Oh, exciting for you. The new apartment sounds nice. If you like the area, how great you can move just a short distance and into updated surroundings. It will be a great time to purge. Be stern with yourself and think how light and free you will feel with only your favorite things around you.

The updated apartment sounds very nice! Good luck with the move. Will you be able to walk your stuff to it? So nice that you have two weeks to accomplish it.

eta: you say you were lucky you got this new apartment -- I'd say if you paid your rent on time, were quiet, and a good tenant, management considered themselves lucky to keep you! :-)

I hope you enjoy your new digs. It sounds nice. I hope you will be left with enough income to cover all your expenses, though.

Landlords here are doing 'renovictions', evicting tenants so they can re-do the apts and charge much higher rent. Rents are soaring, and there are bidding wars on apartments.....unheard of before.

Friend of mine got evicted so landlord could re-do it, and she had to move out of the city to find something affordable. She'd love to come back but is financially unable to.

Wow....new digs! Good for you! ♥

Rents are rising here too. (Colorado) They're going up about $200 more a month, every year.

The new apartment sounds very nice. Did you have other options...maybe for lower rent? I've been reading about the shortage of all kinds of affordable housing, all over the US, and seeing sad photos of the resultant homeless.

$300 isn't much now days. But you did say that was net after rent AND utilities. Hopefully no emergencies come up like needed repairs. Is the landlord responsible for appliance repairs, etc? That sure would help. How about insurance payments, taxes?

I only say this because I know how hard I had it in the early days after I bought my house. Some weeks I lived on lima beans and rice! I'm retired now and finally was able to start a nice savings account. Money from the estate of my late mother five years ago sure helped too. Not that that will last forever, but I'll try to stretch it out as long as possible.

Good luck, I'm happy for you.

Thanks everyone. Some of the light weight stuff I can walk over. Boxes I will put in my car and drop them off after work every night. New place is 0.2 miles lol. I'm glad I have extra time to move stuff in. Other nice thing is I get 1 month free rent which will help. I am excited about the newness of it all.

Around here a one bedroom, 1 bath apartment is about $1500 per month. I don't know how people manage. And we are about 1 hour east of Vancouver. Something's gotta give!

Best of wishes in your new home!

I’m excited for you! The new apartment sounds very nice, and the newness of it all will be a pleasure to live in for you. You are lucky to be able to move in leisurely and so close.

nekotish, I have a nephew and niece in their 20's, both out of school and working, and neither can afford a nice apartment in a decent neighborhood without a roommate. Or two. (Portland OR) I can't imagine.

Our first apartment and only time we rented (had once been maids quarters attached by breezeway) was one bed, one bath, kitchen living area combination and a private basement area for freezer, storage, our washer and dryer. Our landlady gave us half her double garage for our use. $92/mo. Water and garbage included but not electricity or phone.

It’s so exciting to move into a fresh space and still be where you already live. And you didn’t have to live through the dust! Enjoy!

Soon you can report back on your new neighbors! Hope they are friendly...and quiet.

Nekotish, bachelor apts are renting for $1500 here. Nothing short of robbery and greed.

This certainly sounds like mixed blessings for you, Samkaren. A nice fresh newly renovated apartment is exciting, but the budget cut could be a bit daunting. I don't know where you live, but $300.00 a month does put the brakes on spending. I do know it can be done, though. (Voice of experience speaking now.). And you do have a positive, upbeat attitude, and that's worth a lot! Congratulations on your new place!

Rusty

I save on food cost easy enough. I get $1 lunch at work and bring half home for dinner. I cut corners where I can especially with utilities.

I will do ok and I have emergency money saved.

I live just outside of Chicago. Studios run $1200...1 bedroom $1300 and 2 bedroom $1500.

Would love a 2 bedroom someday but can't afford that right now.

I signed new lease earlier. I now get keys on 22nd.

Karen -- Would you mind telling me what your utility bills are like? I'd like to get a handle on that. We're about to advertise a 3BR 1Bath first floor unit in NW Chicago. We bought a 2-flat two months ago. The second floor tenants are staying and have a discount for doing janitorial/garden work. Both tenants will be paying utilities other than water/trash removal. We plan to remodel the current in-law unit in the basement to a separate 2BR 1Bath. All have gas-fired central heating and air conditioning.

Well for current apartment I only had to pay for my electric which, on average, is $22 to $25 a month. I only keep light on in room I am in.

My gas and heat were paid by landlord so I won't know cost until I get 1st bill. I will keep heat down and put on clothes during winter. My heat was so screwed up it would stay on 24/7 and temp in apartment was always 81 degrees. I will let you know what it is when I get 1st bill. I also keep ac on economy so it goes on and off when

Thanks, samkarenorkaren. We'll need to vet applicants, and I'd like to think someone can actually afford the rent on his or her reported income. This is going to be very different from when we rented our Maui condo to vacationers for short periods of time.

Your management company didn't give you very much notice so that makes getting this new place that much nicer. I'm glad you didn't have search for an entirely new place to live. This market is nuts. But how nice it will be to have everything freshly painted and new appliances. I hope the move goes smoothly for you.

Maire

Thank you. I'll have everything boxed up by 22nd when I get the keys. I have extra days to move them to new place and furniture on 29th. Then 3 days off to unpack. Right now purging old stuff and boxing what I won't need right away. So far it's going

And since they'll be renovating, you don't have to clean the dickens out of it. Bonus!!