Apartment Hunting: Part Three

See Part One and Part Two first.

So this is the part where you thought we had the apartment, right?

Not so much.

Not ten minutes after I faxed in the application, I got a call from the landlord. Someone else had dropped off a check and turned in their application the night before. She had waited to see if we were going to send something in before calling the other applicant. My fax came in as she was on the phone setting up an appointment for them to sign the lease.

My heart sank. I had really liked that apartment. When she called, I was actually in the middle of looking through apartment ideas that I'd tagged on Pinterest...Could we put these fun curtains in the living room? How might I organize my new closet? I was even starting to think about having a dinner party, since we'd have a new dining room. Wop wop.

The landlord did mention that she had another duplex, also a lower unit, that she had just been informed would be opening up in early March. She was happy to show it to Chris and I, if we were interested. I tried to be excited about this possibility, but was pretty bummed and was secretly hoping that something might fall through with her current applicant.

I then had to tell Chris that, because of my hesitation and need to over-analyze everything, we didn't get the apartment. He was surprised, but not worried. And thankfully not mad at me for stalling too long. When I told him about the other duplex, he said, "Can't hurt to see it, right?"

So we made an appointment to see Apartment Four. Going in, the landlord told me this would be much different than the first unit that we saw. While also a lower unit, this one had darker hardwood floors and trim/features throughout. I wasn't sure what this might look like, and I did like the painted white trim and lighter floors of Apartment Two. But I was open. She also told us to use our imagination for how we might use the space, as the current tenants had a lot of " furniture and stuff." She later called it "clutter," and I couldn't help but wonder..."Could they be hoarders?" I clearly watch way too much TLC. 

It certainly is different to look at an occupied space, versus a big empty canvas. But sometimes it is also helpful to see with furniture to get a sense of what fits and what doesn't. In the earlier apartments we were trying to guess if our furniture would fit. I guess we will have some idea.

So after work today we are headed back to Shorewood to check the place out...

(to be continued)

A Major Donation

(Photo originally found here)

Yesterday, I made a big commitment. I registered with the Wisconsin Donor Registry, agreeing to donate my organs, tissues, and eyes, upon my death.

Back in high school, I did my senior research paper for English class on organ donation, and learned how important that organ donation is to many people. A few facts from organdonor.gov:

• One person's organ can save up to eight lives, and enhance even more.
• 18 people die each day waiting for an organ.
• A name is added to the waiting list for organs every 11 minutes.
• There are more than enough people waiting for an organ to fill a large football stadium, twice.
• 86 million people have signed up to be an organ donor.

At the time, I also learned that simply putting the donor sticker on my license (which is now printed on so it doesn't peel off), is not enough to confirm that your organs will actually be donated. It simply indicates your wishes so that when doctors would speak with your family, they know you were interested. It would still be up to your family to make the decision.

By registering, it puts the decision in your hands, so that your family does not have to struggle with the decision during a heartbreaking time. It also adds your name to the donor network, which expedites the process of getting organs to the transplant recipients.

If you haven't thought about what you would like to do with your organs, I would encourage you to take some time to check out the National Organ Donation website. It has great information. I know it can feel sort of morbid to think about your own death, so I try to think about it as what my final act of service could be.

Food for thought.

Apartment Hunting: Part Two

To catch up on Part One, click here.

So we spent last weekend checking out our new potential digs. We ended up with appointments with three apartments, all in the Shorewood neighborhood.

Apartment One: Upper Two Bedroom Duplex
Rent: $900
Amenities: Washer/Dryer, Central Air, Fridge, Dishwasher, Locked Storage Unit, Parking for two cars (one driveway/one garage), Small Patio

Apartment One was definitely promising. It had all of the features that we were looking for, and the landlord seemed very nice and responsive (he lives across the street). The basement had significant storage space, which was clearly divided between both apartments. He did make clear that we couldn't paint, or change things like the carpet, etc. The biggest challenges with the space were that textured berber carpet and kitchen decor left something to be desired. The kitchen still have the 50s-style yellow/gold formica countertop, and matching blue/yellow/green wallpaper. The part of me that enjoys decorating tried to see it as a fun challenge. The landlord mentioned that Central Air would be hard to find in the area, which proved to be true based on the other place we saw.

Apartment Two: Lower Two Bedroom Duplex
Rent: $875
Amenities: Fridge, Storage in Basemenet, Parking for two cars (one driveway/one garage), Non-smoking, Small Backyard, brand new windows

Apartment Two was just sorta charming. It was clean, and freshly painted in a neutral, warm tan, with white trim. It included both a living room, and dining room with nice looking hardwood floors and built-ins. I know it's silly to get excited about the little details, but I loved that the living room had sconces in a few areas. What the apartment was lacking is probably obvious from reading the amenities: central air conditioning, a dishwasher, and a washer/dryer. Yep, those creature comforts that I would love to have. But it was really pretty...

Apartment Three: Upper Two Bedroom Duplex
Rent: $875

Unfortunately we didn't see Apartment Three. I contacted the landlord on Saturday, and we set up a time for Sunday. Sunday rolled around, and we sat outside the building for 30 minutes. He never showed. Nor did he return my voicemail. Major red flag. Although the place looked like it had potential in its Craigslist ad, we were not going to deal with non-responsiveness. Plus, there was a big dog in the backyard who howled at us when we walked up. If that furry dude lives downstairs, I have no desire to live upstairs. I'll deal with my own pet noise - not someone else's.

So we talked about the two, and felt like we could make a decision between them. We loved the neighborhood. Both convenient to businesses, and easy to get to work. Plus a cute place to walk around. 

In my head, I kept wavering. I knew I wanted a place that would feel less like my apartment, and more like my home...that just happened to have someone living upstairs or downstairs. I knew that Apartment One had more of the things we were looking for, but I liked Apartment Two better. So we talked through it, made a pro/con list, and talked some more on Sunday night.

Here is where I regret what I did next... In a desperate attempt to get some clarity, I put our dilemma out on Facebook, to see what others might choose. That others might be able to decide for me if I could live without air conditioning. I think I expected to hear arguments for both sides, and when I didn't - overwhelmingly people said to go for amenities - I became defensive of Apartment Two. Because they weren't there to see the things I liked about it, or the drawbacks of Apartment One. And they were throwing out other amenities to prioritize that were not an option in either apartment, which started to make my head spin. 

Let me say that I appreciate my friends, and their desire to look out for my best interest. I know that their intention was to respond to the question that I asked honestly, and perhaps, to help Chris and I find our best home. I put it out there, after all.

But I kept thinking in my head, "but this is our apartment, not yours." Which is true.  Here I was opening up a decision, that is ultimately a personal one, for Chris and I. (Sorry cats...you don't get a vote). I totally get that for other people, having a breakfast nook would not weigh anywhere above air conditioning or a washer/dryer. But when you live with two cats, and have two litter boxes to worry about, a nook sounds pretty amazing. Much better than putting on your makeup in a tiny bathroom next to Bucky taking a poo and giving you the stink eye. Those are the things that are harder to explain that I worry about when finding my new home.While my friends were outraged at the thought of not having a washer/dryer in their own apartment, I hadn't had one in the last four years, so I didn't have the same emotional reaction at the thought of not having one. And because Apartment Two came with hookups, I knew that we could save money for a bit, and get our own set. While most said to value the creature comforts over pretty, there is just something to be said for pretty.

There were those that encouraged us to keep looking. And that is definitely a reasonable response. Why consider "roughing it" if you can find a place that has the best of both worlds. But for me there was just something about the spirit of Apartment Two, that I wasn't sure I'd find anywhere else. And so after asking Chris for the billionth time, "are we making the right decision?," it was time to just bite the bullet.

So on Tuesday, I called to let the landlord know we'd be applying, and we filled out our application on Tuesday night. I faxed in our application over lunch on Wednesday, and began looking at washer/dryer prices...

(to be continued)