Apartment Blog

 I recently moved into a condo, which I’m renting from the owner.  This condo is located in a building considered an apartment building, if you will.  Upon moving in, I knew I wanted to make this space my own.  Small upgrades can go a long way and I sure didn’t want to feel limited in decorating and “sprucing up” the place just because I don’t own my condo.  I knew that there were plenty of ways to brighten up my area and make it my home.

Move-in day was exciting, but I found a lot of little “issues.”  Meaning, there were a few things that I wanted to do to upgrade the space to fit my style.  Starting point, my bathroom. 

One thing I knew I wanted to change was my toilet seat.  This was a quick-fix that not many would think of, but it’s an easy upgrade and quite inexpensive, I might add.  Check out Lowe’s® hardware store in the bathroom fixtures section and you will find a plethora of toilet seats.  They’ve got round as well as oblong seats in a variety of different colors.  I rolled to Lowe’s and found exactly what I needed.  The directions are super simple and you don’t even need a screwdriver for installation.

When choosing my toilet seat, I chose a beige color to match the color of my toilet.  One thing to remember, make sure you identify whether your toilet seat is round or oblong because it would be a shame to get caught in a rut with an oblong toilet seat and your toilet is actually round.

That change was quick and easy.  Next - new showerhead.  I was a little less than pleased with water spatting to and fro from the existing showerhead.  Your bathroom, more specifically, your shower is supposed to be your sanctuary and that’s what I was looking to transform it into.  Lowe’s came through for me again.  I chose an awesome showerhead with three settings (jet stream, mist and massage - my fav!) for ridiculously cheap and now I can actually enjoy my showers.  Again, installation is easy - all you really need is an adjustable wrench and maybe some WD-40 to ease off the old showerhead.

And there you have it.  Two super simple upgrades that won’t even come close to breaking the bank.  New showerhead - $6.99, new toilet seat - $13.99, upgrading your sanctuary - priceless.  Do-it-yourself projects made easy.  Stay tuned for more easy and fun ways to upgrade your apartment.

Summer is here and everyone is antsy to get out of work and do something fun! But oh, what did you say…can’t go out because it costs an arm & a leg? That’s why we’ve assembled a list of relatively inexpensive activities for the summertime!

Rollar bladding-whether you have your own skates or not, this is an activity that can be less than $10!

Local sports game-it could be high school, college or even a minor league game. Tickets for the Norfolk Tides, the AAA baseball team, are about $8.00 per person! Just eat dinner before hand and you’re good to go!

Local book store-you could sit in on free readings for various story titles. Barnes and Nobles has events almost every day in the Hampton Roads area, including a group dedicated to help you overcome writers block!

Visit a museum-how better to spend a hot summer afternoon than in an air conditioned museum. Not all museums are boring either! The Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk only costs $7.00 per adult.  You could definitely spend hours staring at beautiful pieces of art work.

Festivals-the amount of carnivals, country fairs or festivals always increase during the summer. My favorite to attend in Norfolk is the Bayou Boogaloo & Cajun Food Festival at Town Point Park. For just $10.00 per person, you can see live entertainment; walk through the amazing New Orleans Art Gallery and more! For just a few bucks more, you can sample some of the mouthwatering Cajun spiced crawfish, jambalaya, gumbo and alligator.

Take a tour-whether it’s of an area you’re not that familiar with or perhaps a historical tour of the city you live in. Williamsburg and Jamestown, Virginia have great tours to really experience the true history our state offers.

Wine Tastings-local winery shops, such as Total Wine in Downtown Norfolk, have free wine tastings in their stores weekly. You would certainly become a connoisseur in no time!

Including some of these activities into your summer plans will ensure you have a slam packed adventurous season! More inexpensive and creative ideas for saving money are in our Nesting in These Economic Times blog.