Tips for Hosting a Party in Your Apartment

Follow These Tips to be the Host/Hostess with the Most/Mostest

Here you are in your studio or 1-bedroom apartment, and you’d love to throw a party — just like your friends do in their big suburban houses, with everyone from your cousin-in-law to your uncle’s mechanic invited — but how?  You can do it — if you just plan properly. Follow these tips and you’ll be the host/hostess with the most/mostest, even in your cozy digs.

Type of party

A dinner party works well in any size apartment. Invite only four to six people, which will keep the cooking manageable. Make it informal: if you have a small place, guests will probably see you cooking, and they will be eating in the living room. A nice one-pot pasta dish or a casserole with a salad and crusty bread are simple combos to balance on your lap. Add some wine and a chocolate dessert and everyone is happy. And don’t forget to have some games or a movie for after dinner; some organized fun later can make the evening last long into the night.

A pre-party can also work well. If you and your friends are all going out dancing or to a big sporting event, you may want to invite everyone over for drinks and some nibbles beforehand. You’ll provide a laid-back atmosphere, and you won’t have to invite too many people. It’s another perfect situation for a party in an apartment.

Or, you can go for a bigger get-together. Even some apartments can fit 15 people or so; you just need to make sure you’re not over-inviting. Generally speaking, the better you know the invitees, the more likely they are to come. So, if you want to have a party with about 15 people, invite around 20 of your closer friends. Contact them directly, and make sure you get a response, that way you’ll be able to keep the guest list manageable.

Avoid mass emails to large groups of classmates, your colleagues or your entire softball team. These types of invitees are difficult to predict — sometimes none of them will come, or they’ll come en masse — and with a small space, you can’t take that risk. An overcrowded party can lead to damage to the apartment that puts your security deposit at risk as well as your continued residency.

Maintenance #LifeHack: What to Do if The Garbage Disposal is Not Operating in an Apartment

Three Easy Steps for Apartment Residents

Beginning meal prep?  Getting rid of leftovers?  Cooking dinner?  The garbage disposal, sometimes known as a waste disposal unit, is a tool used to shred food particles so that food can pass through plumbing.  

Garbage disposals can occasionally need maintenance like any other kitchen appliance.  Apartment residents should follow three simple steps if the garbage disposal is not operating.

1) Turn the Garbage Disposal Off: This may seem like common sense, but the worst thing for a garage disposal that is not operating is for more food items to be placed in the disposal.  Is the garbage disposal making a strange sound or, simply, not operating?  Turn the system off to investigate the problem.  There may be a piece of plastic or a utensil trapped inside the unit.

2) Try the Reset Button: Is the garbage disposal simply not operating?  The reset button of the garbage disposal may have popped.  That being said, it is easy to reset a garbage disposal.  The garbage disposal reset button is typically a small red button located on the bottom of the disposal.  Turn the disposal off, locate the button, and press it to reset the garbage disposal.

3) Contact your Apartment Community Maintenance Team: Cannot locate the problem or reset the garbage disposal?  Contact the maintenance team!  One benefit of living in an apartment community is that a dedicated community maintenance team is available to help.  Call the leasing office and/ or submit a service request to report the problem.

Apartment Resident #LifeHacks was created in 2018 by Grady Management, Inc.  Grady Management was founded in 1965 and continues to provide a full service residential, commercial, and consulting real estate firm in the greater Washington and Baltimore metropolitan area.  Learn more from our website or Facebook page.

The Benefits of Renters Insurance

Renters insurance is a good idea for just about anyone who rents. That’s because your landlord’s insurance policy won’t cover your personal liability or put a roof over your head if your place becomes uninhabitable.

If you've never taken inventory of your belongings, even just mentally, and assigned a price tag to what you own, you might be surprised at the tally. Even if you feel like you don't own anything of value, even simple possessions can add up to a dollar figure that might pose a huge burden if you were forced to replace it all at one time.

This alone should give you cause to look deeper into obtaining renters insurance. Fortunately, renters insurance isn't particularly expensive, and compared to writing a check to replace all your possessions it becomes a fairly insignificant monthly cost.

Getting the Insurance You Need

When considering purchasing renters insurance, there are a few steps you should take and some things you should keep in mind along the way.

• Get Online Quotes

Shopping online is a great way to get the insurance you need. Many websites give you the ability to customize your insurance policy, giving you the power to determine for yourself how much insurance you want from the privacy of your own computer.

Five #LifeHacks for Living With Pets in an Apartment

Make Sure Pets are Happy and Healthy in Apartment Communities
 

Many people consider dogs and cats a member of their family.  Apartment communities may be "pet friendly", which means that residents can reside in their apartments with pets.  Below are five #lifehacks specifically for living with pets in an apartment community:

1) Pet Exercise: Whether a long-time or first-time pet owner, it is important to understand that many pets, especially cats and dogs, need exercise to stay happy and healthy.  Apartment residents may not have a backyard that pets can explore, so it is important to research local parks or green areas nearby to explore with a pet.  Residents should make sure their dogs are getting enough walks during the day.  In addition, cat owners should set up a "cat tree" or scratching post in an area of the apartment so cats can scrape their claws when needed. 

2) Routines for Pets: All pets like routines, so apartment residents should try to establish a daily routine for dogs and cats and stick to it.  This can include setting up a regular walk time for dogs.  For cats, this can include cleaning out the litter box the same time every day and setting out wet food at the same time as well.  

3) Pet Noise: Pets will occasionally make noise.  Living in an apartment, it is important to understand the many apartment communities have "quiet hours" or "courtesy hours" in place in regards to excess noise made during the nighttime.  Apartment residents who are pet owners need to remain cognizant about any loud barking or meowing that occurs at night.  Try to soothe pets at night with pats or treats to reduce any excess noise. 

DIY Hack: Three Tips for a More Organized Closet

Making the Most of Apartment Closet Space

Closets are not just a place to store clothes: closets can become a place to organize accessories, hang bags and backpacks, and keep housekeeping items such as vacuums, dusters, and cleaning products.  When living in an apartment, it is best to make the most of closet space to keep all belongings neat and organized and to create more space in apartment living areas for furniture and decor.  Below are three closet organization hacks specifically for apartment residents:

1) Create specific containers and sections with labels: The first step to organize a closet is to create specific sections so that it is possible to easily arrange closet space to contain, in addition to clothes, cleaning supplies, seasonal accessories, pet food and carriers, and/ or luggage.  To do this, try out color coded bins and/ or dividers so that everything has a specific section.  For example: the blue section contains batteries, tools, and light bulbs, the red section contains wrapping paper, gift bags, and leftover holiday decorations, etc.  In addition to creating sections, try labeling the different areas of the closet so roommates and guests can easily determine where specific items are stored.  This process can be completed for any apartment closet space: bedroom closets, hallways closets, and linen closets.  By doing this, clutter in apartments will become practically non-existent.