Making Your House a Home… - Devon Tincknell’s Advice 62 Life4U Fall 2009–Summer 2010 63 O nce you’ve chosen where you want to live, a new batch of deci- sions must be made. BEFORE YOU MOVE IN RENTAL APPLICATION A document stating your intention to lease a proper- ty, giving the owner permis- sion to check your credit. Each tenant must fill out an application and is subject to fees for rental. An application deposit may be required before you sign the lease. SECURITY DEPOSIT Cash or check paid to the property owner prior to leasing intended to offset any damages or unpaid rent upon moving out. MOVING IN THE LEASE A legally binding con- tract between the resi- dent and the property owner that spells out the conditions under which housing is rented. A close proximity to fast food restaurants but not to gro- cery stores will negatively impact your diet. Living 20 minutes away from any friends or nightlife spots is going to curtail your social life. Also, a neighborhood that is annoying, noisy, or unsafe is just going to be a bad time. Where you live is a decision that you want to put some thought into. Fortunately for you, ACC has seven campuses spread throughout the greater Austin area and is continuing to grow farther into the city of Round Rock, so any environment you choose to reside in will be relatively close to a campus. However, that still leaves a lot of options and decisions needing to be made, and whether you opt to live in jam packed student apartments with rowdy roommates and neighbors coming out your ears or in tranquil peace in a north Austin studio with just you, your laptop, and your cat, there are many things you need to know. GET L UCKY One way to find that perfect place, but not always the most ef- fective, is to just wait for it to fall into your lap. Run your mouth whenever you’re around other people and make sure everyone knows you’re looking for some place to settle into. Maybe your friend’s sister’s coworker’s boyfriend’s step-mom has a cute little garage apartment in Hyde Park that she is looking to rent out, and you can just stumble into it. Maybe, but it’s not likely. Equally dicey is driving around and looking for “For Rent” signs. If your heart is set on a certain neighborhood, it’s not a bad idea, but otherwise you’re going to put a lot of miles on your car for not much of a return. That is unless you are completely new to Austin, in which case it’s a nice way to waste an afternoon and get to see the city. CRAIGSLIST . ORG A few years ago Craigslist was a great way to match yourself up with some new roommates who happened to share your love of Tai Chi, X-box, and organic gardening. Now that it has become the go-to housing hunter for ages 18 to infinity, the success rate has diminished somewhat. A well written ad with a picture for someplace cute and affordable is going to get about 50 responses in the first 15 minutes. That’s a lot of competition for your little e-mail to fight against, so make sure if anyone bothers to read what you wrote its worth their time. They don’t need a full-on autobiography, but some details about who you are and where you are from go further than generic promises and pleasantries like “I’m totally chill, drama-free, and I always do my dishes.” Anyone who says they always do their dishes, is lying. If you are looking for an apartment on Craigslist, you’ll be browsing mostly stock ads for complexes that are “Fun, upscale, and conveniently close to downtown.” By that they mean it’s in Round Rock. If you’re going to deal with people prone to exaggeration, you might as well take them on face to face. searching high, searching low When the Search Ends… For more housing info, visit austincc.edu/sl RENT AND CHARGES The monetary amount of how much you must pay per the terms of your lease contract that will state how it is to be paid, the due date, and penalties for late payments. RENTER’ S INSURANCE Property owners urge you to purchase insurance to protect valu- ables. WHILE YOU LIVE THERE CONDITIONS OF THE PREMISES AND ALTERATIONS Upon moving in note the condition of your rental property and alert your owner if you are unsatisfied with the conditon of your rental property REPAIR REQUESTS Inform property owners if any repairs must be made to your rental property. Repairs should be completed by maintenance employees in a timely manner. EMERGENCY REPAIRS Emergency repairs are those repairs necessary for your health and safety and must be taken care of within a reasonable amount of time, usually up to 5 days. MOVING OUT NOTICE TO VACATE You must give property owners a 30 day written notice that you intend to move out at the end of your lease contract, check your contract to verify. N ow that you have a place to call your own, why not give it your own personal touch? Whether your per- sonal tastes range from chic sophistication with a flair for fancy throw pillows to a more manly setting with futons and oversized pleather furniture, adding your own flair will make living in your new place a much more enjoyable experience. Creating the right atmosphere takes work and there are many essential guidelines to follow in order to do just that. GETTING FURNITURE Before you rush out to drop thousands of dollars on put-it-to- gether-yourself furniture at Ikea, it’s not a bad idea to see what you can get second hand. Couches, futons, matresses, and bed frames, all of varying quality and condition, abound on Craig- slist. Come May, when students graduate and leave their lives in Austin behind, Craigslist becomes a veritable fire sale of used furnishings. Lots of which is dirt cheap and needs to go IM- MEDIATELY! Remember, just because you’re in college doesn’t mean all of your furniture has to be made out of milk crates. S TUDYING When you’re putting together your place, it’s important to make sure you’ll be able to get school work done there. Reading text- books in bed often ends up as a nap, so it’s a good idea to have a not-so-comfortable chair or couch where you can pound through those reading assignments, as well as a desk where you can type up those ten page term papers. If you’re living alone, you’ll pretty much be in control of your home environment, but if you plan to save on rent by living with roommates, it can get tricky. ROOMMATES When it comes to living with others, similar schedules can be much more important than long standing friendships. Your party animal best friend who loves listening to his music loud - maybe not the best choice. They say opposites attract, but when it comes to living under the same roof as someone, it’s better to stick to your own kind. Quiet studious types should seek out the same, and neatniks and slobs should never ever partner up for a place. CLEANING While rushing from work to school to social engagements, it’s easy to neglect the growing mountain of dishes in the sink or the overflowing hamper. Setting aside one day a week to tidy up not only keeps your place from becoming a revolting pigsty that friends refuse to set foot in, it also helps you unwind, relax, and get your head together. Pick a day where you don’t work, find some good upbeat music, and just put forth enough effort to keep yourself from living in a landfill. Life is more fun when your friends don’t make a barf face at the thought of coming over to hang out.
Student housing guide
Mar 22, 2016
Life4U, 2009-2010 guide to your student life a guide to finding a place in austin and making it a home.
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Making YourHouse a Home…
- Devon Tincknell’s Advice
62 Life4U Fall 2009–Summer 2010 63
Once you’ve chosen where you want to live, a new batch of deci-
sions must be made.
Before you move in
Rental application
A document stating your intention to lease a proper-
ty, giving the owner permis-sion to check your credit. Each
tenant must fill out an application and is subject to fees for rental. An application deposit may be required before you sign the lease.
SecuRity DepoSit
Cash or check paid to the property owner prior to leasing
intended to offset any damages or unpaid rent upon moving out.
moving in
the leaSe
A legally binding con-tract between the resi-dent and the property owner that spells out the conditions under which housing is rented.
A close proximity to fast food restaurants but not to gro-cery stores will negatively impact your diet. Living 20
minutes away from any friends or nightlife spots is going to curtail your social life. Also, a neighborhood that is annoying, noisy, or unsafe is just going to be a bad time. Where you live is a decision that you want to put some thought into.
Fortunately for you, ACC has seven campuses spread throughout the greater Austin area and is continuing to grow farther into the city of Round Rock, so any environment you choose to reside in will be relatively close to a campus. However, that still leaves a lot of options and decisions needing to be made, and whether you opt to live in jam packed student apartments with rowdy roommates and neighbors coming out your ears or in tranquil peace in a north Austin studio with just you, your laptop, and your cat, there are many things you need to know.
Get luckyOne way to find that perfect place, but not always the most ef-fective, is to just wait for it to fall into your lap. Run your mouth whenever you’re around other people and make sure everyone knows you’re looking for some place to settle into. Maybe your friend’s sister’s coworker’s boyfriend’s step-mom has a cute little garage apartment in Hyde Park that she is looking to rent out, and you can just stumble into it. Maybe, but it’s not likely.
Equally dicey is driving around and looking for “For Rent” signs. If your heart is set on a certain neighborhood, it’s not a bad idea, but otherwise you’re going to put a lot of miles on your car for not much of a return. That is unless you are completely new to Austin, in which case it’s a nice way to waste an afternoon and get to see the city.
cRaiGSliSt.oRGA few years ago Craigslist was a great way to match yourself up with some new roommates who happened to share your love of Tai Chi, X-box, and organic gardening. Now that it has become the go-to housing hunter for ages 18 to infinity, the success rate has diminished somewhat. A well written ad with a picture for someplace cute and affordable is going to get about 50 responses in the first 15 minutes. That’s a lot of competition for your little e-mail to fight against, so make sure if anyone bothers to read what you wrote its worth their time. They don’t need a full-on autobiography, but some details about who you are and where you are from go further than generic promises and pleasantries like “I’m totally chill, drama-free, and I always do my dishes.” Anyone who says they always do their dishes, is lying. If you are looking for an apartment on Craigslist, you’ll be browsing mostly stock ads for complexes that are “Fun, upscale, and conveniently close to downtown.” By that they mean it’s in Round Rock. If you’re going to deal with people prone to exaggeration, you might as well take them on face to face.
searching high,searching low
When the Search Ends…
for more housing info, visit austincc.edu/sl
Rent anD chaRGeS
The monetary amount of how much you must pay per the terms of your lease contract that will state how it is to be paid, the due date, and penalties for late payments.
RenteR’S inSuRance
Property owners urge you to purchase insurance to protect valu-ables.
WhiLe you Live there
conDitionS of the pRemiSeS anD alteRationS
Upon moving in note the condition of your rental property and alert your owner if you are unsatisfied with the conditon of your rental property
RepaiR RequeStS
Inform property owners if any repairs must be made to your rental property. Repairs should be completed by maintenance employees in a timely manner.
emeRGency RepaiRS
Emergency repairs are those repairs necessary for your health and safety and must be taken care of within a reasonable amount of time, usually up to 5 days.
moving out
notice to Vacate
You must give property owners a 30 day written notice that you intend to move out at the end of your lease contract, check your contract to verify.
now that you have a place to call your own, why not give it your own personal touch? Whether your per-
sonal tastes range from chic sophistication with a flair for fancy throw pillows to a more manly setting with futons and oversized pleather furniture, adding your own flair will make living in your new place a much more enjoyable experience. Creating the right atmosphere takes work and there are many essential guidelines to follow in order to do just that.
GettinG fuRnituReBefore you rush out to drop thousands of dollars on put-it-to-gether-yourself furniture at Ikea, it’s not a bad idea to see what you can get second hand. Couches, futons, matresses, and bed frames, all of varying quality and condition, abound on Craig-slist. Come May, when students graduate and leave their lives in Austin behind, Craigslist becomes a veritable fire sale of used furnishings. Lots of which is dirt cheap and needs to go IM-MEDIATELY! Remember, just because you’re in college doesn’t mean all of your furniture has to be made out of milk crates.
StuDyinGWhen you’re putting together your place, it’s important to make sure you’ll be able to get school work done there. Reading text-books in bed often ends up as a nap, so it’s a good idea to have a not-so-comfortable chair or couch where you can pound through those reading assignments, as well as a desk where you
can type up those ten page term papers. If you’re living alone, you’ll pretty much be in control of your home environment, but if you plan to save on rent by living with roommates, it can get tricky.
RoommateSWhen it comes to living with others, similar schedules can be much more important than long standing friendships. Your party animal best friend who loves listening to his music loud - maybe not the best choice. They say opposites attract, but when it comes to living under the same roof as someone, it’s better to stick to your own kind. Quiet studious types should seek out the same, and neatniks and slobs should never ever partner up for a place.
cleaninGWhile rushing from work to school to social engagements, it’s easy to neglect the growing mountain of dishes in the sink or the overflowing hamper. Setting aside one day a week to tidy up not only keeps your place from becoming a revolting pigsty that friends refuse to set foot in, it also helps you unwind, relax, and get your head together. Pick a day where you don’t work, find some good upbeat music, and just put forth enough effort to keep yourself from living in a landfill. Life is more fun when your friends don’t make a barf face at the thought of coming over to hang out.
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