5 basic tips to help you get along with a roommate

With house rent rates spiraling up each year, the most basic way to save money on accommodation is to share it with a roommate. Finding a roommate in the US is easy with sites like Sulekha but putting up with a roommate on the longer run can be tricky. To ensure that you maintain a good relationship with your flat share mate, you need to follow these simple tips.

Compromise

Generally, students and bachelors are the ones sharing rooms and the biggest problems that arise is either party not compromising on issues that they face on a regular basis. Who takes out the garbage? Who does the grocery run? Who picks up the mail? These might sound petty but in reality, these are the ones that you need to compromise to ensure a smooth relationship.

Use the calendar – make plans

Be it day to day chores or something important – plan everything in advance including paying the rent and bills and put it up on the calendar for everyone to see. With the technology available today you can even have a virtual shared sheet on the cloud that ensures you have access to it anywhere anytime.

Set ground rules

Just like how your landlord sets up a lease/rental agreement you should ideally discuss the rules of your roommate agreement beforehand rather than introducing new rules in the middle of a problem. Are you comfortable having friends over? Which of your stuff can they use or not use? How much personal space do you require? Your agreement need not be a written one but can be orally agreed upon. Scout’s honor!

Be considerate

You might have an agreement but if it is exam time or if you roommate is sick then you have to be considerate to ensure that they return the favor when you are in a similar situation. You need not be best friends with your roommate but being a good human will take you a long way down the line.

Sort issues immediately

Never let problems pile up! Solve everything immediately to make sure there are no hard feelings carried over. Piling up on negative thoughts only lead to bigger problems bursting out on a later stage leading to irreparable situations. Confront your roomie about a habit that bothers you, hold interventions, if required.

If all else fails, fret not! Go ahead and post your requirement for a new roommate and find another person to share your joys and worries with.

Student Furniture - What is best for your room?

As a student in the US, finding accommodation is the easy part. There is a lot of help online to help you find a roommate or a cheap rental accommodation. However, the tougher part is to set up the place you move into, a comfy and welcoming space that would help you study and grow in your career.

Most college students spend a majority of their time in the room studying and without the right furniture, it can get tiring real soon! Students who sit on the bed and study are prone to dozing off and those who walk and read get tired too soon. Here is what you should have in your room as a student to help you study to the max potential.

Sturdy Study Desk

A good study desk is indispensable for studying long hours. Writing assignments or taking notes is a lot easier when you sit down at a desk and write. Do not go for a portable fold out desk. These move around a lot and will be a hindrance for your concentration. A sturdy desk that is of ideal dimension should be the key.

*Expert Tip: If your room is tight on space, go for a corner table that will help you liberate more space.

Productive Desk Items

Productivity is the key word here! Yes, you can have a photo of loved ones in your desk or maybe even a parking slot for your phone but try and stack up as much as productive stuff on your desk as possible. A good lamp is indispensable. If you have a roommate and do not want to disturb during your late night marathons, a night lamp should come in handy.

A pen stand that has provisions to store pins, stapler, tags etc. will help you be organized. An alarm clock helps too! If you are running out of steam and need a quick nap, make sure that you set the alarm. There are nifty alarms that buzz during regular intervals. If you have the habit of nodding off midway through a chapter – this could be your life saver!

What else do you have on your desk? Share it with us and get featured here…Lot of fully furnished Apartment for rent in Miami 

Which Renter's Insurance cover do you need?

Rental Insurance is no joke! More and more individuals are opting for renter’s insurance these days as landlord throw in more and more amenities for which you indirectly become responsible. If you have no clue about what Renter’s Insurance is about, you should probably check out the A-Zs of Rental Insurance before reading further.

When you rent out a house or an apartment, there are basically two types of property within the property you stay. One is the landlord’s property and other is yours. Many might be a bit too casual about insuring the building and the amenities provided by the owner. However, what if there is a break-in due to your carelessness and a number of items are stolen that aren’t yours?

The same can happen in the case of a natural calamity too! If you landlord does not have enough cover and takes a long time to repair the damage you might end up without an accommodation and spending lot of money in a hotel!

While many landlords insure the building, the basic amenities might be left without any coverage and in the case of a disaster you could be left for a long time without basic amenities. This is why Renter’s Insurance becomes important.

So what cover should you opt for?

There are tons of coverage options to go for and you probably will not need them all! Get all the basics without fail: Fire, Water, Lightning, Theft, Vandalism, Storms and other natural calamities. Consult with your landlord and double check what he has insured. Most landlords insure against rain since it is cheaper but that will not cover damage caused by floods! Opt for a more comprehensive cover – the risk is not worth taking!

Renters Insurance gives you absolute peace of mind. Go ahead and consult a professional and get competitive quotes – for a few dollars a month you can rest easy.

Living in the US as a student or a bachelor can often involve moving around a lot. Be it a more value for money accommodation or a sudden shift in the workplace that forces you to move, it can happen unannounced. Moving requires a lot of planning to be done right but one can also rush into it and come out unscathed if done right. Here is a guide to doing it without a fuss in little time.

Get help!

It is as simple as it sounds, you need extra hands while moving and more so if on a constricted time scale. If you have a lot of things that involve a lot of packing than moving and if you have just a matter of hours or a just a couple of days it is best you hire a professional packer and mover. However if you are the type of person who shoves your stuff in the back of a truck and gets going you can do it yourself but do get your friends or neighbors to help you out.

Concentrate on the valuables first

Moving is one of the major reasons why people lose valuable stuff. It could be anything from documents, certificates or tokens of remembrance. Some things can be replaced, some can’t so best concentrate first on these items and put them in a separate box marked important. Electronics and other delicate items that need to be handled with care should go in boxes padded with Styrofoam or thermos and make sure they are loaded properly and handled with care during moving. Fragile items have to be packed with enough padding and marked appropriately.

Prep your destination

Moving does not just involve your present house but also involves the house you are moving to. If within a drivable distance, swing by and make sure everything is in place yourself before moving. If it is far off, call your landlord or real estate agent to make sure it is ready to move in. Call the civic authorities and confirm if the amenities like power, water and gas are readily available.

Overlooked yet important things

Most of the times we are so focused on the bigger things that we miss out on the smaller details that could cost a lot.

• Defrost your fridge 24 hours in advance and plug it off
• Empty the food and dispose of any leftovers that you might have
• Withdraw cash from the ATM though most services accept cards, always carry cash
• Double check after your house is emptied. Cupboards, attic, and closed shelves importantly
• Remember to change your address everywhere – mails, bills, services, banks etc.

Moving can be hectic but often is a good way to bond with family or friends. Do it right and it can end up being a fun memory.

Bong with your kid over funny poems

Funny poems make both adults as well as children laugh and giggle; getting silly together helps both to connect on a whole new level. They not only help children to celebrate the joy and wonder of their world, but also start them off with a healthy respect for poetry and humor. True humorous poems tickle the funny bone of their imaginations and satisfy the short attention span.

According to Kenn Nesbitt, a children's Poet Laureate and author of some of the funniest kids' funny poems and reading material can even make the most hesitant readers to read as it is easy and interesting. When children are exposed to short and interesting reading material like joke and riddle books, books of humorous poems, funny books, encyclopedic books with fascinating pictures and books that are 'gross and disgusting they would start reading.

Most kids’ love things that make them laugh with sharing humorous books together being not only fun for the kids and their parents, but also provides a powerful bonding experience for them; so read poetry whenever you spend time together.

Spending time together reading out aloud funny poems with kids helps not only share a laugh together, but also make sense of the world around them.  Humorous poems help kids notice things that are out of place, silly or just plain ridiculous and to develop a funny bone. They help poems kids pick up the clues and enjoy that moment.

 "Moo, Baa, La La La" by Sandra Boynton

These board books of rhymes make babies giggle with glee; parents too enjoy it. It helps babies to get rhyming, anticipating and learning animal sounds from a young age. They also discover what animals do and don't really say.

"Spot the Duck" by Gerald Hawksley

These silly, quick couplets combined with fun illustrations would provide laugh-out-loud fun and surprises for parents and little ones. You could also get an inexpensive Kindle eBook, for starters.

Some poems for pre-school children from 2 to 5 years of age:

 "Poem-mobiles: Crazy Car Poems" by J. Patrick Lewis and Douglas Florian

Written by award-winning children's poets J. Patrick Lewis and Douglas Florian these imaginative set of poems makes kids laugh, think and jump-start their imaginations; you may find yourself reading it again after they go to bed. 

   "Hey, Little Ant" by Phillip Hoose, Hannah Hoose and Debbie Tilley

Started as a father-daughter song, and the "Hey, Little Ant" story, it imagines the conversation between a little kid and a tiny ant. Will the kid squish the bug or let him go?

Some poems for school-age Kids from 5 to 10 years of age:

"The Butterfly Jar" by Jeff Moss

A classic Moss with a humorous side; Moss is the original head writer and composer/lyricist for the groundbreaking children's television series "Sesame Street."

"Orangutan Tongs" by Jon Agee 

Read these poems aloud by turns; you will surely have your tongue tangled with these twisted silly verses.

"Poems I Wrote When No One Was Looking" by Alan Katz

 A writer, producer, songwriter and author, Alan Katz keeps coming up with funny things to write about everyday life as a kid. "Poems I Wrote When No One Was Looking" is full of wry rhymes, wacky suggestions, silly puns, and gross suggestions.

Nannies in New York doing these kind of poems and all those things.

Rental prices for apartments getting cheaper

Approximately it’s about $995 per month in Ohio. To one’s shock, rental prices in Los Angeles have come down to an amicable scale. “Small time metros” they were called once.  Rental prices for apartments didn’t get cheaper in small metros as expected.

Living in one of the top metros paying moderate rental price, and that’s the point one shouldn’t be thinking any further about moving.

Small metros with higher % of rental prices

 Renters living in the given places would probably be thinking about moving to big metros henceforth. A dramatic increase in the rent has made their livelihood a bit shaky.

Reasons being well-organized infrastructure no wonder that landlords have increased the rent by 85%. Steady agriculture, oil resources, water resources and mineral resources being the prime reasons.

San Angelo (TX), Wooster (OH), Williston (North Dakota), Indiana (PA), Glen Falls (NY), Nacogdoches (TX)

Listings boomed within a year’s span in these regions. Developers were seen interested in small metros since the year 2012.  To be specific rental rates have increased from $536 to $995 approximately. Similarly, it was $460 in San Angelo in 2013. Figures turned into fright to the renters in this small time metro in 2014 ($678 approximately).

On the whole, rental increase in such places seemed like it’s going to on rising scale forever. Census shows a drastic increase by 70%.

Looking into it further, Williston (North Dakota) towers its rivals. Moderate livelihood has reached up to $4,500 per month, if renters are willing to occupy a 3 bedroom-3 bath apartment/penthouse! Shared living is much of a question with such steep prices.

Big cities with fallen % of rental prices

On the other side of the colored glass, there goes a fall surprisingly low. Provided with every utility one could count on as laundry unit, pet-friendly space and policy, air conditioning, dishwasher, stainless steel kitchen and oven, 2 bedroom-2 bath units are offered at cheap rental prices.

rentals in Kansas City (KS), Tucson (AZ), Birmingham (AL), Tulsa (OK), Oklahoma City (OK), Greensboro (NC), Huntsville (AL)

Livelihoods of renters in the big metros of America make room for savings a bit more. Reason duly a fall in rental prices.

Apartment for rent in jersey city are luxurious and cost-efficient too.

Tips to deal with an unreasonable landlord

We look at a number of factors before deciding to take up a house for lease or rent. Most of these factors are often within control and can be gauged before you pay the advance and move in. However, one of the most defining factors that dictate your experience is how your landlord turns out to be. An annoying landlord can cause unnecessary tension and puts you in a tricky situation. This is how you should deal with such a situation.

Patience pays!

Being a good tenant should be the first step of trying to deal with a pesky landlord. Make sure that you keep the place tidy and abide by the rules that were mentioned in the agreement. Be courteous when the landlord makes a surprise visit, it is his place after all! If there are rules about pets or people staying over, stick to them. And the most important of all – pay up the rent on time.

Keep it simple

The easiest way to avoid conflict is to cave in. If the situation can be solved by a little flexibility from your end that does not hamper your basic rights, take the option out. Life is a lot easier if you avoid confrontation, especially when you are at the mercy of someone.

Document everything

A written proof will always help if things get out of hand. Drop a mail or a written letter when you need something sorted out instead of verbal communication. Also, make sure you have a proper rental/lease agreement signed before you step in. Get a legal counsel on such documents if needed. Also, the best thing to do in case the issue gets out of hand is to send a legal notice instead of arguing out loud. Know your right and use it to your advantage.

Take the easy way out!

The simplest solution to your conflict with the landlord is to move out! Provided you landlord is just in doing the final settlement, take the easy way out and way away and save the unnecessary tension of fighting with your landlord daily.

you can always make use of portals like Sulekha to find cheap accommodation or room sharing in the US