This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Notre Dame chapter.
There’s something so exciting about your first real apartment. I’m not talking about the furnished options near campus (which are great and super convenient), but your first real apartment with no furniture, the ability to put holes in the wall, and empty of pretty much everything. The search is only half the battle, then you have to buy furniture and put it together. Decorating? It sounds fun, until the pressure to be a real person sets in and all your favorite posters need frames. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you hunt, rent, move into, and decorate your first real apartment.
1. Can you afford it?
Question number one always needs to be about what you can afford. Figure out what your ideal price range is and set a hard maximum. Don’t go over your limit. If you’re having issues with cost of living, consider a roommate or roommates, look at a different neighborhood, or look for less square footage. Don’t make yourself miserable, but don’t bust your budget on rent.
2. Is it in a good neighborhood?
Location is important. How long will your commute be? Is the neighborhood safe? Can you walk to restaurants, bars, or stores? Do you need a car or can you walk? Is there public transportation nearby? How easy is it to park near your apartment? Keep all of these things in mind.
3. Who are you going to live with?
Are you going to live with a good friend? Is there someone from your dorm you want to live with? Do you care if you don’t know your roommate? Are you thinking of moving in with a girlfriend or boyfriend? Some people like living alone. Is a one bedroom or studio a good fit for you? Do you want to live with several other people? Only you can decide what your ideal living situation is, but be sure to consider the pros and cons of your living arrangement. If you’re a neat, early-riser, you may not want to pick someone who likes to rage and not clean.
4. What extra costs will you have?
How much are utilities? Are any included? Can you afford cable? Only using your parents Netflix account starts to sound just fine. Do you need WIFI (yes, you want WIFI trust me)? If your apartment allows pets, is there a pet fee? How about maintenance fees or parking? Rent is rarely the extent of your expenses, be sure to do your research.
5. What new items do you need to purchase?
Do you need a bed or do you have a good one that would not be too expensive to move? Consider how important a bed frame and headboard are to you. You want a nice couch, but is it worth investing in a new one (PSA: Couches are EXPENSIVE) or can you get an old one from a friend or relative? You may need to buy plates and bowls, but do your parents have an old pots and pans? Do you really need to buy cups or do you have a collection of free ones? Salvation Army, Goodwill, and St. Vincent DePaul are all great places to hit up to buy used items for cheap. Remember, any nice items you purchase are going to have to be moved with you, which can be expensive if you’ll be moving far away.
6. How do you feel about some assembly required?
The great thing about stores like Target or IKEA (my new favorite obsession thanks to living in Denver this summer), is that they sell furniture for cheaper than most places because you have to put it together yourself. Assembling Room Essentials show racks from Target is easy. Assembling a dresser from IKEA, not so much. Bookshelves aren’t bad, but the larger an item is, the more work needed to put it together. If you can’t stand assembling furniture, consider bribing your male friends, your dad or brothers, or even consider making it a girl’s night with wine during the Bachelorette. Really hate assembling furniture? Consider spending a little more to get assembled furniture.
7. If you have a roommate or roommates, how are you splitting costs?
It may be tempting to say let’s split everything, but when you move out, it may be hard to figure out who’s keeping what. My best advice is to take turns paying for items. If having a big TV is important to you, buy the TV yourself and keep it. If your roommate is in love with a neon pink custom couch, let her pay for it. It’s good to know what belongs to who. When it comes to expenses like utilities, internet or cable, you should split evenly. However, if you live somewhere with a big size difference in bedrooms, you may want to consider having one of you pay more rent. Figure out expenses before you move in as much as possible!
8. How are you going to decorate?
This is the fun part of moving into a new apartment. It’s essentially a blank canvas for you to personalize! If you’re going for classy, be sure to pick out decor that matches and frame any posters you want to hang. If you want a sporty look, retro Notre Dame posters and pennants can look awesome. If you want a trendy, bright feel put complimentary colors together with a few bigger pieces that pop. I have a lot of interests, so I like to give each room it’s own feel. I always devote at least one wall to Notre Dame memorabilia, but I also love England and had a great semester studying abroad so I have a lot of artwork hanging on the walls (which I’m slowly mounting and framing). Plan ahead, be creative, and don’t break the bank. Oil paintings by professional artists look great, but painings or prints from Etsy can look just as nice for half the price! Check out some by a fellow Notre Dame student here.
The HCND application is now open! For more information contact Rebecca Rogalski at rrogalsk@nd.edu or Katrina Linden at klinden1@nd.edu.
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