Apartment life: It’s all about the details

You’ve checked all the major things off your list: Find roommates, find a livable apartment, sign the lease and put down the security deposit. You’re all set to begin your life off campus.

Sort of.

Many students do not realize the magnitude of what moving out on their own entails. The residence halls, though cramped and noisy, already provide food, furniture, electricity and running water. Once you move into an apartment, you will probably have to start buying your own groceries, learn to cook something that isn’t Ramen noodles, somehow obtain enough furniture, and begin paying bills every month.

Moving out, sorting stuff

In fact, just getting your stuff from your seventh-floor high-rise triple to your unexpectedly spacious apartment can be a challenge. UCLA offers very little in the way of resources for students moving into Westwood.

Jae Pee, a third-year psychology student, is from Cerritos, about a 35-minute drive from UCLA. He said in between moving out of the residence halls and into his apartment, he left his things at home. However, his roommate, who did not live close by, had to find a place to keep his things in the interim.

“My roommate actually has a truck, so he helped us move everything. His parents actually live in Georgia, so he had to rent public storage,” Pee said.

Jessica Neino, the property manager of the Public Storage on West Olympic Boulevard, said her facility sees a lot of students during the summer months.

“From what (my coworkers) tell me, it gets really occupied during the summer from college students,” Neino said.

She said prices range depending on what size space people want and where the facility is located.

“For a one-bedroom, they might be able to get away with a 5 (foot) by 10 (foot). … For a two-bedroom, they might need a 10 by 10,” she said.

Prices for those spaces range from $187 to $327 per month at the climate-controlled Olympic facility, though the first month’s rent is $1 plus administrative fees (about $20 to $30), regardless of how briefly the person plans on renting the storage unit.

Neino also suggested potential storage space renters purchase a round or disc lock. She said they are more expensive but much more secure than traditional padlocks.

Location is another big factor in the cost of a storage facility.

“If they are going to store their stuff, I recommend not going to West L.A., because that’s the most expensive place for storage. They might want to go to Culver City, Torrance or near LAX. It’s way cheaper,” Neino said.

However, choice of storage location also depends on what a person is storing. Cheaper locations tend not to have climate control, which Neino said you need if you are storing paintings, pictures, videos or delicate books. But for items such as furniture, non-climate controlled storage spaces should be fine.

Finding furniture

Short of scoring big on “The Price is Right,” students must find a way to furnish their new living space without blowing their budget.

Ryan Conversano, a third-year aerospace engineering student, was able to avoid storing his furniture during his multiple moves in college. He moved from the dorms to his fraternity house after his first year and from his fraternity house to an apartment after his second year. He purchased furniture while living in the fraternity house but didn’t have to haul it to his new place.

“When I moved out of the frat, I ended up selling all the furniture to the person living in the room next. I was able to make a decent sum there and just be rid of it. When I moved into my new residency, I just purchased new furniture,” Conversano said.

Danielle Ryan, a third-year English student, said she and her roommates pooled donated furniture from their families.

“I brought all my furniture from home. My mom wanted to give it to me ““ she was stoked to redecorate,” Ryan said.

One of her roommates was able to get a key piece of furniture from her family’s business.

“My roommate’s family owns a mortuary. We have the mortuary couch now,” Ryan said.

Ryan said it’s important to coordinate with your roommates about what everyone plans to provide on move-in day.

“Make sure you don’t all bring a George Foreman grill. Figure out who’s going to bring what. We ended up with tons of tinfoil because our moms all said, “˜Everyone else will forget about tinfoil!'” Ryan said.

Landlord-tenant relationships

When students go scouting for an apartment, one of the first people they meet at a potential building is the landlord. Potential tenants want to make a good impression because some places, such as the “Pink Palace” on Gayley Avenue, accept people based on an interview as opposed to position on the wait list.

Conversano said he has a good relationship with his landlord at Atrium Court, located on Strathmore Drive.

“I’ve had no problem with him. I’ve maintained a very good relationship. I need things done, he’s more than happy to help,” Conversano said.

Pee said that though his landlord does not live on the property, he is available for repairs and emergencies.

“We live on the first floor, and I guess one time the plumbing backed up, and the kitchen area got flooded. We were all out for a couple hours at a meeting. He was really great, cleaned the carpet, fixed the plumbing,” Pee said.

Subletting

Though the students interviewed said apartments tend to be cheaper by the month, factoring in the cost of year-round living can add up. Students look to subletting through places like Facebook and Craigslist to find people to pay all or part of the rent while they’re gone.

Ryan said she would be wary of her roommates subletting to a stranger and would rather they rented the space to a friend ““ or not at all.

“It might be weird living with a stranger. … If I could swing it, if I could work and afford (the rent on my own), I wouldn’t sublet. I’d rather do that,” Ryan said.

Pee said he has heard positive reviews from friends who have sublet their place or sublet from someone else.

“As I have heard, the rents are cheaper because the lease is officially under the subletter’s name, so the (person subletting) pays less, and usually it’s furnished,” Pee said.

The final verdict

Both Conversano and Pee said they were happy with their decision to move to the apartments.

Pee said there are definitely advantage to residence hall living, but he prefers his apartment.

“What I really miss about the dorms is the food. Not necessarily the quality, but just having it there. … (For apartments) in terms of having more independence without having RAs looking over your shoulder, you feel a lot more responsible,” Pee said.

Conversano agreed that apartment dwellers will probably miss the convenience of the dining halls.

“It’s amazing how lazy you can get in terms of going to Ralph’s and buying food. I think that was the biggest unexpected challenge (of living in an apartment),” Conversano said.

Overall, he said, living in an apartment is worth the time and effort you put into moving in and making new friends.

“It’s a fun experience, but I would highly recommend maintaining the social aspects that you learned in the dorms. Don’t isolate yourselves in your rooms. You’re in college; we’re all in college. Be open to meeting people in your building,” Conversano said.

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