Why Pet Schedules Are Important for Apartment Residents

Advice for Pet Parents Living in Apartment Communities

For pet parents who are also apartment residents, finding a pet friendly apartment community is a must.  While many apartment communities are pet friendly, pet owners need to ensure that their pets are well cared for in order to not disturb neighbors and other members of the community.  No one wants to hear a dog barking or a cat clawing at the door at 3 a.m.  A great way to care for pets when living in an apartment community is by sticking to a schedule.  Pets love consistency!  Learn a few scheduling tips below: 

Remember Feeding Times

Cats and dogs can become antsy if they don’t know when they are getting their next meal.  Pick a certain time during the day to set out wet food and provide treats so pets know exactly when to expect their dinner.  Some pet parents may choose to leave out dry food throughout the day so dogs and cats can eat at their leisure.  It is also a good idea to set out a bowl for water when not at home so pets remain hydrated.

Exercise and Play Regularly

Just like people, pets are restless without time to play.  Dogs and cats can become lonely when their parents are out all day.  Maintain a daily time to play and exercise with your pet.  Set up regular, frequent play time with dogs so they can learn exactly when they will get to go outside.  Establish a time in the morning or evening to play with a cat as to limit the amount of time a cat will run around aimlessly throughout the day.

Three Easy Tips to Personalize Your Apartment Without Making a Permanent Change

No matter which Grady Management community you choose, it’s important to make your new apartment feel like home.  Whether you have rented a studio, one, two, or three-bedroom apartment, you will want to make your space functional and stylish.  It may not be your house, but there are a few easy steps you can take to immediately personalize your apartment without permanent changes.

Painting the Walls Without Actually Painting the Walls

Temporary wallpaper is becoming more and more available, which is amazing if you’re looking for a chic patterned wall or if you want to add a bit of cool texture with a brick look.

But what if you just want a solid color? Did you know they make PAINTABLE temporary wallpaper? That’s right - you can go to the hardware store and pick any one of those thousands of paint colors!
Bold paint colors can go a long way to transform any rental space, but if you’re looking for a more dramatic change, it’s more possible than you think!  Grady Management will let you paint IF you paint it back before you leave, so pick out some new wall colors! 

Area Rugs

Area rugs are the perfect way to enhance your space with minimal effort and instant visual impact.  You can use area rugs to soften the touch of hard flooring, and as a bonus, area rugs will also help absorb sound so there’s less echo and noise all around.  Your neighbors will appreciate your efforts as well!  Already have carpet throughout your apartment?  Try adding an area rug on top of the carpet.  This will give you a customized look to match your style and make the room feel more intimate.  By adding a rug to your living room that matches your sofa or pillows, this visually pulls the room together and makes your pieces look more cohesive.

Reasons to Renew Your Lease

Need a reason to renew your lease? Consider these important reasons why renewing your lease may be the best home living option for you.

It’s easier
For many people, a compelling reason to renew a lease at the end of the term is that moving is no fun. All of the tasks required for moving pose a challenge you might not even want to consider. Instead, you can channel the time you save into other areas of your life where the effort will be worthwhile.

It’s cheaper
Staying in an apartment could offer a significant cost savings over moving elsewhere. Consider how much it would cost to move out of the unit you’re in. Hiring movers, buying packing supplies and paying the upfront costs of moving into a new apartment (costs like security deposit, pet fees and application fees) are all important considerations.

Renewing your lease for another year or even two might offer you the opportunity to save money by locking in a reasonable rental rate right where you’re living. And even if rent is increasing for your current apartment, the cost of moving elsewhere may not equal any savings. It may simply make more financial sense to stay put.

You’re wanted
If you’ve received the offer to renew, your landlord wants you to stick around. When you live in a community for awhile, you have a chance to establish that you are a resident who takes care of renting responsibilities. Landlords and community managers appreciate residents with a good track record. They are likely to honor your commitment with any incentives in their power to share.

How to Clean Mildew from Grout

Mildew is a common problem in grout found in bathrooms. Regular cleaning should keep mildew mostly away, to the point it only needs to be cleaned with water. However, built up mildew should be targeted with a cleaning solution. There is no special formula to get rid of mildew. It simply takes a lot of scrubbing to get mildew and mold out of the grout between tiles.

Try water alone for mild mildew. If you clean regularly, mildew is probably mild. A small film of mildew covering grout does not require special cleaners. For this mildew, stick to simply scrubbing water between the tiles. This should be enough to get rid of unwanted mildew.

If mildew does not come out with water alone, you may need a stronger cleaner.

Use bleach for intense build up. Mildew that is built up over time requires a cleaner. Bleach is the best course of action to remove mildew. You can buy bleach online or at a local department store.

As bleach is dangerous if ingested, make sure to store it in a safe place away from children and pets.
Wear gloves when handling bleach.

Mix your cleaning solution. In a bucket, mix three parts water with one part bleach. The precise amount of bleach and water you need depends on how much mildew you're cleaning. Make sure to mix bleach in a well-ventilated area.

Spritz on your solution. Place your bleach solution is a spray bottle. Spritz a liberal amount of the solution over tiles, focusing on where you see built up mildew. Let the solution sit for about 15 minutes before continuing with the cleaning process.

Seven Apartment Cleaning Hacks That Will Change Your Life

Easy Cleaning Tips for Apartment Residents

If you are like most people, you don’t look forward to cleaning your apartment.  But with these easy do-it-yourself cleaning hacks, you will have your place sparkling clean in no time.

1) Treat Your Microwave to Lemon Water

A proper scrub down of your microwave can be exhaustive, time-consuming and plain old gross, which is where cleaning hacks like this five-minute microwave cleaner come in handy. Cut a couple of lemons in quarters and place them in a glass dish filled with water. Heat up until the water starts boiling, hit stop then let the whole thing sit for a minute or two.
When you open the microwave door, you’ll notice a billow of steam, which has loosened up the gunk and grease lining the walls of the microwave. Take a sponge to the mess and wipe it away with almost no effort.

2) Dust Ceiling Fans with a Pillowcase

Ceiling fans are great for circulating cool air in your apartment and reducing your energy costs.  But there’s no getting around it: Cleaning your ceiling fans is just a part of apartment life. No matter how agile and bendable your duster is, reaching the tops of those blades is a task meant only for skilled aerial artists.
The average Joe can dust ceiling fan blades with this simple cleaning hack: Place an old pillow case over one of the fan blades, and slowly pull it backwards, wiping the dirt and grime off as you go. Move on to the next blade and the next, leaving a shiny, crud-free surface along the way. Then, just throw the pillowcase in the wash.

3) Knife-Clean Your Air Vents

Hate your dusty old main air vent? Poke it with a knife.
Take a clean towel and moisten it with warm water (avoid using too much water, as it can cause rust), then wrap it around a butter knife to create an excellent tool for getting between the shingles. Make sure to hit all the vents in your apartment– even the ceiling vents.