Discuss: Apartment Update
Sep 9, 2012
To everyone who commented on Friday’s post:
While the beginning of my apartment search was an unfortunate experience, I am thrilled to say that I found a place.
When I knocked on the door of my future apartment, I was completely dejected. I actually wanted to quit and just head home, but decided that since I was already there I’d take a look. Two steps into the apartment, I was overcome. This was my apartment, it was perfect, and I had to have it immediately.
It is a bit more than I wanted to pay, but since it’s in the building I currently live in, I’ll be saving a fortune on moving costs. And I’ve already vowed to do some cost cutting in other areas–taking the Metro more, eating out less, etc.–so that I can make up the difference.
Looking for an apartment in D.C. can be really difficult. This is one of the few markets in the country where rents are rising at 7% per year because there is more demand than supply. But if you’re diligent, you will find a great place to live.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go lock up my credit cards so that I don’t start buying furniture with wild abandon.
xoxo
Belle
I'm a total HGTV junkie – I'd love to see pictures!
I saved SO much money when I started packing lunches and cooking more dinners at home. Good luck!
I am thrilled for you! I know that feeling (the good dejected one AND the self-high-five one), and it's great news you found your place. My friends and I have been discussing the bizarre outliers we seem to be as 30 year old single women in DC. Maybe to the real estate market, I'm wearing a big scarlet letter S, but it's all the more satisfying that we all continue to thrive and be awesome with whomever is in our lives with us. Congratulations again!
Congrats! My secret place to buy like new furniture for next to nothing: Woolley mammoth online yard sale.
Enjoy!
Congratulations!
We just did an in-building move, and it really is cheaper. All you need is about five loyal friends, two hours, three pizzas and a six-pack of beer, and you're done.
Rents are rising as much as 10% in some neighborhoods!
Also, how is “taking the Metro more” a form of cost cutting? 😉
@Caroline – I'm guessing Metro is cheaper than cab/Uber? 🙂
A same-building move was the worst I've ever done. I deluded myself that it'd be easy. Don't imitate me.. You still need to get rid of stuff, and pack everything. Otherwise you'll be stretching it out over days and getting really burned out..
But warnings aside, congratulations on the new place :-)!
@CH, good point. I've been boycotting DC cabs since 2008 and forgot they were a transit option. 🙂
Congrats!
I cab too much. Way too much. I need to Metro more, though since the fare increase, I don't know how much savings it will really be.
As for in-building moves, I've done one before, so much easier.
Congrats, Belle!
,,,so happy to hear success was achieved and you have found the “pefect” digs,,,
Pth. ONLY 7%? They going up twice that on the other coast.
I probably missed this before, but why did you have to move? Congrats on finding a place. And I lol'd when I read again about you wanting to head home. Well, that would have been easy. It's like an elevator ride away right?
In the same building? So great!
Hi Belle,
just read your post that you'd finally found an apartment – congratulations! I've been looking for an apartment myself for a while (in Vienna, Austria, though, not DC) and totally felt with you during your search. While it's two of us – so technically, WE have been looking, not I… – , we still get totally inappropriate questions ALL the time (if we're planning to get married? soon? ever? what about kids? what, SHE is working full-time too? so, you'll want BOTH names on the lease, even though you're not married? etc etc etc).
BUT: you won't need to worry about that any more so a big YAY to that!
Happy moving and all the best from Vienna,
Alice