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If youre looking to rent an apartment, there is a lot to consider. From budget to utilities to location, you will find many choices to suit your needs. But what about a place that’s already furnished? For a first-time renter on a budget, finding a furnished property can be great. For those who already own their own furniture, a furnished apartment may be unnecessary. Whatever your case may be, there are upsides and downsides to renting out a furnished apartment and all the strings attached.

What Does Furnished Really Mean?
Though there are many apartments listed as furnished, this can mean different things. Some units may be outfitted with necessities, such as a bed, dresser, kitchen table or couch. Others may offer more, such as curtains, rugs, lamps and even decor items. If you prefer a furnished apartment, talk to your real estate agent or future landlord about which items will be included when you move in. The sooner you know what is provided, the sooner youll know what you do and do not need to purchase before your big move.

Consider the Costs
Furnished apartments are often more expensive than unfurnished units. This is because the landlord has invested in the items available. If you are looking to save money, compare the cost of a furnished apartment to the cost of an unfurnished apartment, plus any furniture you may need to buy. If you dont already own furniture, especially larger pieces, a furnished unit may be cheaper than if you have to fully furnish an empty space.

Pros of a Furnished Apartment

No need to move heavy furniture or hire a moving company.
Save money with no additional furniture purchases.
Ideal for short-term rentals.

Cons of a Furnished Apartment

No space for furniture you already own.
Additional cost for storage for items that do not fit.
Higher monthly rent.

So, is a furnished apartment right for you? Discuss the pros, cons and costs with your real estate agent to figure out what type of apartment is right for you.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

When looking for a new home, the characteristics of the house are obviously important, but you should also focus on the neighborhood. If you and your family currently have a healthy lifestyle, youll want to find a new home where you can stick to positive habits. If you have not focused on your health as much as you would like, think of buying a new home as a chance to start on a healthier path.

Look for Opportunities to Exercise
Staying active is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. You and your family will be more likely to get out and exercise if there are places where you can do so safely. As you look for your next home, take a drive around the area and talk to your real estate agent about places where you and your family could get some physical activity.

Walking or biking to get to work, to run errands or simply to get some fresh air and physical activity can help you stay healthy. Look for a neighborhood with sidewalks, bicycle lanes on roads and walking or hiking trails. Ask your real estate agent about traffic patterns at different times of the day or visit the neighborhood at various times to see for yourself if you could walk and bike safely. You can also gather valuable information on noise, air pollution and traffic congestion to help you decide whether you would want to live there.

Seek out a neighborhood with green spaces, such as parks, playgrounds, public gardens and dog parks. Not only are those excellent places to exercise and get to know other members of your community, but being around nature has been proven to benefit physical and mental health.

If you and your kids prefer more structured forms of exercise, look for a neighborhood with appropriate facilities. Depending on your interests, you may want to search for a home in an area with athletic fields, pools, basketball courts, tennis courts and gyms.

Focus on Other Factors That Could Help Your Family Stay Healthy
Search for a neighborhood that is free of litter and where people seem to take pride in their homes and community. A home near supermarkets or farmers markets could help you stock up on nutritious foods. Buying a house near convenience stores and fast food restaurants might encourage you to make less healthy food choices.

Talk to Your Real Estate Agent and Current Residents
Before you decide to buy a house, learn as much as you can about the community. Talk to your real estate agent about local facilities that promote a healthy lifestyle. Ask what people do to have fun and relax, and what types of amenities the community has to offer so you can figure out if it would be a good fit for your family.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

When looking at real estate listings, it can be easy to fall in love with the idea of living in a house with a specific design or features, but you most likely wont be able to get everything on your wishlist. Focus on things that you couldnt change and differentiate between needs and wants so you can make a list of top priorities to guide your search.

Things to Prioritize
Location is important in real estate, but people have different priorities. Figure out if having a short commute, living in a good school district or being near restaurants and entertainment is important to you and your family.

Focus on the condition of the house. If you buy a home with a cracked foundation and you wind up with expensive repair bills, you may come to regret your decision. Make sure that major systems, such as plumbing and electrical, are in good shape so you dont have to make costly repairs after you move in.

You may have a long list of things that you would like, but that are not necessarily requirements. For example, you may prefer a two-story home, but you may be willing to buy a one-story house if it has everything else you want. Size is important, but a smaller house that is well designed may have more usable living space than a home with more square footage.

You might find a house with fewer bedrooms or bathrooms than you would like, but you could build an addition later. Other things, such as a pool or a patio, could be added in the future.

When making your list of priorities, consider potential downsides. For example, a house with a huge yard may seem ideal, until you think about the amount of time you would need to spend on lawncare or the amount of money you would have to pay someone else to handle it.

Hash It Out
Make a list of features that are most important to you and others that would be nice to have. If someone else is buying the house with you, that individual should make a list independently. Work together to narrow them down to the top 3 – 5 priorities, then another list of things that would be nice to have.

Be Realistic About Price
If you got preapproved for a mortgage, you should not necessarily spend the amount you were approved for. The lenders calculations may not have included significant expenses, such as property taxes, private mortgage insurance, homeowners insurance, maintenance, repairs, childcare and healthcare.

Talk to Your Agent
Once you have identified your top priorities, share them with your real estate agent. After you begin looking at houses, you may realize that some things on the list arent as important as you thought they were, and that some things you thought would be nice to have are actually top priorities. If that happens, revise your list and discuss it with your agent.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

These ideas will restore order in the bathroom and create a whole new look and feel.

Short on counter space? Attach wire crates to the wall and use them to store items that clutter up the sink area.

Adhere flat-backed suction cups to the inside of your medicine cabinet door.

Fill them with cotton swabs, tweezer, hair clips and other small items.

Stack towel bars on the back of the bathroom door to organize towels in one spot.

Add a shelf above your medicine cabinet to store paper goods, soap and cleaning supplies.

Remember, having a great bathroom isnt about more spaceits about using the space you have wisely.

Published with permission from RISMedia.