Tales from the Fixerupper

Compromise, Compromise, Compromise

2008-05-12T14:11:00.014-04:00

I went to Barnes and Nobles today looking for answers. I think I partly wanted to find a handy man hiding in the shelves. No such luck. I did find, however, more books written on the subject of Fung Shui than the total number of books that made the move with me. I was a bit overwhelmed, and realized that many of the books were focused on home owners; as I'm still a bit wary of even talking to my landlord, I don't even know if I can paint.

So, I don't know, gang. I mean, I know that I've always been very pro-active in all of my advice about apartment living, but maybe making the best of what I have is the way to go in this situation. I mean, I know, I know, that fixing something like the oven's handle is important – but for how often I use it, is it worth it? Life is so busy…maybe this is just another type of compromise. Maybe expecting my apartment to be perfect is too high an expectation…as long as there are no bugs, plenty of hot water, and a roof (and btw the lock does work, it just sticks), maybe that's enough.

While I was at the book store though, I did find some shiny pretty design books. I even found a new book by the creators of the nifty design-focused website Apartment Therapy. Their new book shows a wide range of different rooms and was a pretty hearty dose of inspiration, at least for my imagination . It shows 'real people', not super talented designers, and profiles both their apartments and themselves. One of the rooms was an office that instead of wall paper was decorated with post-it notes as a collage! It also made me check out their website again managed by folks a bit older, wiser, and more together than us. No offense, us.

Also, thanks so much for your comments, esp the Park Slope advice! It's good to hear from ya'll!

When is it time to rock the landlord boat?

2008-05-08T15:08:00.004-04:00

I wouldn’t say that I’m living illegally in my apartment, oh no. But, I haven’t signed a lease. And, I wonder if my rent is going to go up every month until it’s time to sign a new lease in October. That said, there are things in the apartment that need to be fixed.

While cooking chicken McNuggets last night, the metal hook you pull to open the oven door fell off. There’s a nail which fits into the metal, but it got me as to how to screw it in. Unless, this would be a task worthy of an electric screw-driver? Well, surprise, I don’t have one. In fact, I’m wondering if there are any magnets that can be bought to suffice. Or, hmm, maybe duck tape? I feel like I’ve turned into my grandpa in terms of fixing things. He fixed EVERYTHING with duck tape. So much so, that on his 80th birthday, his children created a card for him purely out duck tape, with paper inserted.

The light switch for the living room has also mysteriously vanished. Well, touché, it was gone long before I took the apartment. And, the paint on some of the walls is showing more crack than a 14 year old girl wearing low-rise jeans for the first time.

Additionally, the front door lock badly sticks and it tends to take about 1-2 minutes just to lock the door on the way out; the lock is so old, it likely needs to be replaced.

The thing is, are these issues worth bringing up with the landlord? Do landlords raise rent based on their tenants’ (valid) complaints?

Or, would investing in “Apartment-fixing”’ for dummies be the more prudent route? It may be time to visit ye olde Brooklyn bookstore. . .

**On the plus side, guess who put together her brand new desk using TOOLS all on her own? Yep, this girl! The feeling of putting together furniture is so empowering – it’s a bit tricky, and doesn’t come easily to klutzes like me, but the rush of stepping back from my now standing desk —- Amazing!

Maybe living “alone” ain’t so bad after all.

2008-05-05T12:54:00.004-04:00

Did you like those quotation marks up there in the title? Aren’t they kinda sneaky? Like, hey she’s not really living alone, she’s living in a three bedroom – what do they MEAN?? Well, those little quotations mean just that – that I’m not really living alone. And if you recall, my main predicament was that I was worried about whether or not I’d be lonely. And there was no furniture. Like, zilch.

I'll get to the roommate-ness in a second, but we did finally get furniture and thank goodness for that! It's amazing, how wonderful a couch is -- and a dining room table for that matter. One roommate took it upon herself to go to IKEA and order up said couch and table, as well as matching chairs and a side table. I, in turn, hung up some tapestries that I've collected through the years, as well as a throw blanket my mom knitted and...wahlaa. The living room looks--lived in. I can't tell you what an amazing time I had this past Thursday just relaxin in front of the TV, stretched out on the couch. Last night, I even fell asleep on it.

I’ve yet to hang out with my roommates, and it’s been over a month (by hang out I mean, just all be home watching TV at the same time). But, my life is blossoming in so many other ways, I find myself not really minding. It is rather nice to come home and not have to explain myself or my day to anyone. To just BE in a pissy mood and not have to make polite conversation. Or, for the few nights a week I actually watch TV, to do so in peace and silence instead of having to hear the details about someone else's day. I can’t quite walk around in my underwear or belt out showtunes at the top of my lungs (hey, don’t judge me!), but I can close to door and effectively feel like I’m on my own Brooklyn-eese Island.

It’s still not the apartment set-up I would have wanted ideally, but I’m getting my 8 hours of beauty rest and have enough cupboard space to put m’groceries.

Now I just need to figure out how to handily put together all that furniture waiting for me in my bedroom...

Spring Dumpster Diving for Free Furniture!

2008-04-30T15:16:00.012-04:00

Dumpster Diving

It’s a pretty great term, right? It sounds almost exotic—maybe even hipster cool these days. I mean, Mary-Kate Olsen’s even made running around like a Hobo look hot. Hear me out though -- I’m not recommending that you jump headfirst into your smelly neighborhood garbage can, but welcome to the Christmas of moving season.

May 1 is primetime when it comes to both kicking off the summer moving season as well as D-Day for large garbage collection. I know friends who have gotten everything from couches to coffee tables by being vigilant when walking around their neighborhood around now – and while the large garbage pickups do only happen once a year, the ‘I need to move out ASAP and can’t bring it with me’ season of giving goes straight through until September.

However, while freebies are totally awesome, do beware of certain things when bringing fresh meat er furniture into your apartment.

1) First, of course, watch out for bed bugs. Dateline actually just did another investigative report on these mangy creatures in terms of recycled mattresses, but bed bugs can crawl into couches, sofas, anything with fabric so beware. Inspect your finds carefully lest you invite a can of whoop-a#& into your home.

2) Secondly, before you lug that TV up three flights of stairs – try to determine if it works. This might take a bit of guts, like, ringing the doorbell of the apt/house and asking, but that 10 seconds of awkwardness is definitely worth the amount of man power it takes to lift heavy things.

3) Finally, for those really looking to make a killing, you might want to gather some fellow searchers and rent a van. Does that sound totally ghetto? Well, with the price of food, gas, and even beer (Ack!), there is no shame in being thrifty. And, free is free. Usually, you can find out about the large garbage pick-up days by a quick google search. Of course, what this also means is that the week after this pick-up is a *GREAT* time to go to the Salvation Army as they’re sure to be ripe with fresh donations.

Transference: blaming your apartment is easier than admitting moving to a new city is hard

2008-04-23T14:38:00.010-04:00

As ya’ll might have guessed, I’ve been having a rougher time of it of late. And, yeah, I realize that much of it is in my head – and has little to do with the actual apartment but more with my general everyday living experience in a new city. But, it’s easier to blame an inanimate object (ie my apartment) than look inward and see what I’d need to do to really make myself happier.

The anonymous poster hit it more or less on the head. It’s a great apartment, good location, -- what more do I want? Well. I want to feel like I belong after only 7 weeks. I’ve been thinking about this totally ludicrous demand and where it comes from. Part of it, gentle blog readers, is that I feel like I’ve been moving for three months straight – first I had to find a sublet, then a subletter, then sell my furniture, then a new permanent apartment, then a sublet for my sublet, then buy new furniture. I—am—exhausted.

But, more so than that, gentle blog reader, is that this ‘expert’(and I say expert veeery loosely) mover is tired of moving. I’ve lived in 12 places since I graduated high school; I am only 25. There were always good reasons; teaching/volunteering at a summer program in Virginia for gifted urban middle schoolers looking to beef up their education; studying abroad in Ireland/moving to Ireland to work; transferring colleges, moving to Spain to teach English, moving home after college, moving to Chicago to live/work with friends one college summer…the list goes on.

A friend in Spain asked me when I told him I was leaving, What Are You Looking For!? I’d only lived in my town for 6 months, after all. There were a lot of mitigating circumstances: the town was 2.5 hours by bus to any major city; it was so small there wasn’t even a movie theater; the town was very close-knit and working only 15 hours weekly, I felt incredibly lonely; the Spanish government didn’t pay any of its language assistants for three months…etc etc.

Something, I said. I’ll know it when I see it. It was a half-truth. I kinda knew what I was looking for -- passion, excitement, interesting people, a boy I could fall in love with, people interested in the world around them, motivating work, adventure . . . And, really, isn’t that why anybody moves to New York? There are just prices you pay for such a quest – like loneliness, feeling unsettled, and having a fair bit of self doubt. I’d like to think though, for myself, for you, gentle blog reader, and for anyone who takes any risk by moving towards the unknown, that the ultimate rewards merit the temporary discomforts.

Did I take that apartment too soon? EEK!

2008-04-21T13:47:00.004-04:00

As you’ve probably noticed, most of my advice comes from my own experiences. I don’t claim to know everything(oh, oh, I laugh), but I do have 20/20 hindsight vision. That said, I’m still unsure as to whether or not I made the right choice in taking my apartment.

To recap—it was the 3 bedroom in Park Slope that was gorgeous and in the perfect location – with roommate I met who seemed “okay” and the other I’d have to agree to live with without having met as two rooms were “open”.

The place really doesn’t feel like a home and I don’t know what to do.. I mean, not in the slightest. I’ve decorated my room with all my *worldly treasures* (i.e. postcards, and random pieces of art I’ve collected along the way. Shout out to my framed flamingo chalk drawing all the way from Prague!), and it feels like me. But the rest of the place…we have two folding chairs(I picked up), a TV stand, and a coffee table…feels like No Man’s Land.

Supposedly, one roommate ordered a couch and a dining room table…but it almost feels like I’m playing telephone. So-and-so roommate said the other so-and-so roommate was getting/got this. I came home Saturday night to find the TV gone and a McCain mug chilling in our kitchen cabinet and nearly had a heart attack. Mostly because I thought we got robbed by a bunch of snot-nosed republicans. She kids!

Mostly, because I had no clue what was going on because no one has communicated anything with anyone. Then, thankfully, I saw the note on the fridge which listed the “Public Service Announcement” of an old roommate picking up her TV, which made me feel better. Add to this that the old roommate asked our landlord to re-do our lease. . . I’m having one of those moments where I’m like, why in god’s name did I move to this crazy city.

To bring this post full circle, to the “hey, I’ve been there, hey I’ve done that” theme – you probably recall how the last piece of advice I had for you in my last post was to stop being so d*mn hard on yourself. I know that me beating myself up about my situation(which, let’s be honest, isn’t even that bad), won’t solve anything. But, sometimes it’s the only way I can feel pro-active. Waiting it out til we get the couch, til we see what the new lease looks like…is really the only solution. Or, you know, starting this whole moving process again.

If ya’ll have any thoughts, please do feel free to share…

Moving to a pad in a new city: Part 2

2008-04-18T00:11:00.002-04:00

So, as promised, here are some more tips on how to move cities without pulling all your hair out. Never done that yet– but yeah, come close. Shudder.

4) Be realistic about how you will fund the move. Often, if you are moving for a job, companies will offer stipends. And, even if yours hasn’t, why not ask? The worst your company can say is no way, Jose, and you may at least be able to deduct moving costs on your tax return. Either way, do know that moving is not cheap. Minimally, you should budget $2,000 - $3,000 so you can be prepared to leave a security deposit without going broke, and even buy a few pieces of furniture if your old ones were left behind. You may need to double that if you are moving to a high cost city. For some really scary numbers check out this New York Times article about moving to your first New York City apartment.

5) Check out if your potential new neighborhood has any clubs or organizations that can immediately get you clued in to the scene. Often, there are also public spaces in the neighborhood that foster community. Whether it's an arts center or a food co-op, it can tell a lot about the vibe in a neighborhood and leave that much better informed.

6) Allow yourself time to adjust to the idea of moving – and give yourself a d*mn break once you get there. Now, I’m no psychologist. I took one AP Psych class my sophomore year high school and that was . . .9 years ago. Gawd. As someone who has lived in 7 places since graduating high school (me, not my family), I can tell you that while you may plan your finances to a “T”, it’s hard on the heart and the noggin to move. You’d like to make a place feel like home after a weekend, but it takes time chickadees. It might take several months, even – and that’s okay. I find the best way to adjust is to try to have as few expectations as possible. So, your apartment looks like a disaster for a few weeks – that’s expected. So, you want to call your best friend every Saturday just to check in – do it. Find new patterns and develop routines. It may sound mundane, but it will be a comfort, as you get adjusted to your new life.

Finding a pad in a new city

2008-04-14T00:45:00.007-04:00

Word on the street, is that many of you are attempting to not only move apartments, but move cities as well! Firstly, congratulations – that’s a big, scary move and no matter the impetus be it a significant other, job, family or ___, you deserve kudos for the effort. I should know. I just uprooted my life 6 weeks ago to search for better career opportunities in New York and I’m alive to tell the tale, so it is do-able. I have a bunch of suggestions how to make the move easier, but let's start with my top three. I'll be back later this week to round out the list.

1) Find someone who lives in the city you are moving to. It can be a friend, a friend of a friend, your mother’s coworker’s brother – it doesn’t really matter as long as it’s someone who could direct you to the best neighborhoods for your particular needs. The internet is great. Hey, it’s what brings us together, gentle reader! But, it can be overwhelming and confusing trying to understand a city based solely on the internet’s resources. It’s a great reference point, but human contact is best.

2) Find the local newspaper as well as alternative newspapers and consult their nightlife section. Doing so gives you a better feel to the neighborhood’s vibe; if you’re seeing ads for sex shops, watch out! At the same time, if your ‘new’ neighborhood only has 1-2 listings, there may not be a ton of bar/restaurant options, which can be important to some.

3 Decide whether you will fly out there for a weekend and look at places, stay on someone’s couch while you look, or cross your fingers by taking a sublet sight unseen. I’ve known people who have done all three methods with mixed results. Honestly, a lot of it has to do with luck and abilities to handle stress. If you get stressed our easily – moving without an apartment just doesn’t sound healthy for your heart. If you’re more fly by the seat of your pants, then by all means have a go! If you don’t have a friend with a couch, hostels are a great, cheap option as well.

You've Found a Great Apartment -- How do You Find that Great Roommate?

2008-04-06T22:57:00.005-04:00

The past few posts have dealt with what to do when you don't have a place, don't want to deal with the hassle of finding a place, and basically just want, a la Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own.

But, some of you are braver than I(or luckier) and either have found or inherited a nice place and need an extra body to fill it. There are methods to this madness as well. To begin, don't just ask your friends if they need a place, ask if any of their friends need a place. In all honesty, living with a friend of a friend might be the very best living arrangement out there; there's no friendship at stake and someone you trust has vouched for them. Whether it's an old college buddy or a an ex-camp friend, if you share a common friend, you'll likely share at least something in common, which is the basis of any good relationship.

However, if there are no such folk available, it may be your turn to give the old craigslist(or your local coffeehouse message board or your work's social email) a whirl. Like all worthwhile things in life, the more effort you put in, the better the results. Unlike those hoping to be *picked* for a room in an apartment, you hold all the cards here, so I'd recommend being as picky as you like, at least at first. Also, even if you say that you want a female grad student, you'll likely still get responses from 37 year old dudes who apparently still do not know how to read. If you're lucky, they'll even call you sexist for not wanting to live with them.

That said, what should you post? In this situation, I find that the less direction the better; you'll get a more organic feel of the person. While the phrase, "tell me about yourself" may seem too general(and you can make it more specific), I find that after telling a bit about yourself, it's nice to see what other people feel are important details about themselves. In a way, it's more telling than asking specific questions because you get to see how people identify themselves -- by their profession? Hobbies? Religion? Saying you are a 22 year old Christian is very different than saying you are a 22 year old jazz pianist. You can also judge how serious a person is about the apartment by how much effort THEY put into their reply. And, from there, you can hand pick who you'd like to invite to see the place. It's not a walk in the park, finding a roommate to fill a room, however I think this approach gives you more control over the situation, and is also less stressful.

Questions to ask when visiting prospective roommates

2008-04-04T13:34:00.005-04:00

Hopefully the sample email regarding how to write potential roommates was helpful to ya’ll. Getting you in the door is a good start – but what to do once you’re there? Ah, grasshopper, I am so glad you asked.

Once you’re invited to the prospective apartment to meet the prospective roommates, I’d make a check list. What are questions you don’t want to forget? I have a memory the size of a grape, so I tend to write them down. Also, that way I can focus on taking in the space and the people without worrying about what I meant to ask. Questions I tend to ask are:

1) What is your daily schedule like? Do you tend to be in the apartment a lot during the week? (re: will our showering overlap? Will I have any apartment alone time?)
2) What do you do for fun around town?(re: maybe we have something in common!)
3) Why is the room open? (re: if a roommate leaves in the middle of a lease, it could be a red flag, though not necessarily).
4) What’s the landlord like? (re: are they helpful? Do they raise rent often?!)
5) What do you think of the neighborhood? Is it safe?
6) Are there any bug issues? (re: ask this one nicely and cross your fingers for an honest response)
7) Is heat included?
8) Is it possible to have an AC in the summer?
9) Do you tend to cook a lot? (re: dirty dish alert!)
10) Do you have a significant other and, if so, does he/she tend to stay over often?

And, of course, they’ll be asking you a lot of questions too. Do be honest – when they ask if you have pets, no matter how much you love the place, you can’t hide that kitty cat forever and so on. I’m trying to think of how else to advise you on making a good impression, but we’re all adults here and I’m guessing you can hold your own.

In my experience, it’s good to view all sorts of places in your price range – see what’s out there and see what you COULD be getting ( ie. I COULD have had a lovely trapezoidal-shaped room). Also, it will make the apartment you ultimately take seem, well, luxurious by comparison.

If you think that a place will be THE ONE, I will tell you my super secret strategy: bring them cookies. Seriously. From a bakery. It’s thoughtful and nice without being too much of a bribe. It just shows that you’re considerate and perhaps promises what is to come should they choose to live with you. So far, it’s had great effect for yours truly.

** While there, if you love the place, offer to leave a security deposit. Good housing goes fast!
** If they mention that they’ll be seeing people for the next few days, thank them when you leave but also send an email expressing your firm interest.

If you have any questions about the above, do ask and I’ll be sure to answer!

Using Craigslist: A Sample Email That Got Results

2008-03-31T00:36:00.006-04:00

In my last post, I gave suggestions about what attributes made a good response to a Craigslist Apartment listing. Today, you get to see the email that 'won' me the chance to meet my now future-roommate for my now-future apartment(I move in Wednesday!!)

Subject: Park Slope Apartment!

Hello!

My name's Alissa, I'm 25(f), originally from Chicago, though lovin' the life here, as well as my job doing communications for a non-profit located in Midtown. I've lived a bunch of places, Ireland, Spain, went to school in Boston, and I like going out and exploring. I'll likely be hanging round the apt only 2ish nites a week m'self as I'm fairly busy as well as sporadically on weekends. Ideally, it'd be great if we could be friends, but I also have a pretty good social network here so I'm pretty much set. In terms of activities, I do improv(comedy) and write fiction. Right now i'm in a sublet in Park slope that ends soon but really love this area so am looking for a way to stay...(People tend to also want to know why you are leaving your current housing arrangement.)

Personality-wise, I'm real easy going, a bit sarcastic at times, and know what's needed in being a good roommate(ie, I won't drink your last coke and I know how to buy the all-important tp). I'm neither a clean freak nor a slob and while my room may alternate between whirlwind and organized, I totally respect the common areas and keep them fairly neat( for full disclosure purposes,I may leave a book or jacket lying around occasionally if I'm in rush.).

I'm trying to think of what else to add...no bf, so a random dude won't be hanging around...I have good credit and, yep, stable job....well, i suppose if you have other questions please feel free to ask. I'd also be happy to put you in touch with my current roommates if you'd like a reference. If you think this might work, i'd love to stop by the apt sometime and chat. Oh, and my # is XXX-XXX-XXXX(Yeah, you guys shan't be getting my real digits but DO give it in your email. It shows that you're serious about the place).

Cheers,

Alissa

**I know that I write for a living and that it may be easier for me to carry a conversational tone than some. However, the information is just as important. After reading my email, the person reading should know enough about me to determine whether or not they want to meet me.
**They also know that 1) I'm employed, 2) Have good credit, 3) Am aware that a respect is required in being a good roommate, 4) Have hobbies outside hanging out at the apt 24/7 and 5) am friendly enough to answer any more questions.

Using Craigslist: How to Sell Yourself to Potential Roommates.

2008-03-27T22:03:00.009-04:00

The subletting plans are still cooking, so we’ll be taking a quick detour this week:

Depending on where you live, the housing market may be horrendous or peaches and cream. Either way, if you don’t have friends who also need an apartment, you are going to need to convince a stranger that you 1) are not crazy, 2) will pay rent on time and 3)will not eat their leftover Chinese food and 4) won’t annoy the crap outta them.

It’s disconcerting, the number of ways one must sell one’s self in the world (to a company, a potential partner, the list goes on), but you’d be mighty naïve to think that apartment sharing isn’t one of them. I have plenty of theories about what makes people tick and what qualities make someone appear likable, and I have no idea whether they are accurate. However, I’ve been invited to live in both apartments I coveted (one was the railroad I chose not to take), so that must count for something.

Making a good first impression begins with the subject line of your outgoing email. Yes, I’m assuming that you are using Craigslist; if there’s some other way, please do share with the rest of our audience here! You could just use the subject line of their post, but I’d advise against it. Why? Because any decent place will solicit 50+ emails and need to stand out. For my money, I’d use something short and sweet paired with an exclamation. Even just “Apartment!” would do; it shows your interest and enthusiasm.

From there, I’d introduce myself by name – personalize your email. Don’t just write, “Hey, your place sounds sweet. When can I come by?” You are trying to join someone else’s household here and they need to know whether or not they can trust you, whether or not they’d even like you. Thus, the longer the better (use your best judgment on that. A 5,000 word essay is WAY too long.)

Some general points to hit beyond age/sex would be:

1) Are you employed? If so, where? Feel free to say, a "non-profit" or "law firm" or "retail". Too specific might be too personal for a first email.

2) Are you single/ if not, is your significant other going to moonlight as an extra roommate? Even if you expect he/she to sleep over once or twice a week, don’t emphasize this. Be honest – but also don’t highlight your less desirable attributes. **I'm sure your significant other is awesome, but it's not a selling point as a roommate**

3) Are you neat/messy? Does it matter if your roommates are? I’m no clean freak and I need my roommate not to be either; I kind of grew up with “museum-clean” standards and there’s now nothing I hate more. Explicitly say how flexible you are, that you’re conscientious about doing dishes in a timely manner, and that if you have a mess, that it will stay in your room; for the love of roommates everywhere, be those things! There’s nothing that brings out the passive aggressive(or, hey, aggressive-aggressive sometimes) than being upset that there are 5 day old dishes.

4) Do you want to be friends with your new roommates? Some folks just want to share a roof with you and have no interest being brunch-buddies. I fall on the opposite end of the spectrum, but be clear from the beginning what kind of relationship you are open to – it’s for your own good.

5.) End like you would a cover letter, by saying that you’d love to talk with them further and see the place. Again, it displays a keen level of interest.

I’d be happy to post a sample email that I wrote, if you’re interested…and will write about actually meeting people, and making a good roommate impression next time!

We have a winner!(OR, I FOUND AN APARTMENT!!)

2008-03-23T23:08:00.004-04:00

Another weekend, another apartment search, right? Wrong, amigos. This three day weekend was 100% mine; craigslist can kiss my non-irish arse. How come? Because this gal--this gal right here--found an apartment! I'll give you the stats and then I'll discuss:

3 bedroom, 1 bathroom, $900.
Location: 10 -- Central Park Slope. it's only two blocks to the subway I take to work as well as two stops closer to Manhattan, thus lessening my commute by about 15 minutes each way.
Bedroom: 10. The room has two windows(!!) which face the tree lined street, and can comfortably fit a full bed, two nightstands, desk, and dresser and has a closet to boot! It's not next to the kitchen or bathroom. Ooo Ooo it's even painted a nice mint green. Hardwood...oh, baby!
Apartment Layout: 10. There is a full kitchen, nice bathroom, and open living room. Also, the common areas are separated from the bedrooms by a narrow hallway so it looks like sound won't carry. Amazingly, there is even laundry in the basement!
Roommates: 6. Two rooms were open, so I've only met one of the two girls, however as I like her and she picked the other gal too -- I'm hoping that this means that I'll like the mystery roommate as well. However, it is a bit weird to move into a place without knowing both people. Admittedly, when I lived in Ireland I did move into a flat without meeting annny of the roommates and that worked out well enough.
Rent: 4
Random + or -: Nope!

Grand Total: 40/50

The thing that amazes me about this whole apartment search -- is that there were places that should have been quite a bit cheaper (ie. the room right next to the expressway), but were still all roughly $750-800. It's almost like landlords assume that because their apartment falls within a certain zipcode, they should be allowed to charge as much as they like, even when the space doesn't correspond with the rent. Meanwhile, I don't even need all the wonderful space afforded me in this great apartment. I seriously was not looking for a great apartment; I was crossing my fingers for a 'decent' apartment. Now, you've seen my rating system and my reasoning. Perhaps you, more than even I, can tell whether my expectations were too lofty. I still would rather pay the $800 and get a room with a window, that fits a full bed, that only has room for a nightstand and a small dresser (with a closet either in the room or outside with the rest of the apartment being fine) than pay $900 for this dreamboat. However, it seems like the chances of that are slim to none. So, I'll be brushing up on m'cooking skills and PB and J. I didn't get exactly what I wanted -- but a B-(4/5 kids = 80%!) ain't bad for NYC.

Too bad I have to pay double rent for April...unless...wait...can I get a subletter for my sublet?!?!

More on this *brilliant* brainstorm to come.

Checking Craigslist Like a Madwoman, But No Luck Yet

2008-03-20T14:37:00.009-04:00

Well, no news juust yet. So, I’m still checking craigslist like a madwoman – I’m of the theory that if you respond immediately after the people post, they’ll actually read your reply. I’ve been invited to view most of the apartments I’ve sent queries to . . .I think that has to be a positive!

3 bedroom?(That there is a question mark there is problem #1), 1 bath, $700.
Location: 7. North Park Slope/Prospect Heights. It’s close to the B and Q which would be fine. Also, it’s walkable to Atlantic Ave which is commuter heaven.
Bedroom: 2. What is worse than a room that just fits a full bed? A room that just fits a twin lofted bed! AND is right off the kitchen. Oh, my.
Apartment Layout: 6 – Honestly, I didn’t see that much of it. A lofted bed is another deal breaker for me. I know, I’m too picky…or something.
Roommates: 2 – There’s a nice French woman – and her 4 year old son. Where in the post was that? I mean, I like kids, I’d be happy to babysit but…I wouldn’t have wasted time seeing the place had I know. ER.
Rent: 9. I think I need to stop even looking at places that are at this price. It just makes me sad…and more frustrated.
Random + or - -10 for having a little person! I’m fine sitting through those TLC housing shows my roommates want to watch but Big Bird? Nu-UH.

Grand Total: 10/50

2 bedroom,1 bath, $800.
Location: 5. South Park Slope, so is kinda far from the neighborhood action. Also, it’s closer to the R but still at my current stop, which is 2 stops too long I think. Also, it’s right next to the expressway with paper thin walls…ohhh don’t make me do this!
Bedroom: 6. It’s a fine size…but there’s carpeting and my allergies can’t hack that. But, I don’t know if it’s fair to let that effect the grade…
Apartment Layout: 9: The place is really nicely painted. One red and one orange accent wall as well as neat lamps. The bathroom is on the other side of the living room too, so it won’t be noisy.
Roommates: 6: She’s a 37 year old woman who does theater. I . . . am a bit of an ageist I guess. But, we’d be living such different lives…it would definitively be a okay, so we happen to live together kind of relationship.
Rent: 8.
Random + or -: - 4. The lady smokes…and while she claims to only do so in her room, the smell permeates the space. Yick!

Grand Total: 30/50

I have one more appointment currently -- it's in a higher price range, slightly, and I wonder if that will be the difference. I'll keep you posted!

Mo' Apartment Searchin / Mo' Problems

2008-03-17T14:21:00.002-04:00

It’s been a busy weekend! I’ve seen four places and the first two are below. While I wasn’t a huge fan of either, the tricky thing about this apartment search is that not only do I need to choose a place – but it(the roommates) must choose me. I’ll post about the other two shortly but for now…here goes!

2 bedroom, 1 bath, 1 girl + 1 ?(two rooms are open). $800
Location: 2.5. Prospect Heights, though a bit further north than the place detailed in the last post. The neighborhood feels sketchy and the chicken place below apparently closed a year ago and no one has moved in. With New York rent...that's worrisome. As for transportation, it's not off the F so getting to Carroll Gardens would be tough. It is close to other express trains though. It's a top floor apartment.
Bedroom: 5. It's trapezoidal?! WTF. How is this even possible? Or, who thought THAT was a good idea. My room in Chicago was partially hexagonal with the window, but this is crazytown. Also, the floor is tile and looks dirty.
Apartment Layout: 5.5 It's small and the kitchen looks totally unappealing. Or, clean. At all. To prepare for visitors the girl who lives there made a big lunch or dinner? From a few days ago? And left the remains hanging out all over the kitchen. I'm no neat freak. Anyone can tell you that. But, I do wonder how she doesn't have bugs. I mean, seriously. Also the living room common space(it ain't no room) is directly in front of the bedroom doors. Loud, compadres.
Roommates: 1.5 -- Wins the award for least favorite potential roommate yet! She looked high or wacky or something – maybe she fell off the ‘Extra’ truck for the movie Dazed and Confused
Rent: 8
Random + or -? – 1. No laundry in the building. The apartment itself
is kinda dingy. But it is furnished so + 1.

Grand Total: 21.5/50

3 bedroom, 1 bath. 2 girls. $800.
Location: 7. Upper West Side(80th and Broadway). Most people would probably give the UWS a higher score, but personally I prefer Brooklyn. It’s quieter there and that’s more my style.
Bedroom: 4. It fits a full bed and a small table(though not next to the bed as a nightstand). There is a communal, walk-in closet about 15 feet away but would I close the closet door to change? Hmm.
Apartment Layout: 8 . The apartment is small but the bedrooms are well separated and there is a small, actual living room + kitchen.
Roommates: 6.5. We don’t seem like we have much in common as both are in the early 30’s and have been living in New York for over 5 years, however they do seem nice and I bet we’d get along fine. We probably wouldn’t become friends though.
Rent: 8.
Random + or -? – 3. The Apartment doesn’t get much sunlight and really is quite small. Plus, there is a dog and I think I’d rather not deal with canines right now, thought it’s not a deal breaker.

Grand Total: 30.5/50

Location, Location, Location! Checking out the Neighborhoods

2008-03-15T00:37:00.006-04:00

Even thought it’s been two weeks, I feel like I’ve been searching for an apartment since foreeever. I’ve also been known to enjoy the hyperbole. To be honest, I haven’t made that much progress since we last spoke. Er. I wrote. Well, unless you could file 'knowledge' or 'experience' way under some useful category. For starters, I was offered the teeny tiny bedroom apartment! But…the thought of getting sick and needing to unlock the door to the bathroom made me really nervous. So, alas, I gave that up. But, I really did like the girl who was renting it and we may hang out sometime soon.

I’ve replied to a few other ads. One place initially seemed great –has at least one(if not two) seemingly nice roommate, a rooftop deck, a washer and dryer in the building, a dishwasher, etc etc, and actually comparable to my pad in Chicago. But. And, there's a BIG but. A coworker lives in this hood(prospect heights) and recently turned me on to a website that dispelled such myths. Check out this article which talks about a mugging AND the POLICE telling a guy to move out of the neighborhood. http://www.dailyheights.com/archives/1127. The guy seems like he's exaggerating a bit, but it's only from January of 08 and gives me considerable pause. I'm going to walk around the place tomorrow as there's another apartment close by I'm seeing, but my stomach is getting all rumbly. I also feel small just thinking about it.

Generally speaking, it feels redundant, or perhaps just obvious, to ask around about neighborhoods. But do it—and to more than just one person. A good friend actually thought the place above was a fine neighborhood – but clearly was a bit idealistic shall we say? I wouldn’t even just take a friend’s word at this point—google the crap out of an address. See if there are restaurants nearby, or a laundromat. Google Maps actually provides this service, where you can type in, literally, anything, “salon” , “grocery”, “thai palace” and you can see what your new hood would have. Another thought would be to actually call up the local Police precinct and hear their thoughts on a neighborhood as they, more than anybody would know. I haven’t done that yet, but if I find a place I love, you bet I will.

This weekend promises at least three more apartment viewings -- so I'll let you know how it goes. Dios!

My Permanent Apartment Search Begins( for real)!

2008-03-10T13:00:00.002-04:00

Never being a very patient person(maybe it IS good I moved to New York), I’ve started the housing search for May 1. I’ve also reasoned that if I find a perfect place, I’ll settle for paying April’s rent as in investment in personal sanity. Thus far, I’ve seen three places, two of which would be to fill a room, one of which was a vacant two bedroom. These are my impressions . . . at the very least let’s say that New Yorkers sure are “creative” in their housing!

*I’ve developed a rating system of 1-10 for various categories to help me find a grand tally to compare the various abodes, with 5 being ‘decent’ or ‘livable’.

4 bed, 1 bath, with 3 guys, $750:
Location: 4.5 –it’s closer to the F train, but I’ve been taking the R to work so no points there. It’s also an extra two block walk to the R. However, it is closer to the center of Park Slope which is nice…but it’s the extra minutes in the morning that kill me, not the extra strolling down the avenue. It’s a top floor apartment.
Bedroom: 7 – It fits a full bed, a desk, a small love seat, and has a window!!! The closet is outside the room, but by NY standards, it’s a gem of a room. However, it is next to two other bedrooms so that might not be so great. Still, the size of the room and window are huuuge pluses.
Apartment Layout: 4 –There’s one smallish common area for four people and no table for the kitchen. Also, while there’s a flat screen tv, the couches look gross. Also, the bathroom is in the kitchen, so that’s going to be a heavy traffic area. Not a ton of sunlight in common area.
Roommates: 2.5 – Part of that rating isn’t their fault. I mean, what chick WANTS to live with three dudes? Plus, they all work 9-5 so they’ll be around in the evening. Also, while one seemed nice, and one seemed ok, one guy seemed downright surly.
Rent: 8
Random + or -? – 1. No laundry in the building. The apartment itself is kinda dingy. But it is furnished so + 1.

Grand total: 22/50

3 bed, 1 bath, 1 guy/1 girl, $690
Location: 10 –it’s close to the F AND R train(closer to Manhattan), plus is in the center or Park Slope. Also, it’s real close to the Food Coop I now belong to. I couldn’t ask for a better locale.
Bedroom: 2.5 – It fits a full bed. Period. Nada mas. Oh my gosh I don’t know if I can do this. At least it has a window.
Apartment layout: 5 – On the one hand, there are two separate common areas plus a full kitchen! On the minus, it’s a railroad layout so you need to exit the apt and go into the hallway for me to reach either the kitchen, bathroom, or MY CLOSET. I’m picturing getting dressed in the morning in the middle of the dining room. The common area closest to me DOES get a ton of sunlight though
Roommates: 8 – They both seem really sweet and awesome – and not neat freaks. Also, both are super busy, so that means more apt time for me! I get a very good vibe. Also they’ll let me put a dresser in the common area
Rent: 9
Random + or -: The whole railroad thing gets a – 4, but it is furnished so that’s a plus 1.

Grand Total: 31.5/50

2 bed, 1 bath, 1 guy(who I’ve met and we’re casually looking for a two bedroom together ie no commitment). $850
Location: 10 – close to F and R, center of Park Slope.
Bedroom: 3. Super tiny!
Apartment layout: 6.5 No quirks here, but it is petit. At least there is a modest kitchen separate from the living room.
Roommate: 8 – The guy I met is really cool. I don’t think I can give a roommate I haven’t known before higher than an 8 caus you just don’t know…so let’s consider 8 a good gut feeling.
Rent: 2.
Random + or -: -3. It was a dark apartment and looked kinda dirtyish, though not horrible. And the common area was tiny—especially for $850!!! Plus, we’d have to furnish it completely.

Grand total: 22/50

The Commuting Game . . .surprisingly less fun than Parcheesi

2008-03-04T22:47:00.008-05:00

Hey Blog readers, this girl is tired. Oh my goodness. I’m only at day 2 of the NEW job and already I’m exhausted. Why, you ask? Because trying to figure out my commute is stress in a basket. Which leads me to today’s topic: Getting to work on time VS not looking like a sweaty mess upon arrival. Because, really, is one more important than the other? NO.

When you are looking for your apartment and you find a darling area, with a Food Co-op, no less, and a gorgeous park, don't just think: flat-out awesome!. Instead, think: what time do I need to get up for work commuting from this comely heaven? I , friends, did not ask that question. As such, on shower days, expect to hear my alarm at 7:05am. Am I being a wuss? Is that not early to you? Sorry, I don’t think I introduced you to the circles under my eyes and my aching joints. Hmm…no wonder people get so mean here.

That said, think about the effects of your commute when you make your apartment choices. If you spend a shorter time commuting, maybe you’d be better suited to live in a busier area. If you spend longer, maybe you need a quieter neighborhood to regroup. People work different ways of course – though personally I’m kind of enjoying my cave of a bedroom in efforts to block out the world during my downtime. Sure, it blocks out the sun too…but hey it’s dark by the time I get home anyways! Yikes, I really need to stop taking the bitter pills. Next time I write, I’ll be sure to do it when I’m not le tired.

The last piece of advice(Yes, I realize I’ve mostly been groaning) is the other key to commuting: finding the best route. A good website, with fairly accurate times, is hopstop.com. It takes into account re-routes and picks a route according to your liking—some involve more walking, others more subway transfers. If you don’t like the route they pick, you can also easily refresh – and they have maps for Boston, New York, Chicago amongst other cities.
G’luck fellow public transit riders -- I understand you fully know. And next time you nearly run over that old lady. . . I’ll kindly look the other way.

Making a Moving List and Checking it Twice

2008-02-29T15:47:00.001-05:00

Moving into a first apartment in a new city is a challenge, surely – but moving out of the old(be it your college dorm, parents’ house, or your own apartment) is no walk in the park either. When I accepted the new job in New York, my brain nearly overloaded thinking about finding a new place and getting a subletter to take my old place, but the actual move never really occurred to me until about two weeks before D-Day. Would I take my furniture? Would I rent a U-Haul? Would I give away all my worldly possessions to Goodwill and start fresh, making a statement for minimalism? Ack!

So I made another handy-dandy list. What was my priority? Money? Ease? Both? As I’d saved a bit this year, for me the answer was Ease. Making that my priority, I sold all my furniture on Craigslist, threw out/gave away the things I don’t need, and shipped the rest. Part of me dreamt of renting a van and hauling everything cross country, but the hassle of doing so nearly gave me hives just thinking ‘bout it. Six years ago, when I was just starting college, my dad drove the SUV(funny, how it’s SUV’s these days, not minivans), packed with stuff to Boston; I remember being crunched next to the computer monitor in the back seat. Fun times.

But he’s older now, his back isn’t what it used to be, and I didn’t want to bother him. If you have the time there’s no reason why you couldn’t pack up your furniture and hit the road. However, if you’re in a rush, the $300 loss you’ll take when selling your bed is really minimal considering the price of your piece of mind.

Of course, shipping boxes does require an address to ship to. So, while it is doable to move to a new city and stay at a hostel or a friend’s for a couple of weeks while you search, I’d heartily recommend finding a place before you move, either by visiting for a weekend a few weeks before or doing what I did and finding a sublet via el internet.

Currently, I’m sitting in my new apartment/sublet, surrounding by boxes, my only concern being whether to unpack them now…or take that nap and unpack them later. Not too shabby, kids.

Lesson learned: Work out the roommate "What Ifs" before moving in

2008-02-25T12:35:00.010-05:00

My apologies that it’s been awhile -- between being sick AND having to move this week, there’s been precious little time for anything else. Well, aside from saying goodbye to friends and making them lift heavy objects for me. There was puh-lenty of time for that.

But, now that I’m squarely moved into my new Brooklyn apartment (!) and have a week before I start work, allow me to recap. Firstly, there was my subletter quandary. Note the past tense? Was? Yeah, that was finally resolved early this week, but it definitely provided an important lesson: Be Specific About What Is Expected of Roommates When/If They Need to Break The Lease! My roommates and I vaguely talked about it a year and a half ago, but there was no agreements to fall back on even though we had a verbal agreement with our landlord that we needed to give him two months notice if we wanted to break the lease. We had no verbal or written agreement with each other. Luckily, a girl responded to our craigslist post, she wanted the apartment, they liked her etc, and we parted on good terms, but it could have easily gotten messy.

As for being a good roommate vs. being too good a roommate, I suppose that’s another reason, perhaps, not to live with good friends. My roommates have become very good friends, though we were strangers when we met – and keeping their friendship was important to me. Now, if it had stayed purely a living situation of convenience, I doubt I’d have felt the same loyalty to them. I probably would have felt that giving them one month’s notice was enough and g’luck to ‘em! But, well, they’re good people and it’s hard being business like with people you care about.

So, with my replacement signing the lease and giving me the security deposit, I’m officially done with my Chicago Apartment. As for my new Brooklyn Apartment? Honey child, I got to go explore my new hood—so I can give you a better update! More to come!

Going somewhere new means leaving someplace else

2008-02-17T23:55:00.007-05:00

I accepted a job offer in New York approximately two weeks ago. What I don’t think I accepted at that time, was that my life as I knew it was about to be flipped completely upside down. I know that the theme of this website is new beginning, but that cheesy song lyric about every new beginning coming from some beginning’s end is true as well. I’ve had the flu and been in bed all weekend and even missed my own going-away party—can you tell I’m getting a bit sentimental? Well, that and my roommates have been showing the apartment to prospective roommates and the finality of moving is finally hitting me.

Even though it was stressful not having many subletting bites, it let me focus on a problem (ie finding a subletter) as opposed to the upcoming move. We still don’t have any definite takers, but at this point it’s a fair wager one of the gals would work out. I don’t know what you all have done when you needed a subletter, but my current roommates are very specific about what type of roommate they want to take my place. As my leaving stirs up their lives through no fault of their own, I suppose I feel that morally I really need to accommodate them, even if it meant paying an extra month’s rent. What do you guys think? What should my responsibilities be? I doubt you’ll change my mind about this, but I am curious.

As for what they want: another lady in her 20’s who was straight (to be fair, only one roommate feels this way) and not around a ton. As for what I’ve done so far --I’ve used roommates.com, chicagoapartmentfinders, posted on couchsurfers, the chicagoimprovnetwork, as well as read the housing wanted section of craigslist. So far, I think I’ve had the most success on roommates.com. You can buy a three-day membership for approx: $6, or just long enough to spam every gal between the ages of 20-30. I’ve gotten some responses but so far just a lot of email-tag. We’ll see what pans out this week..

Posting on Craigslist Housing Wanted worked!

2008-02-13T11:35:00.009-05:00

If I were going to bet on whether it'd be harder to find someone to take my Chicago apartment or to find decent housing in New York, I would have said the latter. And, I would have LOST. Big Time. Posting in the housing wanted section of Craigslist was the best idea I've ever had. I've received over 15 emails and while some have been generic postings that looked sketchy, the majority were from individuals who seemed normal. Of course, you can't really tell until you meet someone but I was amazed at the choices I had. The only downside was that often people would email the subway stop the apartment was near and not being familiar with New York, I had to pour over the google map trying while trying to differentiate Bedstuy and Williamsburg. ACK.

Luckily though, a girl who's actually moving to Chicago emailed me about a 2 month furnished sublet in Park Slope starting in the end of Feb and extending to the end of April. I kinda feel like I just won the lottery. In my craigslist post, my headline was that I was from the Midwest; as it turns out, so are she and her roommates -- and that's what appealed immediately to her.

The room itself looks like a garden apartment in the sense that the apartment is the basement and first floor and my room will be in the basement--but she sent me a slideshow and everything looks clean and redone. It may not be perfect (though who knows, it might!), but it will be a great way to get settled without feeling stressed. To those of you attempting the same feat, you might want to look into a furnished sublet. It will give you more bargaining power when looking for that perfect first apartment.

I'll let you know if it's as good as it seems when I get to NYC next weekend!

As for my trials in Chicago? Apparently, now is NOT the time to be moving! But I really don't want to have to pay double rent for March! My roommates and I have gotten a few responses to our craigslist post but nothing has come through yet (eek!). I did post a listing on www.roommates.com and will keep you updated on how that goes. I basically referred potential roomies to our craigslist ad while trying to conceal my new perfume. It's real special -- maybe you've heard of it...it's called DESPERATION.

My handicap? Still being in Chicago when I need to apartment hunt in New York!

2008-02-08T16:27:00.001-05:00

I've been responding to post after post on Craigslist for roommates and the only response I've gotten is from a woman looking to rent a 9 X 11 room with a sloped ceiling for $600. Uh, besides for wanting to cry that my room in my Chi town apartment now is $500 and gorgeous and big and beautiful, I can't see that working for me. One of the reasons I didn't move to New York right after college was to be able to avoid such a situation. A lot of my friends did that--moved to New York with a dream and a college diploma--but not me. I wanted to have some bargaining power before I made that move and I'm certain that it paid off. With my starting salary(I've calculated), I can spend up to $850 on rent. Yes, for all you math nerds out there, you should be able to figure out my starting salary based on the other math equations floating around the site.

So, I emailed everyone I've ever met who may, or may not, currently live in New York. While this may sound extreme, looking for housing in New York is, I'm told, equally extreme--and like getting a good job*, a lot of it depends on who you know. I've gotten some leads, but it's hard to be committal when I don't know East Williamsburg or Crown Heights. Not to sound wishy-washy, but how can I know if I'd want to live in that area? I certainly don't want to screw a friend of a friend over by saying yes and then getting there and being like no! no! no!

I’ve never been a list person, but it is helpful to get all my thoughts outta my head and on paper. Without further ado my requirements:

1) Safe area without question.
--1b) An area that I can feel a part of that has a bit of a neighborhood feel.
2) Close to a 'working subway': apparently the J train sucks? Who knew!
3) With people my own age. There have been posts for cheaper with, say, 41 year old dudes but...feeling comfortable in New York is a BIG requirement and I doubt that's the way to go.
4) A decent sized room in an apt that is clean and rodent free
5) Being able to get to midtown east, the location of my new job, easily enough.
6) Close to Laundromat or has laundry in the basement.

What to do...well. Right now I'm set to leave Chicago Friday, Feb 22...til then, I suppose it's more craigslist trolling and starting to beg friends for their couch space. Carp!(What my grandpa would say instead of the other 'C' word)

By Golly, It's a NEW Apartment Searchin' Blog!

2008-02-05T00:50:00.000-05:00

Hellooo fellow apartment hunters!

Allow me to re-introduce myself. My name's Alissa and when I first started blogging for this shnazzy site, I was young(ok, 23), naive to apt-living, and generally flying-by-the seat of my pants. And look what I ended up with.
Isn't it beautiful? Too bad I just got a sweet new job in NYC. See ya later Chi town. So, yes, now I'm old(ok, 25), wise to the need to save for rent out of EVERY paycheck, and about to embark on hard-core apartment hunting. Chicago is certainly apartment hunting-lite compared to the jungle that is New York City. Uh, railroad bedroom-what? Shared bedroom-who? Welcome to crazytown er my new apartment searchin' blog.

As for my progress thus far? I've looked at Craigslist and responded to a few ads(one was my current roommate's best friend in NY! What are the chances?! But she'd already filled the spot..) as well as posted one of my own in the "want housing" section. Brooklyn? Manhattan? Who can say. I got a few responses out of the latter but I guess so many people respond to these postings that few situations actually work out. Also, my not getting to NYC for another two weeks is likely a big turn-off. I've also posted on Facebook and another online community in which I'm a member(Couchsurfing).

If anyone has any brainstorms for other places to post, pretty please with the Empire State Building on Top, lemme know!

Talk soon, gang.

If a Broker Makes a Promise, Get It in Writing

2008-01-31T16:15:00.000-05:00

Say you pay an exorbitant broker's fee based on assurances that the lease will be renewed, figuring that you'll amortize the 15% fee over the many happy years you'll be living in your great new apartment.

No so fast. Unless the lease specifies that it's renewable after the initial term expires--provided, of course, that you pay your rent on time and don't cause any trouble--the landlord can decide not to renew without notifying you until the last moment. That happened to one of our editors.

Andrew paid a $3,000 broker's fee on an apartment after the broker, let's call him Neo, assured him that the lease was renewable. (The landlord, however, only offered a one-year lease, which should have raised some suspicions immediately.) When it came time to renew, the building's manager sent the appropriate paperwork specifying a 5% rent increase. Days later the same manager called to say it was a mistake; despite the fact that Andrew was a model tenant (the manager’s words), the owner had decided to renovate the apartment and rent it for hundreds of dollars more. When Andrew tried to contact the broker, his messages and emails went unreturned--leading him to believe that the broker had knowingly misled him about the renewal, hoping to collect another broker's fee from someone else a year later.

To avoid this happening to you, here's what you should negotiate with the broker before signing the lease:
1.) Ask for a multi-year lease, so the broker's fee is amortized over a longer period.
2.) Ask that the lease specify in writing that it is renewable if all normal obligations are met.
3.) Ask the broker to sign an agreement that if the lease isn't renewed for reasons unrelated to the tenant's behavior, the broker will find a comparable apartment without charging another fee.

And here's more advice on dealing with brokers and landlords and understanding your lease.