9 ways to make your new apartment feel like home

Finally, you paid all the deposits and enlisted family members to carry boxes up several flights of stairs. Now, all you have to do is make sense of the furniture stacked in random corners and the mountain of boxes in the middle of the living room.

This is your new home (at least until the lease is up). How do you make it feel like it?

• Start with a comfortable bed

If you can only splurge on one thing in your apartment, let it be the bedroom. You will spend a great deal of time in this room, so it should be comfortable. On the first day, you should assemble your bed, cover it with sheets and blankets and top it off with pillows. Set up your dresser, unpack your clothes and decorate the walls. Nothing says home quite like a good night sleep.

• Unpack everything

Yes, unpacking all those boxes from your old place is a chore. The longer you let them linger means you have less time for your new space to feel like home. To make this process quick, begin by making sure you are organized. Label your boxes by room (don’t forget to mark anything fragile). Put the appropriate boxes in the designated rooms, and begin unpacking based on what you need first (like the kitchen).

Set mini goals to make the process seem easier, and clean along the way to prevent being overwhelmed. Get some easy wins early on by organizing those big bulky items because it will help you feel accomplished and motivated to continue on to the more time-consuming tasks.

• Decorate the bathroom

Nothing says new apartment like a curtain-less shower. Put down some throw rugs, hang up art and install that new shower curtain. Make sure the bathroom is also stocked with essentials (like toilet paper and towels).  

• Hang photos and art on the walls

Renters hate hanging art and photos because it could mean not receiving a deposit back or worse, receiving a bill from the complex after moving out. Some command strips might be good enough for the job, and the best part is they don’t leave any damage when you remove them. It may also be possible to do minor repairs to the wall before moving out to fix any small nail holes.  

Display pictures of your family, friends and even your pets. Special knick-knacks and paintings are also important. These little sentimental items will help you take ownership of your space.

• Add some fun rugs

Rugs serve multiple purposes. They keep carpets clean, but they can also add style. The best way to make your new abode feel like home is to add as much of your personality as you can while also preventing any long term alterations to your space.  ApartmentTherapy.com provides guidelines for choosing a good rug.

• Hang curtains on your windows

Curtains will help your utility bills stay low, but more importantly, they give you an opportunity to display your unique style. The more you customize your walls, the more the space will feel like yours.

You may be concerned about leaving holes from hanging curtains, but similar to wall art, you can use command strips to get the job done with little to no damage to the apartment walls.

• Make the space smell fresh and inviting

Do you like cinnamon or spring breeze? Go find candles and sprays in your favorite scent. When you walk through the door every day, it is nice if it not only looks like home but also smells like it too.

• Get a plant (or a few)

Make your apartment feel more welcoming and alive with a few plants. Sometimes, in apartments, natural light is limited, so it is important to choose the right plants. There are plenty of plant options that are low maintenance (not fake) and great for an apartment.

A peace lily is a great option because it favors low light and low humidity. A snake plant, also known as the mother-in-law’s tongue is a good option that needs little water and can thrive in most lighting situations. An Areca Palm is great if you daydream about tropical climates. It can grow up to seven feet, and it requires very little water.

• Pretend the space is permanent and upgrade one area of the apartment at a time.

You might only live at the apartment for a year (or even less). Regardless of how long you plan to rent, pretend the space is permanent. The only way you can really make your new space feel like home is to treat it like home. The job of unpacking and decorating is difficult, so the best strategy is to tackle one area of the apartment at a time.

We want you to choose a NorthStar Property to be your next home. Come tour one of our complexes, and we can help find your future apartment.

Read more at:- http://www.northstar-ok.com

11 hacks to make your small apartment feel big

If you are in a small apartment by choice or necessity, being strategic with your available space is a necessity. There are many perks to living in a small space: you spend less on utilities and rent, and cleaning is a breeze.

However, there are some major drawbacks, and if you are not careful with your interior design, you’re left feeling stuffy and cramped. With these 11 hacks, you can feel like you’re living large within limited space.

• Clear out the clutter and clean often

When you have limited space, it sometimes feels like you could sneeze and have a messy house. Clothes on the floor, unmade beds, dishes in the sink suddenly feel more problematic in a small home than a large one. Thankfully, cleaning takes a minimal amount of time, but goes a long way in making your space feel bigger.

Schedule a time to go through storage and throw out unnecessary items. Set a timer for 20 or 30 minutes and run through your apartment storing everything in its proper place and be generous with what you toss. Take a trip to the local Goodwill and offload your excess.

• Think up not out

Small spaces lack valuable square footage, meaning you don’t have spacious closets or large living areas with plenty of room for shelving. That is why you must think up not out. Unused space in your one-bedroom apartment is near the ceiling, not on the floor.

Consider hanging shelving above the door frame in the bathroom to store towels, or hang floating shelves near the ceiling in other rooms to display items you don’t need very often.

• Lay low and hang high

Just because your space is small, doesn’t mean it needs to feel cramped.  Furniture lower to the ground will make your space feel more open simply because of the extra space above. Try out a midcentury design. The unique pieces will add character and it will make the room feel larger.

Clear furniture can also help a room seem larger because it allows more visible space underneath otherwise solid surfaces such as a dining room table. Floating shelves can also create space by not consuming floor space.

Hang your floor-length curtains from near the ceiling rather than at the top of the window. This trick will give the illusion that your windows are massive and your ceilings are tall. In result, it will make your space feel larger. Additionally, it helps to have either sheer curtains, or choose a color similar to the wall.

• Open those windows

Bring the outdoors inside by opening your windows. Natural light increases productivity, it improves sleep and it is better for your eyes. It also makes your living space look bigger, fresher and brighter. If you can’t open the windows because of the temperature, pull up the blinds and push back the curtains for a similar effect.

• Experiment with collapsible furniture

What if your table could also be a bench and a desk? Multipurpose furniture that transforms for several different uses could save you tons of space. The tiny house movement originally prompted these innovative designs. While practical, shape-shifting furniture is usually expensive, Ikea unveiled its line of transforming furniture two years ago, so if you’re up for building, it’s a good option.

• Furniture = Storage

Consider finding furniture that maximizes storage space. Lift your bed higher off the group to accommodate dresser drawers, or find coffee tables that double as a great place to stash those extra blankets. Put a bookshelf under the bed to keep smaller items organized rather than strewn about the floor. You can even build a storage bed rather than springing for more expensive transforming furniture.

• Decorate and paint with neutral colors

If your apartment complex allows you to take ownership of your space by painting, then stick with neutral colors. Truliaprovides some of the most common paint colors that can make a room feel open rather than cramped.

• Install large mirrors

Trick your eyes into thinking there is more space in a room by hanging a mirror. It also reflects light and creates a greater sense of openness.

• Organize cleverly

Install heavy wires on the top of your closet ceiling to store wrapping paper. Use pocket organizers in your cabinets for cleaning supplies and toiletries. Maximize closet space by installing two clothing rods instead of one. Put shelving in unused side closets to make the perfect place to store bulk containers and other oddly shaped kitchen appliances.

• Use a leaning bookshelf for more countertop space in the kitchen.

Running low on countertop space? A leaning bookshelf might just be what you need. It creates a stylish and trendy storage option. Use it for your spice rack, wine rack, toaster oven and other kitchen necessities. It takes up minimal space but maximizes your countertops without stuffing your cabinets.

• Embrace empty space.

The fastest way to feel cramped is to stock every shelf and corner with knick knacks and unnecessary items. Smaller spaces require you to be picky about what you display and what you hide.

It is tempting to fill every shelf or open space. It may seem necessary since you are working with limited space to maximize every inch. One way to make your apartment feel larger is to leave some open space. Don’t make your space so full that it is over stimulating. Instead, strive for clean, crisp and organized. You won’t regret it.

At NorthStar Properties, our units come in all sizes. Space is relative, so you have to choose a floorplan that fits your lifestyle. With these tips and a little creativity, you can make any size work perfectly for you. Contact us to tour a property and learn more about our units.

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Seven strategies for property managers to make tenants feel at home

If you want  apartment complex residents to renew their leases, the property must feel like home. Apartments are typically temporary housing, but there are seven strategies you can use to make the complex not only a place your tenants love to live but also a place they recommend to others.

1.Customized units let tenants take ownership

Cookie-cutter units may save on construction, but unique designs save on turnover rates. Allow your tenants the opportunity to make minor changes to the space. This can include changing the lighting fixtures, installing a new showerhead, painting the walls or having the choice between carpet and tile flooring.

If your tenant comes to you asking to plant a garden or add outside decor around their unit, consider saying yes. The customization could increase the value of the unit, and it will encourage the tenant to stay longer.

2. Paint with colors other than white (this doesn’t mean neon orange though)

Similar to customization, changing up the colors in the units helps the property feel more like home. Nothing says apartment complex like whitewashed walls. Add neutral colors in the kitchen and living areas to add color diversity. Matte white has a habit of looking cheap and boring, but earthy tones or gray tones can add personality and character. However, there is no need to make any bold statements with bright colors that may scare off potential residents.

3. Trees and grassy landscapes make perfect spaces for picnics

All businesses know the importance of curb appeal, and the same is true for apartment complexes. Your tenants may want to enjoy the fresh spring air, and a grassy knoll allows them to do that while enjoying a picnic or playing soccer with their kids. These areas also attract wildlife such as rabbits, squirrels and birds for you residents to enjoy. However, a lot of upkeep comes with landscaping, including mowing and pest removal. Without maintenance, outdoor areas can become a nuisance rather than an amenity.

4. Gathering places with tables, grills, parks and pools

These places give your tenants an opportunity to interact with their neighbors and give them an opportunity to invite others over to visit. When residents make friends on the property, they may decide to renew their lease because of the community they built in the complex.

Nearby parks on the premises allow the kids to stay in sight while having fun outside. No-leash dog parks also give your residents the opportunity to exercise their pet conveniently.

Pools come with additional maintenance requirements, but it is a great opportunity to provide residents one more enjoyable amenity, and they may be willing to pay more in rent it.  

5. Facilitate group activities (Break out the wine on Friday afternoon)

Host a Fourth of July cookout, organize a dog parade or simply serve wine on Fridays twice a month. You should take every opportunity to engage with the residents because it makes them feel like they belong on your property, and consequently, improves retention rates. The Institute of Real Estate Management provides a list of ideas to keep your event calendar full all year.

6. Keep cookies and dog treats at the front desk

Nothing says welcome home more than a treat at the front desk for your child or pet. This is a simple and fairly inexpensive way to show residents you care. When a school bus stops in the afternoon, kids will run off the bus and into the lobby to see if there are cookies, and if the kids like the property, then the parents will like it too.

7. Have an emergency number for maintenance

If a resident cannot quickly fix a problem in their apartment, then it is likely going to cause them to look elsewhere to live. Fighting pests or dealing with a leaky faucet is annoying enough, but when the property manager does not take quick action to help, it sends a message that the resident’s problems are not a priority.

Go above and beyond for maintenance. In addition to employing preventative care, you should also consider providing every resident with an emergency number if something breaks outside of office hours.

At NorthStar Properties we are dedicated to improving the long-term value of an asset. We have experience in making apartment complexes feel like home for all of the residents. Contact us if you want to learn more about our property management services.

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