loss of muscle mass and weight gain. It is much easier to prevent these than to fix these health issues, which is why indoor dog games are important for keeping your pet happy and healthy. Here are some great indoor exercise ideas when you can’t get to the doggy park.     Jump the Leg Sit in a chair and stretch one leg out in front of you . Now toss treats to both sides of your leg, so that your dog must jump over it to get them. Make sure that you only play this on a surface with good traction, to prevent any accidents!   In and Out Put a treat in your dog’s crate. Show him and let him run into the crate to get the treat. Continue to move further and further away from the crate, eventually letting him race to his crate even from another room. As an added bonus, this game will also strengthen the positive association with the crate and make it a happy place for your dog.   Hide and Seek Hide some treats underneath a blanket on the floor and let your dog figure out how to get to them. Solving this food puzzle will really work your dog’s brain; dogs are not naturally good at understanding that they must lift one corner to gain access to the treats underneath.  Repeat the games a couple times. Repeating brain games will teach your dog to pay attention to his thinking process and strengthen his memory .   Treat Burrito Lay a blanket floor in front of you and place some treats on it . Now take one end and roll up the blanket, just like a yoga mat (or a burrito, get it?). Present the treat burrito to your dog and let him figure out how to get all the treats inside. Again, unrolling it usually does not come to the dog’s mind right away, so the puzzle fun will keep him entertained for quite a while.   Sniff Box Take a cardboard box and fill it with crumpled-up newspapers. Now drop treats in there and let your dog use scent to find them. Sniffing is a very calming activity for dogs , so this game is especially great for the anxious pup.   Hopefully these indoor games give you some ideas for how to keep your dog happy and healthy in the confines of your apartment home. Remember that the amount of exercise your dog needs will depend on many factors, including its breed, age and health, so talk with your vet about an appropriate exercise routine that will help him stay healthy without causing him discomfort.   Do you have any great apartment games you play with your pup? Let us know in the comments!

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How to Remove Pet Hair from Your Home-image

Our furry friends bring us a lot of joy and are part of the family, but they can sure leave a lot of hair all over everything – our couch, our curtains, our clothes, our floors! Cleaning up all that hair can oftentimes be frustrating and unproductive, so we’ve rounded up some of the best tips and hacks to save you time, energy and sanity.   How to Remove Pet Hair from Furniture Remove pet hair from upholstery and fabric with a dampened rubber glove by running your hand over the surface to attract hair. Rinse off the glove when it’s covered with hair and repeat as needed. If you don’t have rubber gloves handy, try a slightly wet sponge instead. Alternatively, lightly spray a mix of water and fabric softener onto your upholstered furniture, then wipe off. To remove pet hair from wooden furniture, use a soft cloth and furniture polish or anti-static dusting spray . The spray will eliminate the electric charge, making removal easier and lessening the likelihood that the hair will re-stick.   How to Clean Pet Hair Off Floors For heavily-matted carpet, scrape a pumice stone gently along the surface. Any hair will gather right up. When vacuuming your carpet, go over areas twice and alternate directions to loosen stubborn hairs. If pet hair is a problem for you, it’s worth investing in a specialty pet vacuum , like the Dyson Ball Animal 2 Total Clean , which has powerful suction and a tangle-free turbine tool to remove dirt and hair from carpets and upholstery. Vacuums tend to blow hair around versus corral it in one spot, plus they can damage your floors. So, on hardwood, laminate or other bare floors, use an electrostatic or microfiber dry mop , or a lightweight vacuum made specifically for non-carpeted floors.   How to Remove Pet Hair From Clothes All pet owners should keep a lint roller right beside their door, for a quick hair removal session before leaving to meet friends, go to work, etc. It’s also a good idea to keep one in your car and at work, so you’re never without one if you notice any lingering hairs! For larger quantities of hair, first remove as much pet hair as you can by hand (pro tip: the wet rubber glove trick for upholstery also works well on clothes). Once you’ve removed as much as you can, give the clothing or bedding a good shake. Then, try throwing your clothes in the dryer , along with a dryer sheet for 10 minutes with no heat. Or, use a spikey dryer ball for a chemical free solution. The movement and softener loosens hair, which winds up in the lint trap. Then, shake the clothes again to get as many pet hairs out as possible before tossing them in the wash.   How to Control Pet Hair on Your Pets Themselves While you cannot stop a healthy pet from normal shedding, you can reduce the amount of hair in your home by doing things like brushing your pet regularly, keeping him hydrated and feeding him a nutritious diet, and preventing fleas . Regular baths also encourage loose hair to fall out in the tub (or outside) instead of on your furniture. Also remember that excessive shedding can be the result of stress, poor nutrition or a medical problem , so if you are concerned about the amount of hair your pet is losing, make sure to consult your pet’s veterinarian, who can best determine if hair loss is part of the normal shedding process or is a symptom of an underlying issue.  

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The Essential Move-Out Checklist-image

Moving can be exciting, but it can also be one of the most stressful things we experience in a lifetime . From packing and hiring movers to budgeting for the expenses, there’s so much to do! In all the hustle and bustle, it can be easy to forget an important step of the process. We’ve put together an essential move-out checklist to help alleviate some of the stress of moving from your current apartment to give you peace of mind and ease your mind during this truly stressful life event.   GIVE PROPER NOTICE   Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash To know exactly how much notice you need to give before moving out of your apartment, check your lease. The amount of noticed required can vary from apartment community to apartment community, so you’ll want to know what’s required of you. Pro tip: when you move into any new home, check the requirement right then and set a reminder or two. The delivery method required for your notice should also be specified in your lease. Usually, a written notice is required.   TRANSFER YOUR RENTERS INSURANCE   Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash Your renter’s insurance should move with you, but you’ll want to contact your carrier as soon as possible about your upcoming move. Some renter’s insurance will cover belongings during a move, so now is a good time to review your policy and ask questions, as well. Make sure you understand the insurance requirements at your new community, too. Most apartment communities not only require that you have renter’s insurance (and are able to provide proof at move-in), but they also may have specific requirements regarding things like liability coverage.   CALL YOUR UTILITY PROVIDERS   Photo by Hassan OUAJBIR on Unsplash Two weeks before you move, call your utility providers and schedule your turn off/turn on dates. You want to turn the utilities off at your current apartment the day after you move out (to avoid the electric and water being shut off while you are trying to move boxes). This is also handy if you want to do a last-minute vacuum after all the boxes and furniture are out of the apartment. Schedule the utilities to be turned on at your new apartment the day before you move in (so you’ll have electric and water when you are moving in). Don’t forget cable and internet!   FIX EVERYTHING   Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash In order to get your security deposit back, you’ll need to undo any damage you caused in the apartment. If you hung pictures, they likely left holes in the wall that will need to be filled. If you painted a wall, you’ll likely have to paint it back to its original color. If you switched out light fixtures, blinds, or drawer pulls, all of those need to be returned to the originals. Look for any pet damage, dings or scratches that weren’t there when you moved in, and stains on the carpets.    CLEAN EVERYTHING   Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash Try to get your apartment as close to its original move-in condition as you can. Some normal wear and tear is to be expected, but make it your goal to erase the year (or years) you spent in the apartment. If you aren’t sure you can tackle the cleaning yourself, you may want to consider hiring a cleaning service to get your apartment in tip-top shape.   ASK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY’S MOVING POLICY   Photo by Russ Ward on Unsplash Your apartment community may need advance notice if you will have moving assistance, like scheduling elevator time or possibly using the service elevator. If movers will have to park along the street, the apartment manager may have to notify the city, so it’s especially important that you give them plenty of notice.   SCHEDULE A MOVE-OUT INSPECTION   Photo by  La Miko  from  Pexels Once your apartment is clean and empty, schedule a walk-through with your property manager. Your property manager may arrive with checklists: the one you filled out together during your move-in walk-through and a new one you’ll fill out during your move-out walk-through. Try to be there for the move-out inspection, if possible. This way you can discuss any issues on the spot and agree to any necessary repairs, eliminating any unwelcome surprises when it comes time to get your security deposit back.   CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS Photo by  Brett Sayles  from  Pexels You can do this at your local post office or online . Be sure to give your new address to anyone who might send you mail, from your bank to your employer to your grandma. Make sure your current property manager has your forwarding address as well, so they know where to send your security deposit refund if you’re entitled to one.   GATHER YOUR KEYS   Photo by  Ingo Joseph  from  Pexels Collect all copies of your keys. Did you give a key to your friend so they could pet-sit while you were on vacation? Be sure to get it back. If you have separate keys or cards for the security gate, swimming pool, mail room, or fitness center, locate those as well. Make sure you turn in all of your keys to your leasing office before close of business on the day your lease expires to avoid any additional rent charges.   Yes, moving can be stressful, but with a little preparation and to-do list writing, it can be manageable. And soon, you'll be settled into your new home and it will all have been worth it! For even more tips on making your move as smooth as possible, check out our previous blog post on  Moving Tips !    

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Navigating Online Reviews-image

If you are like 89% of all renters, checking out an apartment community’s ratings and reviews is a major part of your apartment hunt. Seeing what other residents think of the apartment community can give you great insight into what it’s like to live there, but how do you know how reliable they are? Knowing what to look for when reading reviews will help you get the most out of them, so we’ve put together a list of thing you’ll want to be sure to look for when reading online reviews! The Date You’ve been on an exhaustive hunt for your new home and you think you’ve finally found the perfect one. It offers plenty of natural light for your plant babies, it’s a 10-minute commute to work and the fitness center is the stuff of dreams. Before you commit and sign the lease, you decide to check out some online reviews. Most of the reviews are reassuring you that you’ve made a great decision, when you come across one that warns “ Don’t rent here. Worst decision I ever made!”. You start to question whether this is the right place for you. Before you make the decision to jump ship on your new pad, check the date of the review. While an older review can still provide insight, things may have changed since it was posted. Maybe the property is under new management, or its undergone renovations. These changes likely wouldn’t be reflected in an older review, so keep that in mind when reading older reviews. The Motives Even if that review cautioning you away from your dream home is recent, think about the reviewer’s motives. Reviewers are often motivated by extreme feelings, either positive or negative. When everything is fine, people are less likely to write a review. This is true regardless of the industry – restaurants, hotels, etc. If a negative review seems vindictive, take it with a grain of salt, especially if all the other reviews are more positive. This reviewer likely just wanted to vent, and their experience won’t necessarily be your experience. The Star Rating Because most reviewers are motivated by extreme emotions, it is very common to see reviews at the low or high end of the star rating (1 out of 5 or 5 out of 5). Oftentimes, the reviews in the middle (the 3 and 4-star reviews) tend to be more detailed and objective. While you’ll want to read the reviews when looking at apartments (at least the most recent ones), you’ll likely gain more insight from the reviews in the middle. The Manager’s Response You can tell a lot about the level of service you will receive and how engaged and responsive your property manager will be by the response to the review. When reading the responses from the manager, you’ll want to look for the following: Did they respond at all? A lack of response to a review can sometimes say more than the review itself. Were they genuinely appreciative of the review? A good property manager should be thankful for all reviews, good or bad, and should take the opportunity to thank everyone who is willing to provide helpful feedback. If there was an issue mentioned, did the manager acknowledge it frankly? Issues don’t get resolved by being ignored, and a good property manager will acknowledge the issue without pointing fingers or getting defensive. If there were issues mentioned, did the manager share how they planned to address them or attempt to have the reviewer get in touch to share more details?   As you read reviews, a clear picture will begin to emerge about the apartment community. The things residents truly enjoy will become clear, since those things will likely be mentioned by multiple reviewers, and you’ll feel better knowing what you can expect your experience living in the community to be like.

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