Apartment Blog

With limited space in an apartment, a home office may seem impossible; but, with proper planning and organization it can still be a functional work space. A big issue with having limited space for your home office is it is likely to be shared with something else, e.g., your living room to watch TV, your bedroom, etc. Therefore, you need to make sure the structure, arrangement and organization of your work space will fulfill two purposes: a practical home office without being an eye-sore!

The first thing to consider would be your desk set-up. The amount of room you can allocate to your work space determines the type of desk you’ll need. If there is enough wall space in your apartment, a regular work curio, like that pictured, will suit you. However if you have just a spare corner, a corner unit would be best.

The next thing to think about would be arrangement. With a tight space it’s important to maximize the area you have. One way to do that is to utilize all your wall space. Since your desk surface will likely be small, the best way to house your supplies, books, cd’s, etc., would be on shelves. The picture to the left is a perfect example of how ‘moving up’ on the wall will reduce the width your office takes up, while not sacrificing any necessary storage. If you are able to purchase a desk that has shelves built into it, like the picture shows, great; but if not, standard wall shelves will work just fine. If you have extra surface space after your computer, printer, keyboard and mouse, I wrecommend using plastic stackable Tupperware’s for small office items like pens, paper clips, staples, etc. Such items can be found at your local Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart-type places.

Organization also plays an important role in making your home office less of an eye-sore. For all intents and purposes, let’s assume your home office is sharing a space with something else in your apartment. If you have clutter all around your work space, then obviously it will be harder for you to utilize the area, while also making it unattractive. So the best way to eliminate clutter would be to rid the area of loose paper. One way to do this would be to go through your mail and having a system for filing bills or “need to keep” items. After using your work space make sure to keep pens, paper clips, sticky notes, and other office supplies in their designated area so its looks orderly. Just a few minutes after each time you use your desk will go a long way in making your workstation functional and attractive for your apartment.

ForRent.com just recently launched the Apartment Tips and Advice Center, which includes helpful information on apartment basics, apartment hunting, financing your apartment, looking for a roommate, moving, and more! If you go onto the ForRent.com home page, the ‘Apartment Tips’ section is located between the ‘Relocation Center’ and the ‘Rent your Property.’

ForRent.com strives to provide the apartment seeker with resources that make apartment searching and apartment living easier. The Apartment Tips page offers tons of tips and advice on apartment living, entertaining and decorating , going green , searching for a roommate, pet-friendly apartments, how to deal with roommates, and more! ForRent.com is a ‘one-stop shop’ for apartment seekers to locate and live in their perfect apartment home. We hope you take a look at our Apartment Tips page and find the information beneficial, whatever your needs may be.

ForRent.com is at it again. In the hopes of providing you with the ‘insiders scoop’ of another highly visited metropolitan area, we have decided to interview one of our own who was born and raised in the downtown Boston area. I picked her brain about the local scene to provide some useful tips for those of you planning a visit or relocating there soon.

Q. When is the best time to visit Boston?

A. Boston has all seasons so depending on what season you prefer, Boston has something to offer. The winter is cold with snow, but trees are lit in the Common, Garden and Faneuil Hall. In contrast, the summer can get hot but you can go sailing on the Charles River. And the Fall foliage in New England is pretty self explanatory.

Q. Where do you go if you want to eat cheap?

A. Try Faneuil Hall marketplace; there is a strip with about any type of food you could think of. There are even small diners around town that are worth it; the South Street Diner is open all hours as well as a slightly more posh diner on Charles street; “The Paramount”. Both of these are some of my favorite spots to dine in Boston and won’t be a large strain to the wallet. If you like Italian food, the north end has tons of great pizza/pasta joints…but be mindful that some get more expensive but are completely worth it.

Q. Where is there to go shopping?

A. I happen to love Newbury Street for shopping although it does tend to have your more high end designer shops as well as small intimate cafés and restaurants. The Copley and Prudential Malls are not far off, offering more to the general consumer.

Q. Where is the ‘hip’ place to live?

A. For college students and young professionals on a tighter budget, probably Cambridge/Allston-Brighton, and Somerville areas. If you are able to afford more expensive living arrangements, Back Bay and Beacon Hill are known for their Boston charm.

Q. Where is the best ’singles’ locations/clubs/bar/etc?

A. Again, since young professionals and college students all seem to swarm to Cambridge and Somerville, those bars offer a lot of opportunity to meet other singles. Personally some of my favorite bars/clubs etc, are Gypsy Bar, The Liquor Store, 33 Bar and Restaurant, Jose Macintyre’s, Coogans, and The Middle East. If you want to possibly run into some Boston sports players, Daisy Buchanan’s is known for that.

Q. What are some really cool attractions that would be considered ‘must see’ if visiting Boston?

A. Fenway Park; Old Ironsides; THE CAPE; Harvard Square; Freedom Trail; Sam Adams Brewery; Boston Tea Party

Q. And lastly, what is something weird or quirky about the city!?!

A. Truly considered “Americas College Town” with more than 100 colleges and universities.

The Big Dig (a project to eliminate traffic in Boston bringing major highways under the city itself) is one of the largest construction projects in the world, yes WORLD (as well as one of the most expensive).

Boston has quite a few firsts; including America’s first public school, The Boston Latin School (1635) (where I happened to attend), and first college, Harvard College (1636). Boston is also home to the first subway system in the United States, the T.

Get more information and search tips on Boston Apartments, or view all Apartments for Rent in Boston, MS.

Special Thanks to:

Name: Jessica Lambert
Age: 24
Hometown: Downtown Boston

Tired of spending an arm and a leg on gas? Want to eliminate the amount of hours you spend in traffic? Well the perfect solution is simple, move closer to your job!

I was reading this article “Renters go downtown to save on gas, commuting” by J.W. Elphinstone, and it appears that people are getting the idea to move closer to their jobs or mass transit areas in order to save money. This seems to be a nationwide trend, therefore, making rents higher in those metropolitan areas. Cities where this trend seems to be the strongest are Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, Seattle, Baltimore, Minneapolis and Portland, OR.

Young renters and empty nesters alike want to move within walking distance of their jobs to save time and gas. Although the rents for apartments in downtown are increasing, the math is quite simple. You already spend $900+ on rent and an additional $200-$300 on gas due to your daily commute. So moving closer to where you work might cost more in rent, but you’re saving in gas and essentially getting more hours added into your life by eliminating the long commute.

Apartment seekers need to think about how they will narrow down their apartment search based on the aforementioned reasons. Landlords, management companies and apartment owners are advertising their properties with maps and brochures to showcase where they are in relation to landmarks and public transportation. The informed apartment hunters will do the research about location and ask questions regarding mass transit so they can find the perfect apartment for their needs.

Currently I work in downtown and the rents within walking distance of my job are so much more than what I pay now. However, if I were to eliminate the cost of my car (repairs, gas, insurance and maintenance) the cost would be about the same. And I would save an extra 45 minutes to an hour of my day from commuting. Plus, another added bonus would be extra ‘going green’ efforts by saving on consumption of fossil fuels! So maybe this is something I should think about…..

What are your thoughts?