There are more apartment remodeling options than you may realize, but then again sometimes this choice isn’t available to you. You may think is it better to remodel or buy a new home? At any rate, whether you go the remodeling route or take the relocation option, you can make the apartment you live in the one you always dreamt of.
Following we’ll explore a few tactics for either alternative.
Remodeling In A Major Capacity
If you’re going to remodel your apartment, you’ll need to have the authorization of your landlord—unless, of course, you actually own the space; in which case the proper term is probably closer to “condominium”. That’s not always the case, though. In NYC, you can buy apartments—they’re just called co-ops, or cooperatives, and you own part of the building.
One big difference between apartments or co-ops and condos has to do with the HOA or Homeowners Association. There’s an HOA fee that can be anywhere from $250 to $1,000 a month, depending on the community. In some places, it’s as little as $50. With co-ops, you end up paying more owing to maintenance and taxes.
Regardless, remodeling generally requires ownership. However, there are arrangements you can make with landlords. For example, if you’re a contractor, you might be able to work an arrangement where you manage to skip out on rent provided the remodeling work you do is proper and correct, as they say in the UK.
Don’t give up if you can’t avoid rent with a little remodeling, though. Provided you know what you’re doing, or know contractors who understand how best to effect apartment remodel, this could be your path to authorization. “Mr. Landlord, can I remodel the unit instead of paying rent?” The landlord says, “No”. You reply: “Well what if I pay rent and you authorize the work?”
Minor Remodeling
Even if you “couch” it right, landlords may not allow you to effect major remodeling. But your ideal apartment may not require an overhaul to achieve. For some people, the ideal apartment just requires a new paint job, or maybe a new carpet. Perhaps you change the drapes or replace a chandelier. Maybe you install a new dishwasher.
With most minor remodeling, you won’t get too much trouble from landlords. The truth is, you’re saving them time and money by remodeling your unit while you live there. However, what the landlord is afraid of is that you won’t have follow-through, skill, or available contracting help. They’re afraid of a costly job abandoned in the middle.
Even minor remodeling can have outcomes like this. Accordingly, to cover themselves, landlords want to be careful. So a few minor things within the terms of the lease, that’s not going to raise any eyebrows; but there’s a compromise here. If you can become a property manager for your landlord, and fix a few things well, they might let you do remodel work.
Moving To The Ideal Apartment Locally
Of course, for many, remodeling their apartment is out of the question either owing to the landlord, lease, or lack of ownership. For them, the best move is finding a new apartment locally that matches their ideal unit. This can be difficult and costly, but it can also help you secure your dream residence; so the hassle can certainly be worth it.
If you’re moving from one apartment or one house to another residence, the involved work can be time-consuming and arduous. A wise tactic is taking a suggestion from UmoveFree, and moving locally with rebates for the associated cost. UMoveFree offers a free move or up to $200 in rebate—that’s a good deal! You want to save money with such moves.
This particular moving agency is located in Texas, but they’re not the only “game in town”, as it were, for moving solutions. You might use their site as a template to help you find similar services in your area—provided you’re not in Texas.
Regardless, what you want to do is explore what options are available locally. Look at the neighborhood, pricing, unit quality, proximity to occupational locales, shopping, and other relevant factors.
Making A More Long-Distance Apartment Move
Sometimes your only real choice is to make a long-distance trek across the country. For example, in Los Angeles, California, you can find some of the world’s nicest apartments—but they’re going to be about four times the cost of their actual worth, and that worth is not likely to be retained in the long term; especially considering present economic woes in the state.
So it may be wiser to make the trip to Texas and see what’s available. Accordingly, don’t limit yourself to what units are available where you are. However, you do need to think about involved budgets for long-term moves.
It’s not cheap to travel across the country with all your possessions, nor is it convenient. However, it may be cheaper and more inconvenient than a total remodel. It will depend on the situation.
Finding The Apartment Of Your Dreams
Long-distance moves could be cheaper than going with nearby options. Similarly, it may be cheaper to renovate your apartment or remodel it. However, there can be issues with landlords, and this tends to be more inconvenient than just buying a unit that fits your preferences. Even minor remodeling can end up being a major hassle.
So in short, your situation will be as unique as you are, but you can weigh pros and cons in terms of price, legality, locality, convenience, skill, and rights you’re eligible to exercise.
Once you’ve considered all these factors, the wise move is making a choice that has the least overall expense and difficulty for you. However, for some, cost and convenience aren’t factors.
