Friends as Roommates

New Girl; Apartment Party

It’s always exciting getting that first new place on your own and moving out of your family’s house, but when you start looking you realize it is more affordable to get a bigger and nicer place if you have a roommate. Who better to be your roommate than a friend?

Well, living with your friend isn’t always what you would expect it to be. Sure we’ve all watched TV shows like the New Girl, where living with your friends looks awesome, one big party, but life isn’t a TV show…so you’re probably in for a big surprise.

Depending on the situation, you might be renting out to a friend, you might sign a lease with a friend, or you might move in with and pay rent to a friend. You might move in with one friend, or many friends. The question is, how do relationships change when you make the transition from friends to roommates?

Conflicting Schedules

Conflicting schedules should be a cause for concern, but many people don’t think of this until after they have moved in together. For example, a couple of young friends who let’s say go to school or work at opposite times might also require sleep at opposite times. Ok so different sleeping schedules, big deal? What does that mean for your lifestyle at home?

Well for one thing you might not see much of each other but that could be a good thing. Different sleeping schedules would mean the two of you would be expected to keep noise at reasonable levels while the other sleeps. This might have an impact on your social life, and your lifestyle. And if you’re the type that enjoys watching a movie with an awesome sound system, or blasting that great new hit that just came out… well, you’re out of luck!

Conflicting Goals

The Big Bang Theory, Different Goals

What happens if one roommate is responsible, and the other is a party-fanatic? Sure, things were great when you were just friends. How did you know your roommate was a party-fanatic? Well you partied when you were together, but the rest of the time the two of you did your own things. But what happens if one roommate treats his new home as the bachelor pad of the century while the other, more introverted individual, finds happiness in a more quiet and relaxed environment?

What happens when your friend spends all their money partying or shopping? Who is responsible for paying the landlord the outstanding rent to avoid being sent to court? Unless you can say 100% that your friend does not party all the time, and is responsible with their money you might want to reconsider them as a roommate. That’s not to say that your friend can’t mature if given the chance. After all, we’ve all seen the hit TV-series Friends; when Rachel moves in with Monica, and has no sense of responsibility but eventually she learns.

Things aren’t as they seem

Sure, your friends are great. You have the most fun when you’re with them, but right now, you’re not always with them. The fact of the matter is that over time you get bored of people, and the longer you live with them the more you learn about them.

It’s possible that you really don’t know your friends that well. You don’t really get to know somebody until you live with them. What are their habits like? Do they like to keep things neat and tidy, or are they big procrastinators? Do their habits conflict with yours? Those are the types of questions you need to ask yourself, and they are important in determining if your friend would make a good roommate.

Take Big Bang Theory for example; can you imagine a roommate like Sheldon? Oh boy are you in for a treat if you move in and later discover your friend is a meticulous control freak. Where living at home would have been less stressful. Do your research, maybe try a vacation with your friend and share a room. Obviously this won’t be the most accurate way to determine how they really behave but it will give you a better idea. You’ll get to see if they pick up after themselves, or if they leave the room in total chaos.

It’s about compatibility.

 

Friends,Close Roommates 

At the end of the day, it’s not wrong to move in with a friend. You just have to be aware of the fact that living with somebody can have an effect on your relationship with that person. The trick is to select a roommate whose company you enjoy, who has a schedule similar to yours, and who also has similar goals. Live with somebody that respects your goals and encourages your growth. After all, if you’re living with somebody that’s detrimental to your goals in life, then you have a problem. Don’t make the mistake of slowing your progress because of the person you chose to live with.

Pets and Apartment Living

Thinking about bringing your furry friend with you to your new apartment? Or considering buying a pet to keep you company in your new place?

Well there are many things to consider. Sure living on your own can get boring or lonely sometimes, and it would be nice to have something waiting for you when you get home.

Before you make the commitment to your furry friend consider the following.

 

 

Your Lifestyle and Schedule

Ruby: Flagship Mascot

Do you work or go to school during the day? Who would be at home with the pet?  If you’re considering getting a dog, and you're not home for 12-hours in a day maybe a dog isn't the best choice.  A dog is a huge responsibility, you have to be around to care for them, feed them and take them for multiple daily walks.  Also, dogs require routine visits to the vet clinic, and you would need to be available to go with your pet to the clinic.

You may not be gone for 12 hours in a day, you may work from home. So you would be home all day with your pet, but keep in mind, your pet might need your attention.  So you would have to be willing to devote sometime of your day to your pet and it might keep you from getting your work done. You have to schedule walks around your work needs or hire a dog walker.

So if you don’t have the time to dedicate to a dog, maybe think about a different pet, a less high maintenance animal. Perhaps a more independent animal would be nice, like a bird, cat or fish?

Size of Apartment

Are you renting a 1 bedroom apartment with two people? Or maybe you live alone in a bachelor unit? Consider the size of your apartment before purchasing a new pet. If your apartment is hardly enough space for you, imagine how your pet would feel. Especially, if your bringing your dog from home. The transition for your pet can be more difficult on them then you, moving from a large home to a small city apartment.

 

Size of Pet or Number of Pets

So you've considered all the options and you've decided you really want to share your apartment with a pet. Now if you live in a small apartment with limited space the size of pet is really important. You don’t want a large animal that requires more space than you can offer. For apartment lifestyles, a smaller breed animal is a great option. There are some great small breed dogs that would be perfect for your apartment. Also, cats are great independent pets, and your local shelter is sure to have adoption programs available. The other option is a bird or fish tank. With a bird they stay in their cage, so cleaning up after them is easy and their independent. Same with a fish tank and best part you can have more than one fish in a tank.

 

Owning a pet is great, but make sure you're ready for the lifestyle change.

 

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10 Apartment Must Haves

  1.  Band-Aids

We’ve all been there, it doesn’t matter if you’re 2 or 62, band-aids come in handy, as we’re never prepared for the day when we accidently cut/scrape ourselves. When you run out or if you don’t buy band-aids you usually just let the cut bleed until it stops or you wrap a piece of paper towel around the cut to stop the bleeding. All you’re really doing is making yourself more uncomfortable by having to hold down your paper towel or tape it. So just keep a pack in your medicine cabinet, and if you get the ones with ointment even better as it will help speed up the healing process

2.  Batteries

 

Most of the time when you purchase a TV or get that new cable box installed the remote controls come with new batteries. But let’s face it, those batteries aren’t going to last forever. Buy a small pack of batteries and store them. Plus, don't forget that your apartment has smoke detectors that also run on batteries, and you will need to change them from time to time.  Keep in mind batteries have expiry dates so if you only have 1 or 2 items in your apartment that need batteries don’t buy a huge bulk pack of batteries from Costco.

3.  A needle and Thread

This is only useful if you know how to use a needle and thread in an emergency wardrobe situation. If you lose a button, tear a seam etc a needle and thread can save the day. You can wear your lucky blazer to that meeting after all, or else you would have to take a trip to your dry cleaners and hope they can fix it for you.

4.  Tea

Let’s face it, you may not like it but you will need it eventually. You could get sick, and what better remedy to help you feel better than a warm glass tea with some honey. According to Dr Oz. honey in your tea will help sooth your painful throat and honey actually has a tone of health benefits.  You might also find yourself hosting a get together and one of your guest could be a tea drinker, or you run out of Ice Tea. Even though you think you don’t tea in your apartment, you will find yourself using it in more often.

 5.  Tupperware

After a party, usually the host is left with the mess to clean up and all leftover food. In order to keep your leftovers fresh longer store them in Tupperware. Also, if you have inexpensive Tupperware you can share the leftovers with guests to take home.

6.  Basic Medication

The most important medication to have is Tylenol or Advil in your medicine cabinet. They’re great for any back pain, head ache, menstrual cramps, fever etc. You should also keep on ointment on hand for cuts and burns; Polysporin is great to help treat the area and help reduce scaring. During the winter months keep some Halls or other throat lozenges around and your favorite brand of Cold & Flu medication.

 

7.  Spare Light bulbs

You never know when your light is going to burn out just plan ahead and keep a pack of light bulbs in your closet. The worst thing that can happen is your bathroom light burns out right before your guest come and you know have to run out to buy spare bulbs. Or there could be a winter storm out there and your kitchen light burns out…how are you supposed to cook? Not in the dark and there is no way you’re walking anywhere in the middle of storm. So next time you’re at the grocery store just buy a pack of 2 or 4 light bulbs to store in your apartment.

8.  Hand towels

When your guest need to use your bathroom they need somewhere to dry their hands on. So buy a cute set of towels to put out when guest are over… some great stores sell these sets for $20. Also, when you have company over, move your bath towel or robe out of your bathroom, maybe put them behind your bedroom door instead.

9.  Canned Soup and Frozen Vegetables

You never know when you have to work late, or when you need something easy and quick for lunch. Canned soups are great, get a chicken noodle soup with vegetables these are delicious. Also, frozen vegetables are perfect for quick stir-fry, and the best part, they last longer than fresh vegetables so you don’t have to worry about it rotting in your freezer.  Plus as a bonus, cream of mushroom can with some frozen peas or spinach goes great over any pasta.

 

10.  Plug-in Cord Telephone

OK….I know what you’re thinking, what do I need that for?? Sometimes people forget that their cordless phones or their cellphones need power to work. You never know when we’re going to be stuck in another blackout, and if you want to call someone during it then you better have a cord phone somewhere.

For more great ideas and tips, follow us on Twitter and Facebook search: Flagshipapts

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Why Rent from Flagship Properties?

 

Choosing Between Apartments?

When trying to decide which apartment will be best for you, it's important to consider the amount of support each landlord is willing to provide for his or her tenants. In order to determine this, you should find out the way potential apartments handle maintenance and other tenant related issues.

 

What sets our Properties apart?

 

At Flagship, our name says it all; we are committed to quality and high standards. We provide our tenants with professional and caring staff that quickly resolve any tenant issues.

Have you ever had to wait two days to have your maintenance request attended to??

Our staff is committed to providing 24 hours resolution to all maintenance needs. Our tenants find ease in the ability to send a request via e-mail or thru our website from anywhere and have our personnel attend to the issue quickly.

Many larger companies have a form of hierarchy that a maintenance request needs to flow thru before being looked after. At Flagship, your requests are immediately submitted to the property manager, who then notifies our maintenance personnel of any issues. Should the maintenance request be to resolve a larger problem, our Property Manager quickly contacts our contractors to attend to the issue in a timely professional manner.

Another point that sets us apart is we routinely do Semi-Annual inspections for all of our apartment buildings. We inspect each unit, to ensure they are in good state for occupancy, we check for leaks, drywall repairs, and functioning smoke detectors etc.  We feel this is an important aspect of our company, as it helps us foresee and prevent minor maintenance issues.

 

 

 

 

So if you apartment hunting, and trying to find a perfect place to call home consider one of our Flagship Properties.  Our team’s commitment and dedication to our tenants and buildings will have you wondering how you ever rented somewhere else!

Click the link below and see what our

tenants have to say about us!

 

 

http://flagshipcorp.ca/testimonial.html

 

Happy Valentine's Day

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Spending Valentine’s at home this year, not going out to a fancy dinner?

Don’t worry; we have some great ideas to transform your apartment and get you ready for Valentine’s Day.

 Do It Your Self Decorations

Whether you’re throwing a special dinner for two, or a get together with your single pals, a splash of colour is sure to set the mood in your apartment. Use lots of reds, and pinks to add colour around your apartment. Maybe make some heart shaped garland out of construction paper and hang around windows. Spread some rose petals over the table for color, and place a heart shaped chocolate on each place setting. Finally, for a centerpiece, take a small clear glass vase and place fresh or fabric flowers into the vase.  Don’t add water to the vase, instead visit your local bulk food store and buy cinnamon heart candy, or any valentine’s candy of your choice, and use these to fill the vase.

 Quick Dinner Ideas

Since this year Valentine’s Day falls during the week, a dinner menu should be easy to prepare. Plan a menu in advance, and shop one or two days before for ingredients. If you’re serving a meat/chicken/fish dish, marinate it the night before and leave in the fridge, this way after work you just have to pop your dish in the oven.  Not sure what to serve, we have a quick and easy suggestion:

 

  Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Served with Garlic Crostini and garnished with lobster meat and leak onions.

 

 Mixed Greens Salad

 With thin slices of strawberries, some crispy Prosciutto, and Balsamic Vinaigrette.

 Pepper Crusted Filet Mignon

 served with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables.

 

 

The Perfect Dessert

Cupcakes are the perfect dessert for Valentine’s, especially if they’re chocolate or red velvet. You can personalize cupcakes with cute Valentine candy, or just frost them.  Cupcakes are great; you can make them the night before and store them in the fridge, just take them out during dinner and serve with coffee.

Greatest Romance Movies

Planning to open a bottle of wine and watch a movie after dinner, there are so many films to choose from here is our top Ten List

1.      The Notebook

2.      Pretty Woman

3.      The Proposal

4.      Definitely Maybe

5.      A Walk to Remember

6.      My Best Friend’s Wedding

7.      Sweet Home Alabama

8.      How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

9.      Wedding Planner

10.  Last Song

 

From all of us at Flagship, we wish you a Happy Valentine's Day!

www.flagshipcorp.ca

Battling the Cold

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With winter in full swing many people are resorting to alternative heating methods, such as portable heaters, mattress heating pads and some other unsafe methods.

In a recent news segment on City News, they noted how there have been an increase in fires over the last few weeks that can be related to the use of such devices or unsafe heating methods.

 

It is interesting how many people try to heat there space with unsafe methods, like leaving a wood burning fire place on and unattended, using a stove or oven as a heat source, or forgetting to turn off a portable heater after several hours of use. These scenarios may seem harmless, but it only takes one spark to ignite a flame.

 

In fact, recently on the web there was an article about a London couple, who forgot to unplug there mattress heating pad and their mattress caught on fire. It is easy to forget that these devices shouldn’t be used for long periods of time and can lead to dangerous situations if misused. Did you know that portable heaters are the leading cause of household fires?

 

Therefore, as a caution consumer, if you are going to be using these heating devices, use them for short periods throughout the day. Never leave them unattended and always remember to turn off and unplug the device once you finish. 

 

Another option to battling the cold, wear winter clothing when you’re home, not too many layers as you are indoors.  Always keep windows and balcony doors closed, as with the temperatures below freezing you apartment can get cold really fast. Also be considerate, if you leave your windows and balcony doors open all day or for long time periods, your neighbors will start to feel the cold air.

 So to sum up how to battle the cold

1. Dress for Winter
2. Avoid using unsafe heating methods
3. Avoid using heating devices for extended periods of time
4. Don’t leave windows and balcony doors open

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Move In Secrets

 

1. Ask for Help in Advance

 

As you know your move in date well in advance, ask family or friends to help you move. Give them at least two weeks’ notice, and offer them lunch or breakfast for their help. Buying takeout for a couple of friends is more affordable then hiring a moving company to help you move.  Keep in mind, if your new place has no elevator, let your family/friends know in advanced that there will be lots of stairs climbing.

 

2. Rent or reserve a moving truck/van

If you have a lot of large items or furniture pieces that won’t fit in your car rent a van/truck from your local car rental company. Or the more affordable option, if you have a friend/family member that owns a van, ask them if they can help you move. Of course you would have to pay gas, but $30 gas could be more affordable then renting a van for the day.

 

3. Assemble Furniture Prior to Moving

 

If you bought furniture for your new apartment, you probably noticed that they’re all packaged into pretty small boxes. That means you have many hours of assembly and stress waiting for you. Get a head start, assemble your furniture before your moving date, as this will save you time when you’re in your new place. Plus, as furniture item are the largest and bulkiest pieces you want to make sure you move them into your apartment first. This will help you ensure you have as much space as possible when trying to get them into your new place.

 

4. Clean and Dust the Apartment

 

Your new superintendent and landlord have worked hard to renovate your apartment in time for you to move in, but the cleanliness of the unit may not be up to your standards. Schedule in advanced with your new super to pick up your keys and sign your lease before moving in, could be the night before if the previous tenant has already vacated or the earlier in the morning of your move in date. When you pick up your keys, spend an hour or less cleaning your apartment before you move in. Keep in mind, after a day of moving, and walking around the apartment with your shoes you will definitely need to clean your unit again.

 

5. Craiglist your Boxes

 

Once you’re done unpacking your boxes, and need to get rid of them, try posting them on Craigslist or Kijiji. Someone is sure to need them, remember how you were crazy looking for boxes not too long ago? Post a picture of the boxes, and you will have them gone in no time.

 

 

Happy Moving!