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Automate your apartment with WeMo
If you’ve ever thought it would be sweet to have a fully automated apartment, where you could control your appliances and devices with just a click or two of a button, such a future may have arrived. For $49.95, an innovative gadget called WeMo, which comes to us from the innovative minds at Belkin. They’ve [...]
It’s allergy season – how to survive and thrive at home
The signs are always identical: watery eyes, running nose, that dreadful sensation for your nose that continuously asks to be scratched, as well as that scratchy throat, and sneezes… bless you! You suffer from allergies, and there are two ways to deal with them, learn to live with them or try to treat them. Treatment [...]
Tips for improving cell phone reception in your apartment
Getting good reception for your cell phone in your apartment used to be a matter of convenience rather than necessity but that is changing: the residential landline telephone is headed for the endangered species list and cell phones and mobile devices are picking up the slack. So what are your options if your home reception [...]
No time for spring cleaning? Declutter, the easy way
Spring has sprung, and with it comes the need for a cleaner apartment. Household clutter can creep up on you quickly. Everything is tidy for a while, then there are a few things out of place no big deal, next thing you know you’re ready for your own episode of Hoarders. Here are some tips [...]
Find clues about your new community with a simple social search
Before signing the lease, it’s a good idea to check up on your apartment community’s social media presence. Discover what social media can tell you about your future home. It’s common to do an online search before making any decisions these days. Selecting a new apartment is no different. Browsing the property’s website and social [...]
electronics \ energy efficient technology \ Green Living
Achieve optimal energy efficiency with greener electronics
Greenpeace’s ‘Guide to Greener Electronics’ helps consumers keep tabs on which companies to support and which ones to avoid based on their eco-accomplishments. In the most recent report, fifteen companies were rated among 13 categories representing energy, greener products, and sustainable operations: Disclose own operational GHG emissions GHG emissions reductions and targets Clean electricity plan [...]
New in town? Learn to make new friends, fast
It’s harder than ever to get out and meet people. Learn a few tips for navigating the social scene in a new town. Being in a new city can be filled with excitement. In addition to new restaurants and entertainment venues, you get to experience an awakening of your senses as you familiarize yourself with [...]
apartment search \ Bike Score \ Green Living \ Walk Score
Walk Score introduces a new urban ranking service – Bike Score
Chances are, you have an idea how your neighborhood scores in Walk Score ranking results. Now, you can check out how bikeable it is. Walk Score ranks neighborhoods based on ease of access to shops, recreational amenities, public transportation, safety and other factors that are important to frequent pedestrians. Starting with select targeted communities, Bike [...]
Apartment \ Renting \ San Francisco \ Seattle \ Washington DC
Thinking of moving? Great cities just for you
If you’re an apartment renter, you’ve already committed to the apartment rental lifestyle and the conveniences it brings. You probably don’t plan to give it up for the anxiety and chaos of home ownership anytime soon. But you might consider moving – and there are many great cities across the country with excellent opportunity knocking, [...]
apartment renting \ checklist \ moving in
Move-in checklist for renters relocating to a new state
Traditional moving checklists might overlook the special needs of renters relocating to a different state. Check out these moving tips to help smooth your transition across state lines. Before you go… If you have any control over when you move, check the almanac of your new home’s state to determine the best time of year [...]
Cleaning \ Personal Organization \ Spring cleaning
Gearing up and getting ready for the big spring clean
The big “spring cleaning” is an annual event ignored by some but practiced by many. It’s the time of year when clean your apartment from top to bottom of all the dust and grit that collected over winter. Before you get a burst of motivation to clean your whole space, though, there are a few [...]
Environmentally friendly \ Green building \ Interior design \ Sustainable living
Green tips for a healthy lifestyle
Green living should be a top priority for all of us. Considering there are so many things out there we cannot control, we should at least show our support to mother Earth by inviting eco-friendly practices into our personal lives. Here are a few easy steps we can take to go greener at home and [...]
The fabulous, fantastic, flexibility of renting
While buying a home comes with a number of advantages, there are many advantages to renting over buying, and most of those come in the form of advantages in your lifestyle. Especially for someone new to a city, renting affords the flexibility to try out different neighborhoods as you decide where you finally want to [...]
Monitoring your credit without making it worse
Maintaining and monitoring your credit is a tricky and annoying balancing act. Maneuver the obstacle course with grace and wisdom. Your credit scores can affect where you live, what you drive, and where you work in some cases. Those simple little numbers are much more arbitrary than you would hope but that doesn’t mean that [...]
home design ideas \ Interior design \ trendy shopping
Cash in on these five design trends that will last
Not all trends are worth the investment. These five design trends for 2013 stand out from the crowd as noteworthy and fun. Trends are just that, trends: fast on the rise and faster on the decline. Fortunately, some design trends turn out to have staying power, making them worthwhile investments for savvy renters. Take a [...]
housewarming gifts \ Housewarming party
Worst housewarming gifts of all time
Whatever you do, don’t give these gifts to your friends for their next new apartment housewarming party. They might just hate you for life. Doormat with obnoxious greeting – Doormats are necessary, but doormats with lame/cheesy sayings are just stupid. If you give this to your friend, they will be faced with a hard decision [...]
apartment design \ home gadgets
Upgrade your rental home with these cool gadgets
Smart living calls for smart solutions to enhance our daily experiences. I’m not so much a fan of futuristic homes, they are just too impersonal for my taste, yet a few gadgets around the house can only add a touch of class and functionality to the whole living environment. Turn kitchen time into fun time [...]
American Heart Month \ February \ Heart disease
Show your heart some lovin’ this February
Guess what? You need good heart, preferably your own. Since those terms aren’t really negotiable, it’s a great idea to do what’s necessary to take care of your heart and promote optimal, long-term performance. Your family at Rent Café has come up with a few practical ideas to help you celebrate American Heart Month this [...]
home sales \ leasing a house \ Renting
Homebuilders aggressively court renters ready to move on
If you are one of the many renters who are looking to make the move into homeownership, new home builders have some deals for you. A modest real estate recovery means loans are once again available and homes are projected to gain value over the long term; that has sellers, particularly new home builders, beating [...]
Green ways to purify the air in your apartment
As the weather cools down, we are less likely to open the windows of our apartments. Even in the warmer months, smoking neighbors and the perpetual buzz of landscaping crews in the complex might dissuade us from letting in fresh air. Lack of circulation can cause the air to feel stuffy. It also traps in [...]
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