Size Matters: Maximizing Your Small Apartment

Photo by ClatieK via Flickr

Lets face it--no matter what neighborhood you live in, or the price you pay, It’s hard to find a no fee apartment in New York City that has enough space. Fortunately there are a few easy things you can do to make your small New York apartment feel more spacious. Here are some helpful tips on how to best maximize your space!

The first thing I would do is read the book Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston. This book changed my life! Especially when living in a small Manhattan apartment, it is really important to keep visible clutter to a minimum, or else the entire space will seem off. The book does have some weird spiritual ideas that I don’t necessarily agree with, but I think from a psychological standpoint, it makes a good argument that clutter just makes a small space hard to love! (And this is coming from a former clutter bug!)

Once you have moved in, say to your Upper East Side Studio, it’s time to divide the space. Even if your NYC apartment consists of just one room, there are still things you can do to make a separate living or dining area. If you are allowed to paint, it helps to paint one area of the room a different (hopefully matching) color, and/or have a different type of flooring. This gives the feeling that you have entered into a new room! Another measure you could take to divide a space is a curtain that cuts across the room, or some kind of standing divider.

Of course, how you place the furniture is extremely important! Some people build lofts in their small New York City apartments to create a sort of second level. Another great idea is the loft bed, which is a bed that is raised up enough so another piece of furniture; usually a couch or desk can go under it. Just be sure you are not afraid of heights if you go with this option! In addition, smaller furniture can make a great difference. They have “Apartment” sized refrigerators, which are slightly narrower than a normal fridge. Instead of that huge full couch you have at your house in the suburbs, how about a nice love seat?

The color choices you use in the walls and furniture are also important. Dark colors make a space feel warm and cozy, which may not be the best choice for an already small space. Lighter colors make a space feel open and airy. Although often this choice is not up to you, having large windows and lots of natural light can make a space feel more open as well.

Ikea, the famous house & home store from Sweden, has some great ideas and suggestions for maximizing the use of space. I find that their style mostly uses very clean lines and simple, straightforward design, and that this is most effective when trying to make a small space feel good. Perfectly, they have a location right in Brooklyn that is easily accessible by public transportation.

Hopefully these tips will help you feel at home in your NYC apartment!

By Dayva Segal

Bedroom Eyes, or: How I Found My Dream Apartment in New York

Photo by Eocellus via Flickr

Recently, I decided to leave my cozy brownstone apartment in Bed-Stuy and make the move to Williamsburg (that's Brooklyn, for those in the know). When I first moved to New York last year, I felt so overwhelmed by the sheer number of apartments for rent that I ended up settling for the first no fee apartment available! This time, I shopped smarter.

The Planning

First, it’s important to research the various neighborhoods in New York, especially if you are not already familiar with the city, because there can be huge differences in ambience within a few blocks. For example, an New York apartment: How close is the subway? Are there any busses in the area? Where's the closest grocery store? Once you have your new
neighborhood picked out, find a New York real estate broker who specializes in showing no fee apartments in
the area you want to live and schedule as many viewings as you can on the same day. It's important to remember that New York City is big! It can take hours to get around town, and you don't want to waste your time.

The Viewing

Start early and give yourself at least an hour in between viewings--that way you'll have time to find your way around and explore what might become your new neighborhood. If you have extra time, walk around and browse the shops and restaurants in the area, so you can get a feel for what living in the neighborhood is really like. While looking for my apartment in Williamsburg, I stumbled on this charming little pie shop called The Blue Stove. It had classic 1950’s-style décor and a great quiche to boot!

The Choosing

Now comes the hardest part: deciding which New York apartmentyours to enjoy for the next year or more. If you're lucky like me you might just find your dream apartment on the first try. Mine was a railroad-style with high ceilings, a cute kitchen, huge built-in closets and lots of natural light. For all you Feng Shui enthusiasts, I would say it had an incredibly active energy. But in spite of my love at first sight I forced myself to view at least a few more apartments in New York before making a decision. Remember that old song, "You better shop around?"

On the other hand, it's wise to keep in mind that you're not the only one looking for a no-fee apartments in New York. Be ready to make your decision quickly, but not impulsively, as this is a choice that will affect your life in a big way! If it turns out your first choice doesn't work out, don’t give up! Have a backup option, or be prepared to keep looking. With millions of people in this city, apartments in New York turn over quick, but with hard work, smarts and a little luck, you'll find a no fee apartment you love just as much as I love mine.

Five Things You Should Do Before Your Move

In all the excitement of a new move, particularly to a Manhattan apartment, many people forget about all the work involved. Taking all of one’s possessions and transporting them to a new location can be thrilling or a chore--it all depends on how much planning was done before the day of the move. Here are some things you can do ahead of time so that the move to your New York City apartment is as smooth a transition as can be.

Sort out your Stuff

Start at least a month before your move date by sorting out which of your belongings you won't be taking to your New York apartment.

Donate old clothes and housewares to charity or send to the recycler for disposal. Treat every move as an opportunity to rid yourself of all but the essentials. Trust me, you won't miss the extra baggage!

Find a Mover

Contact companies in your area that specialize in easy home or business moving. From carefully packing your belongings to transporting them safely, these experts are worth every penny! But to get the best deal, calculate how much it would cost to move your things yourself, then estimate a fair price for the labor.

Set up your Utilities

To ensure your electricity, gas, phone, internet and TV are set up when you arrive in your new home, call each provider to set up an installation at least two weeks in advance of your move date. In New York, useful websites such as New York Utilities can help you research, compare and contrast utility providers. Once you have your new apartment set up, call your current providers to ensure they cancel services as close as possible to your leaving date.

Call your Doctor

Many people overlook this step, but it is important. Your doctor needs to know you'll be leaving so he/she can arrange the transfer of your medical records. He or she may even be able to recommend a new doctor for you near your new home. If not, try an online resource like the WebMD Physician Directory. Once you found a new doctor and notified your current doctor of your move, you can ensure a seamless transition of medical records in case of an emergency.

Call your Landlord

Finally, just to make sure your New York rental is ready and to arrange receipt of your keys, call your landlord the week of your move, especially if you're coming from out-of-town.

By following these simple steps and enlisting the help of a solid New York real estate broker, you can rest assured that your move to New York will be an easy transition.

Rent to Own

The New York Times ran another article on rent-to-own, a viable and increasingly popular option for both renters and owners of apartments in New York.

For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, renting-to-own works just like leasing a vehicle:it allows potential owners to "test-drive" their New York apartments before committing to buy.If the tenant decides to buy, all or most of the paid rent goes toward the mortgage.

Since the economic downturn, the rent-to-own option has provided a bit of much-needed stability to the New York housing market, filling vacancies in, say, Upper West Side condominiums at a time when many are understandably unwilling to commit to own.And with market rent rates in Manhattan remaining high, renting-to-own can be a great investment towards owning a chunk of prime New York real estate.

Looking for an Apartment in NYC? First, Find the Right Broker

Last spring, my partner Jim and I flew to New York for a week to look for our first apartment in Manhattan. We had come prepared--equipped with all the latest market rent rates for Manhattan neighborhoods. We'd been researching places for months using apartment finders such as rent.com, citi-habitats, and of course good old Craigslist. We both expected to be done with our search by the weekend, after which we were looking forward to a few days of relaxation, bragging about our fabulous new Chelsea apartment over brunch with our friends.

But instead, four days into our NY apartment search, we found ourselves exhausted, depressed and nearly hopeless. The "leads" we had followed turned out to be frauds! "Chelsea" apartments were actually in Hell's Kitchen. Many of the buildings we were shown were in horrible repair, overrun with rodents and roaches! The only decent apartment we saw in all of NYC had a no-pet policy, and Jim would not hear of getting rid of our Maltese dog, Binky. It seemed every broker in New York was against us!

Finally on Friday we met our Mr. Right.His name was Rocco, and we found him through a broker matchmaking service. I'm not sure how, but Rocco knew exactly what we wanted! We found not only a great New York City apartment; we found a friend.

Finding Apartments for Rent in NYC

New York City is a teeming metropolis, and searching for an apartment in New York can be a daunting task. New York apartments for rent seem to number in the millions, and sometimes an apartment seeker feels lost in the storm of aprartment choices.

Luckily, us hapless seekers can turn to apartment finders in New York City to help match us with apartments. Want to live in luxury on the Upper West Side? Feel that one of the apartments in Chelsea would suit your stylish life? A New York City apartment finder can guide you to apartments for rent in NYC that will make your New York City apartment dreams come true.