Setting Up Your Apartment
Now you have your apartment. New beginnings are fun and
exciting. Congratulations! Before you move into your apartment, there
are things you need to do to get the place ready. You need to set your
apartment up with amenities. Amenities are important things that you need
for your apartment. These include utilities such as heat, electricity,
water, and the telephone. Amenities also include your furniture, food,
laundry service and the option of having cable television. These are very
important to your daily living and you can’t live on your own without
amenities. Once again, you need to have these set up before you move into
your apartment.
Utilities & Other Services
Some apartments include all utilities with your rent. Other apartments
include heat but not electricity. Some apartments provide electricity
but not heat. With some apartments you have to pay separately for all
utilities. Find out from your landlord who is responsible to pay for hot
water, heat, gas, and electricity. You should also find out who is responsible
to pay for snow removal and trash disposal. Know where close, safe parking
is and if it is included in your rent or if it costs a fee. Find out this
information before you move into your apartment.
If you are going to set up your apartment with heat you need to know
that there are three different kinds of heat. They are oil heat, gas heat
and electric heat.
To set your apartment up with oil heat, contact an oil dealer to fill
your tank. There are a large number of oil dealers listed in the yellow
pages of the phone book. If you use oil heat it is very important that
you routinely check your oil tank to make sure it is filled with enough
oil. If oil seems too expensive you may be able to qualify for fuel assistance.
For information on fuel assistance, contact PROP at (207) 874-1140.
To set your apartment up with gas heat, call Northern Utilities at (800)
552-8464. They will set you up with an account. Ask to see the gas bills
for the apartment for the last 12 months. This will help you budget for
gas.
To set your apartment up with electric heat, call Central Maine Power
(CMP) at (800) 750-4000. They will set you up with an account. Ask to
see the electric bills for the apartment for the last 12 months. This
will help you budget for electric heat. Electric heat can be expensive
so be careful about renting any place that has electric heat. Know what
it will cost before you move in! If your apartment rent does not include
electricity, call CMP to set up an account.
Before you rent an apartment, locate the utility controls. Know where
the thermostat is and find out who controls it. If there is an electric
heater and hot water heater, locate them. Be sure all the utilities and
appliances work properly. Know who is responsible for paying to fix appliances
and the furnace if it breaks down.
Furniture
If you don’t have furniture for your new apartment, you will need
some. It’s essential you have a bed, dishes, a table and chairs,
and something comfortable to relax on. Used furniture stores are great
resources. Think about going to Goodwill. Furniture banks are an excellent
way to get free furniture; however, you are responsible for picking up
and transporting your furniture. You want to get furniture that is quality
and within your budget.
Beware of businesses that rent furniture and make promises that are too
good to be true. Offers from companies that report you can get furniture
from them without credit checks often have high interest rates. Consumers
often end up paying more than triple the amount of the original cost of
the furniture by the time they pay it off. Use your best judgement. Often,
family members, friends and yard sales have furniture of good quality
that you can have without spending too much.
Food
Food is a basic need. You can’t live without it. It’s a secure
feeling when you have enough to eat. It’s smarter to shop at grocery
stores than at convenience stores. Grocery stores are cheaper and they
have more of what you need. By shopping at grocery stores you will avoid
the temptation to spend lots of money and time on fast foods that are
unhealthy. Before you move into an apartment of your own, know where you
will do your grocery shopping, and how you will transport your groceries
home.
Laundry
Find out about laundry. Laundry is something you need to budget for. You
need to make sure you have a place to do laundry before you move into
an apartment. In some buildings, laundry is located in the apartments
or on the premises. It may be included in your rent or you may have to
pay with quarters or a fee for a laundry pass. If washing machines and
dryers are not located on the premises, find out where the nearest laundry
mat is and budget the money it costs and the time it will take to do your
laundry.
Telephone & Cable TV
Telephone service and cable television are things many people
depend on. We recommend you set your apartment up with telephone service
by calling AT&T at (800) 222-0300. Cable television is nice, but it
is not necessary. Make sure you can afford it before you get cable television.
Cable television comes in many different packages that vary in expense.
Don’t spend money you don’t have for expensive TV. There are
plenty of other things to do to occupy your time. Look closely at your
budget and figure out all your living expenses before you purchase cable
television.
Managing your own apartment is your right; it’s a privilege and
a responsibility. Follow our guidelines about setting your apartment up
with the things that are important and you will be prepared for the excitement,
joy and challenge of having your own apartment.
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