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The Daily Beacon • Housing Guide
HOUSING GUIDE • SPRING 2012 An Advertising Supplement of The Daily Beacon
ADVERTISING MANAGER Shannon Thomas EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Blair Kuykendall CHIEF COPY EDITOR Robbie Hargett CONTRIBUTORS Lauren Kittrell • Tia Patron Preston Peeden • Victoria Wright
Spring 2012 • Advertising Supplement
WELCOME! Thanks for grabbing this issue! The advertising representatives at The Daily Beacon have collaborated with apartments as well as leasing agencies in order to bring you The Spring 2012 Housing Guide. Our main goal is to insure that University of Tennessee students receive all of the information they need to know before searching for their next place to call home. In this issue, you will find information about security and renter’s insurance, important numbers to know, tips for finding a roommate, questions to ask future landlords, as well as other important stories. By benefitting students, apartments and leasing agencies, we hope to make this guide a must-have for all student apartment hunters.
ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Nick Marchant • Adrian St. Amant ADVERTISING PRODUCTION Krystal Oliva • Anna Simanis The Daily Beacon is an editorially independent student newspaper at The University of Tennessee. The office is located at 1340 Circle Park Drive, 11 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0314. Callers with questions about advertising should call 865-974-5206. Editorial questions should be directed to 865-974-3226.
Shannon Thomas Advertising Manager
Spring 2012 • Advertising Supplement
The Daily Beacon • Housing Guide
Top 10 Questions 1. 2. 3.
When can I move in? If the move-in date does not work for you, try to negotiate a better time with the landlord/ old tenants.
Is the lease for 9 or 12 months? If you are not planning on staying over the summer, a 9-month lease may be more your style.
How much are rent and deposit fees, and when is rent for the first month due? These amounts are very important to know. Deposit fees are often due when you sign the lease or shortly after. You will need to know exactly how much you owe when signing the lease and how much you will need for rent before arriving on move-in day.
4. 5.
Is there a grace period after the monthly rental due date? Many apartment complexes let you have until the fifth of the month, but some do not. Make sure you find out when the last day to pay rent is and what the penalty charges are for late rent.
What are the terms for renewing the lease? Am I allowed to move to a new apartment on the property? Some complexes only consider it renewing if you sign the lease for the exact same location. This may affect your receiving the perks that complexes sometimes offer for renewing, such as free parking or reduced rent.
6. 7. 8.
9.
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to Ask Your Future Landlord
Are pets allowed? If you want a pet, would you need to pay an extra fee every month or is it just a one-time fee? If you do not want a pet, you should decide if living around other pets is OK with you and if the grounds are kept clean.
Are any utilities included in the agreement? If they are not included, you will most likely need to contact KUB and Comcast on your own. If you have roommates, you should decide whose name will be on the account before making the calls.
Can I paint walls or make other decorative changes? Some apartment complexes allow you to paint the walls if you paint them back when you move; others do not. Also, some complexes do not like for you to use nails in the walls because of the holes they leave. While this is probably not a deal-breaker for you, it could make your decorating more difficult.
Is there an office on-site or a 24-hour phone number in case of emergency? This is extremely important. If something happens in the middle of the night, whether it be a maintenance emergency or you getting locked out, you need to know that someone will be able to help you quickly.
is waste removal handled? Is recycling available? 10. How On move-in day, you will undoubtedly have a lot of trash to throw out. You will need to know where the dumpsters are located. Also, when you get settled, you may like to know if you should drop off your recyclables at your complex’s recycling bin or if you will need to make a trip to the recycling center each time.
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The Daily Beacon • Housing Guide
Spring 2012 • Advertising Supplement
Living With a Roommate: An Issue of Compassion and Compromise Living with roommates can be hard, but studies show taking initiative to improve roommate relationships can produce positive results. According to research conducted by psychologists Jennifer Crocker and Amy Canevello at the U-M Institute for Social Research in the September 2008 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
flicts. Usually I just let it slide to keep the peace in the apartment. I’m not a very confrontational person.” Though Keylon tries to avoid conflict, sometimes differences in personalities cannot be ignored. “The most negative aspect is the different personalities,” Keylon said. “One of my roommates and I are pretty neat, and the other roommate can be pretty messy at times so that can be tough to deal with.” According to an article in MSN Real Estate, students should
them. I think it would be easier to handle conflict if I’m living with a friend.” Lindsey Hughes, graduate and MBA student, currently lives with two roommates. She said the relationships are good, but remembers a particularly stressful time when living with three roommates during her sophomore year of undergrad. “This one girl kind of became really anti-social and just stayed in her room,” Hughes said. “We couldn’t really figure out what was going on.
relationships rely on each person’s ability to compromise and release a “me-first” approach. Crocker said in the journal, “students can be the architects of their roommate relationships, enhancing or undermining the quality of these important relationships.” Sophomore Kierra Gloston lives with three roommates in Gateway apartments and believes having roommates is beneficial overall . “It can be beneficial if you approach and handle all situations
college roommates can become close friends as long as each student is willing to compromise. The research found that in order to beat loneliness and build a significant relationship, roommates need to sacrifice their “ego-system” approach and move towards an “ecosystem” approach. Moving from one approach to another means each person must give up their selfish desires and practice a more genuine compassion for the other person. Matthew Keylon lives with two roommates in Quarry Trail apartments. He keeps conflict minimal to maintain a positive relationship with his roommates. “We all came from the same high school and have known each other our entire lives,” Keylon, senior in journalism and electronic media, said. “We don’t have too many con-
approach roommate conflict by utilizing common skills of “Communication 101.” In the article, roommates should prevent blaming each other for the problem and instead talk with each other in a comfortable situation where each person is more likely to be tactful in the conversation. The article also said people should conduct a self-analysis of themselves to see how they might be contributing to the issue. Malea Hinson, junior in communication studies, lives with one roommate in Laurel Hall. She finds directly confronting issues hard, but manages. “It’s hard for me to handle roommate conflict, but after a while I work up the courage to talk to them about whatever the problem is,” Hinson said. “I also like to come up with a solution prior to confronting
She never went to class and she never really talked to us.” Hughes and her other two roommates attempted to build a relationship with the girl, but their efforts were fruitless. “It was hard when you’re with someone who won’t talk to you and is kind of locking you out when you’re trying to help them, but you don’t know how,” Hughes said. Hughes said that by her senior year, all the roommates became cordial, but still were not close friends with the girl. She believes that when being assigned a roommate, getting a compatible one is based on luck. Though having roommates can bring a slew of conflicts, most students agree that the positives outweigh the negatives. The conclusions drawn from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology study find that roommate
responsibly and respectfully,” Gloston said. Gloston said some of the benefits of having roommates include receiving homework help or simply having someone to talk to. Malea Hinson agrees and believes living without roommates would be isolating. “Living with a roommate or roommates in college is always more beneficial,” Hinson said. “We are all going through the same things, and it would be extremely lonely to be by yourself.” According to an article on LiveStrong.com, having a roommate provides the possibility of making life-long friends. “I think it is extremely beneficial,” Keylon said. “The roommates people have in college are friends that they have for life.”
Victoria Wright Student Life Editor
Spring 2012 • Advertising Supplement
The Daily Beacon • Housing Guide
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Roommate Question Checklist Important
Searching for a roommate is not something that should be taken lightly. You need to remember that you will be spending much of your time and space with this person, so you will need to be compatible. There are websites and services that can help you with the search as well, but you need to make sure to thoroughly screen those candidates before agreeing to anything.
1. How much time will you spend at the apartment? – You need to decide if you want a roommate who is always around to hangout with or if you would prefer having your space. Once you decide this, you need to choose someone who meets your choice.
NUMBERStoKnow • KUB
865-524-2911
• Health Department
865-215-5000
• Fire Department
865-595-4480
• UTPD
2. What time do you usually get up in the morning? – If you are a late sleeper and they wake up early, it may not be the best fit.
Emergency: 865-974-3111 Main Phone: 865-974-3114
3. Do you have any furniture? – If you do not have any furniture you should think about finding a future roommate who does, so you will not need to spend a lot of money.
• KPD
865-215-7000
• Student Health Clinic
865-974-3648
4. Do you smoke? – You need to first decide if you are able to live with a smoker, if not, then you need to cross them off your list.
• Comcast
1-866-922-8128
• DirecTV
1-855-482-0748
• Dish Network
1-888-232-8689
5. Do you have any pets? – Are you okay with living with a pet and would you be willing to take care of it if the roommate is gone for a weekend or at work.
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The Daily Beacon • Housing Guide
Spring 2012 • Advertising Supplement
Spring 2012 • Advertising Supplement
The Daily Beacon • Housing Guide
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The Great Debate: On-Campus versus Off-Campus Living kitchen is worth the move. “The freedom that comes with livNews Editor ing off campus is great,” Saylor said. “The space is great, the privacy is The choice to live on or off great, and the kitchen, living room campus is a choice that must be and individual bedroom that you can made during the course of a college gain from moving off campus is not student’s life. just great, but totally awesome.” It’s the one choice every college While staying on campus may student has to make, and the one seem like the best option, a closer choice that can make or break a stulook can prove otherwise. From the dent’s collegiate experience. outset, dorms with laundry rooms, Towards the end of each year, the cafeterias within walking distance pros and cons begin to flash through and little need for driving appear one’s mind and command the attenmuch less expensive than the off-camtion of the pus apartments undecided. that lack those Between travel luxuries, but it expenses, rent is often more he freedom that comes and groceries, costly. the cost of livSurprisingly, with living off-campus is ing over the one of the pros delight of movof living off great... The space is great, ing out of the campus is that dorm holds one it can actually of the most difthe privacy is great, and the be less expenficult decisions. sive. While staykitchen, living room and “My lease, ing on campus when comoften works as bined with the individual bedroom that you a good option utilities I have for those who to pay each can gain from moving off prefer a life of month, is less ease, Christine than what it Wilt, sophocampus is not just great, but would cost to more in live on campus, finance, said totally awesome ” and all I have she enjoys the to do is give up freedom that some convenliving off cam– Kyle Saylor iences and pus provides. Junior in Chemical Engineering walk an extra Wilt currently mile or two lives in every day: sacrifices that I am willing Gateway apartments and enjoys the to make,” Saylor said. near proximity to campus without Splitting rent with roommates, not the restrictions of on-campus living. paying for unused meal plans and “I really enjoy being able to have skipping out on expensive campus my own room, and that there aren’t stores are all ways students are able rules to when or how long people can to save money in housing. For Wilt, visit,” Wilt said. riding the bus to and from campus Even just having extra space and a day in and day out makes living off living area adds to the delight of offcampus less expensive than the campus housing. Kyle Saylor, junior alternative. in chemical engineering, said that “It is definitely less expensive to though he misses the convenience of live off campus for me,” Wilt said. “I living on campus and enjoyed his have to pay for a bus pass, but you time there, having his own room and get your money’s worth pretty
Lauren Kittrell
“T
quickly.” Wilt isn’t the only student who has managed to beat the system. Saylor is currently staying in Crown apartments in the Fort Sanders area and is able to walk rather than drive to campus. “I walk to campus, so no gas money,” Saylor said. “The price of parking is about the same between my unused commuter parking pass and my apartment parking pass.” The choice seems obvious, but as with all decisions, there are both sides to the argument. Both Saylor and Wilt felt the difficulty of not living on campus. Having a place to crash in between classes is always pleasant, but, unfortunately, there is not off-campus housing that offers this. Missing sleep can be the determining factor in this decision. Wilt said that one thing she has had to adjust to while living off campus is the change in down time as opposed to
living in a dorm. “I miss how convenient (living on campus) was,” Wilt said. “Now I have to get up a lot earlier so that I can catch the bus to go, and if I miss it I end up being 30 minutes late to class, which is frustrating.” The breakdown comes down to comfort and ease versus expense. Living in a campus dorm provides safety, comfort and ease, while living off campus can be more freeing and less expensive, but the difference is minimal. The decision comes down to the individual student and what is best for him or her. For Wilt and Saylor, living off campus has been the right decision. “I feel that from an economic standpoint apartment living is much less expensive than living on campus,” Saylor said. “But even when you just consider expenses and nothing else, apartment living still comes out on top.”
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The Daily Beacon • Housing Guide
Spring 2012 • Advertising Supplement
Pulling the Plug on Your Expensive Utility Bills Several tips and tricks to help take the monthly sting out of your bank account 1. Learn to live without cable. While the channels are nice, the high monthly cost is not. Use online streaming services such as Hulu, Roku, or Netflix to stay up-to-date on your favorite shows.
2. Turn off lights when not using them. Although simple, this is something that we all forget to do from time to time. Stay vigilant!
3. Stay away from the thermostat. Heating and air conditioning make up some of the largest costs on your electric bill. Learn to live at 68° in the winter and 75° in the summer. Sweaters and box fans are your friends here, people.
4. Unplug large appliances when not in use. Remember that TV in the back room you’re no longer using? Guess what: it is still draining electricity. Keeping appliances unplugged when not in use will help stop parasitic drains, which can add up to large savings.
5. Check windows and doors for proper insulation and leaks. Checking for airflow around windows and doors can help save you significant money on your bill. Hanging heavy curtains or using a towel to stop air leaks will keep your air conditioning or heating from escaping.
6. Make sure your air filter is always in-date and changed accordingly. Keeping your HVAC unit running as effectively as possible will not only help keep your bills down, but keep you healthier as well. Keep the air filter clean and change it every 90 days (60 if you have pets or allergies). Check with your landlord- often they are responsible for this.
7. Conserve water. Often overlooked due to not having the high sticker shock of electricity, it is still a good idea to conserve water. Turning off the water while brushing your teeth and using only the amount of water that is needed to wash dishes are two easy ways to save.
Spring 2012 • Advertising Supplement
The Daily Beacon • Housing Guide
Decorate
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Apartment Hunter’s Checklist Some design tips for adding style- without breaking your budget.
Change lampshades instead of replacing the whole lamp. You can also add accessories to your old lampshades, such as glue-on flowers. Or a piece of fabric attached to the shade also adds color. Go to thrift stores to find old or used decorations for less. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
Use paint chips to create fun wall-art. Grab a few paint chips at your local paint store, cut them into shapes and glue them on a poster, canvas or even a piece of wood to make a nice do-it-yourself wall decoration.
Frame old posters instead of buying new or pre-framed ones. This will make the posters look new and different because you have added a colored and/or interesting frame.
Whether you go on-campus, in the Fort or off-campus, you should start your search by listing your top priorities. What can you not live without, and what are you willing to sacrifice? Take copies of this checklist with you as you look — or steal some ideas and make a list of your own. • Location of building (safety, proximity to places you visit often)
• Outlets in all rooms (plentiful, safe, well located)
• Location in building (bottom floors may be less safe; upper floors are harder to move into)
• Is a monthly pest service provided?
• Is your apartment pet-friendly? • Number of bedrooms and bathrooms? • Furnished or unfurnished?
Use wine bottles or old glass bottles as vases. You can add river rocks to them to add a touch of color.
• What appliances are included?
Make a bulletin board out of an old frame and a piece of cork board. You can
• Do you want a place where cable is included in rent or pay for it on top of utilities?
also make a chalkboard with chalkboard paint and a piece of wood inside the frame.
• Laundry facilities (in apartment, onsite, off-site) • Parking (paid building parking or offstreet) • Neighborhood flavor: Are these your ideal neighbors? • Does the complex have an on-site landlord and/or security system?
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The Daily Beacon • Housing Guide
Spring 2012 • Advertising Supplement
The Daily Beacon’s Guide for Turning a House into a Home
to always lift with your back. The only thing more annoying than the entire move-in process is moving in while having a pulled muscle in your back. After all of your possessions are inside and With the fall fast approaching, many students are safe, it is time to make a quick inventory of your starting the arduous search for a new place to apartment needs. Do you have shampoo, bug live. But finding a place is only half of the battle. spray or dish detergent? Go around and look for Once a suitable location is found, the journey to anything and everything that you might be missfind a new living place is not over. Whether you ing. Once you have an idea of the things you need, live in the Fort, around campus or even away from make a list and run to your local superstore. Once campus, there are certain aspects of moving in to you know what you need, it will not take more and getting your apartment set up that are univerthan a couple minutes to accomplish any of your sal. shopping needs. Procrastination is the bane of any One of the first things to do in a new apartsuccessful movement. It is always better to get the ment is to learn the guidethings you need as quicklines. Are you allowed to ly as possible. There is make alterations, like nailnothing worse than being ing up pictures, painting stuck halfway through over preexisting walls or your first shower before even replacing old wallparealizing that you are per for something closer without shampoo, soap to your own personal and conditioner. style? Also, be sure to ask Once you have started about the building’s pet the basics for getting policy. These questions your place to resemble and others about the basic the home you want it to, rules for your place only it is a must to try to figtake about a minute to go ure out the surrounding over and can lead to less area you now live in. Go problems down the road. out for a quick walk After asking your landaround the area. Look out lord about the preexisting for any markets, stores or rules for you place, if restaurants. If you see a alterations and pets are place to your liking, walk allowed, then it is imporin and check out the surtant to get to work early. roundings. The small If your new place allows pizza place a block down pets and you have a furry the road can become a friend, then it is imporfavorite meeting place or tant to try to get into the an after-school unwinding place a day or two before location; all that is you move in en masse. required is a little initiaCheck the cabinets in tive. Also, if there are any your kitchen and your markets in the area, then laundry room; if they are it is a must to stop in and in reach of any pet, check get some supplies. There and see if the latch is sturTia Patron • The Daily Beacon is an old tradition that dy. If not, try to find some The importance of finding a theme cannot be understated. Here this living room doubles as an island when moving in to a new childproof latches to keep home, it is customary to getaway for weary college students. your items safe and, more bring along with you importantly, your pets out bread and salt, so as to of harm’s way. Other small a much nicer looking floor than it first appeared ensure that you and whoever is living with you pet-friendly alterations include: making sure there can save you the hassle of trying to haul in a large will never go completely hungry. Whether or not are no dangling wires, covering all uncovered rug or even a new carpet. you adhere to traditions, it is still important to try heating and air vents and also trying to move all Following the cleaning process, the actual to grab some supplies. With all of the moving, trash cans behind either a latched room or purprocess of moving in can finally begin. There are cleaning and rearranging that moving in can chasing lids for all open-faced trash cans. (This is not many necessary tips for this step outside of require, it is almost a certainty that you and the a two-fold solution as it helps prevent messes in the obvious. If something seems too heavy for one people helping you will get hungry and thirsty at your home and also help curb your pet’s temptaperson then call up a friend. It is better to inconsome point. Better to be prepared with a refrigeration.) venience one person for an hour than to drop and tor stocked with cold drinks and snacks, than to As for making alterations to where you live, it break your armoire beyond repair. Also, remember be caught empty-handed with a gaggle of unruly is important to try to start with a clean slate.
Preston Peeden Managing Editor
Regardless of how much you want to change, whether it be just adding a picture to a wall or completely repainting and rearranging your living room, the best way to get an accurate reading on what you’re dealing with is to completely clean the entire space. Though it may be terribly timeconsuming, cleaning the floorboards, baseboards and windows will never again be this easy, as there are no accessories to impede your progress. Also, try to clean out the oven and the refrigerator thoroughly. By taking the extra step in making sure everything in your place is as clean as possible, you can gain the most accurate picture of what you are dealing with. Knowing that you have
Spring 2012 • Advertising Supplement
helpers. Now that you have a general idea on the layout of your new place and your surrounding neighborhood, it is time to start trying to transform where you’re living into something that resembles what you want it to be. Start with your own room first and work out from there. The first thing to pick out for your room is the bedding. There are a million shades of paints, and a nearly endless number options for wall decorations, but there is only a finite number of options when it comes down to how you sleep. The bed is the focal point of your room — once you have the desired bedding, everything else becomes simpler. Use the type of bedding and its colors as a template for how the rest of your room is arranged. Once the bedroom is finished, the rest of your living space becomes even easier. Just like with the bedding choice, your bedroom serves as the basis for the rest of your home’s arrangements and decorations. The easiest way to make your place unique to your own tastes and styles while still looking appealing to others is to find a common theme and stick with it. If your bedroom is a very mild, soft color, like light blue, then it would look odd for your kitchen to be an eye-catching fuchsia and your living room to be a shade of lime. Consistency is the key. The final step to moving in to a new apartment and getting set up is to get to know your neigh-
The Daily Beacon • Housing Guide
bors. At first, it can seem like an ever-racking process to go out and try to meet new people, but
it is necessary to get to know who lives near you. Regardless of how much the meet-and-greet process can feel like the first day of school, go out and talk to your neighbors at any chance that you get. If you see someone in the parking lot, strike up a conversation, or if the person living directly
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down the hall from you is coming in at the same time as you, then stop and introduce yourself. If you truly want to get to know your neighbors, then you have to make the first effort. Even though some people may be turned off by what they perceive to be your intrusiveness, it is still important to try. The ultimate step to trying to get to know your neighbors is to throw a pot-luck type lunch or dinner party. Talk to anyone and everyone that you see around you and invite them over to eat. Getting to know new people is always easier over a plate of hot, good food. The hardest thing to do in a new place is to turn a house into a home. Putting your own personal touch on where you live is the most important thing you can do to help turn your new apartment, home or condo into more than just a space you live in. As long as you get to know the specifications for your place, create your own style, make any alterations as early on as possible, make sure your place is stocked with the essentials and also get to know your neighbors and your new neighborhood, then your transition into a new place can become an easier and more streamlined process.
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The Daily Beacon • Housing Guide
Spring 2012 • Advertising Supplement