When you and your roommate first move in together, the most important thing you can do is to set boundaries. Even men and women who view themselves as laid back and carefree will have some limits or rules that need to be instituted right away. It could be about paying rent on time or who does the dishes. Ground rules are what make a relationship work. One area that many men and women forget to talk about are ones regarding intimacy or private time with another person. This can lead to an extremely awkward situation where one roommate walks in on another and disturbs what was up to that point an intimate, private setting. Here are a few easy steps you can follow so that this incident never happens again.

Prior notification is absolutely key here. If roommate B is going to have someone over, make sure roommate A knows about it and understands that the public areas, such as the living room, are off limits for a period of time. There needs to be a real sense of give and take here since roommate A may feel like a prisoner in his own home. Set limits on how many days a week one roommate can dominate the public areas and if it gets too lopsided, changed will need to be made.

Asking one roommate to not be home while the other one is entertaining is too much to ask, unless both roommates agree that this is acceptable. You both live there, and you both have the right to be there as much or as little as you want and the other person really has no right to infringe on that right. If this gets to be too big of an issue, it may be time for one of you to find accommodations that don’t involve having a roommate.

Of all of the activities that we take part in on a semi regular basis, moving has got to be one of the worst. Not only is it physically and mentally exhausting, there are weeks of prep work to be done and all kinds of things that need to be taken care of once we’ve found a place and moved in. Utilities charge you money to switch your account and if you are moving in with a new roommate, you have to get to know a whole new person. Moving can be a downright terrible experience, so let’s take a look at a few things you can do to prep yourself in advance of your move.

When you move to apartment.There are simply too many things to do for one person to remember off of the top of their heads. From making the appointment with the moving company to meeting with your new landlord for a walk through, you will need the help of a list to get you through it all. Try to keep a moving diary that has everything you need to do divided up by day so you don’t get overwhelmed. The more organized you are, the smoother your move will be.

Many utilities and moving companies will now let you do what you need to do online. This saves you from running up your phone bill and spending hours on hold waiting to talk to someone. Simply create an account and you will be done in moments.

You can also use the Internet to try to find new roommates. You can search mega sites like Craigslist to find people in your city who need a place to live or a roommate to help pay rent. Gone are the days of using bulletin boards and newspaper want ads. You can really cut down on your time searching by utilizing new technology during your move.

One of the pitfalls of living with a roommate is the fact that there are so many little things that can cause resentment and arguments that, in the grand scheme of things, really don’t matter. While both roommates should have complete autonomy to decorate their own spaces as they see fit, the decorating of common spaces can be a major point of contention. Here are a few pointers you can keep in mind to avoid a fight over a topic that really isn’t that important.

If one of you has seniority in an apartment, then that person essentially has the right to decorate public spaces as they see fit, as long as the decorations aren’t offensive in any way. There really isn’t anything wrong with the new roommate adding a flourish or touch here or there or even hanging a picture if they wish, even if there is some clashing going on. The main problem arises when both people move into a unit at the same time.

Luckily, most roommates don’t have a real problem compromising when it comes to decorating public spaces, but if it turns out that there is a real clash of styles, both roommates can benefit by compromising. One roommate can simply allow the other to decorate public spaces in return for another privilege around the apartment. You could even talk about possible financial compensation if the two of you can agree on a price. Above all, remember that the two of you are adults, and if one of you is so passionate about your desire to decorate public spaces in the apartment, then an agreement can be reached so that both parties don’t resent the other.

When it comes to getting a roommate in the apartment, you have two options: move in with someone you know or pick a stranger off the street and hope for the best. If you get along with your roommate, you must eventually make a conscious decision on whether you want to simply be casual buds with your roommate or if you want to be best friends. This decision is more important than you think.

A roommate is a business partner, first and foremost. People have a roommate because they don’t want to pay the full cost of rent and utilities themselves, so they have someone else foot half the bill. As with any business partnership, there should probably be a degree of professional distance. However, this is next to impossible to maintain when you sleep feet away from each other. The question you have to ask yourself is, can you maintain a business partnership while at the same time being friends who go out together, party together and spend an inordinate amount of time together?

What can make this partnership even more difficult is if a romantic aspect is introduced into the relationship. It doesn’t matter if it is a same sex relationship or an opposite sex one, attempting to handle a romantic partnership and a financial one at the same time is tough. At what point do you stop being roommates and start being a full fledged couple? These are all important questions you should ask yourself before you vault over that imaginary line between casual friends and more than that.

The worst thing that can happen is when a friendship gone awry ends what was a successful and beneficial business partnership. If your roommate seems to want to keep a distance, don’t take it personally, they have likely evaluated the risk and reward of being close friends and have decided to keep a respectful distance.

Insurance is one of the rare things that you buy in hopes of never having to use. If you have recently been the victim of a fire or a robbery you may be ready to make your first ever renters insurance claim. The process can be a bit intimidating if you’ve never done it before, so here are a few tips.

It may not be the very first thing on your mind, but you need to notify your insurance company as soon as possible that you will be filing a claim. You ideally want to do this within 24 hours. If you wait any longer it can look suspicious.

Next you want to document the damage as best you can. If your apartment is considered a crime scene ask the police when you will be able to have access to it. You also want to gather up any and all evidence you have that shows how much your items were worth. Hopefully you kept that information in a fire proof box or someplace away from the items themselves.

Next you want to get a copy of your policy as soon as possible. If you lost your only copy in a fire, contact your agency as soon as possible and get one or see if you can print one off of the Internet. The reason you need a copy is because some policies will help you pay for things like hotel rooms in case of a fire. There can be plenty in the way of other benefits, as well. Be sure you understand exactly what you are entitled to.

Finally, try to preserve the original scene as much as possible so that the insurance adjuster can see what has happened. Do not make any repairs, otherwise you may have difficulty filing a claim.

It is a nightmare that most people don’t even want to think about: it is finally moving day and the heavens open up and rain pours down. As bad as moving in the snow can be, rain is often thought of as the worst possible moving weather based on its ability to wreck everything you own. No one has written the definitive book on moving in the rain just yet, but here are a few tips you can take to heart.

Cover everything

No matter what you do, cover everything. This means making sure that boxes and items are covered when they are moved out of your old apartment and into the moving truck or van and then also covered when moved into your new place. If you were planning on using a flat bed to move everything, you will want to make use of a tarp, assuming you already own one.

Consider going professional

No single factor can turn a person on to professional moving quite like raindrops. The trouble is that most professional movers are already booked solid by the end of the month, but you can call around. Professional movers always use a covered truck, not one with an open bed, and they are used to handling heavy boxes and awkward items so you have less of a chance of getting things broken.

Don’t rush

The big mistake that people make when they move in the rain is that they try to do everything at double the speed. This leads to people tripping, getting hurt, dropping boxes and breaking your belongings. Rushing also increases the chances that people will slipping on the wet ground. Be sure everyone has the right footwear on to handle rainy conditions. Moving in the rain is no fun at all, but it doesn’t have to end in a disaster.

If you have just moved into a new apartment only to realize that money is a bit tighter than you would like, there are inventive and even fun ways to reduce your entertainment budget. Here are some of the most popular ideas that are sweeping the nation.

There is nothing better than having a group of friends over, plenty to eat and plenty to drink, but having one person pay for everything can be outrageously expensive. The concept of the travelling dinner club is catching on for exactly that reason. Each Friday night, pick a person amongst your friends to host a dinner party. Everyone brings an entrée and some kind of beverage. Everyone gets together, sits around and talks or watches a movie while eating a variety of tasty food. Costs stay low and spirits stay high.

The same general idea can be used if you are a sports fan. Instead of going out to a game, which can be astronomically expensive, or going to a bar, which can be pricy as well, grab a six pack and something from the grocery store and head over to a friend’s place. Each person will bring over the same thing and before you know it, you have plenty of food, drink and fun. Best of all, it isn’t just you that is saving money on entertaining, it is everyone else, too.

You can even expand on this idea by having “sales nights” with your friends. Make a rule that you have to buy whatever is on sale at a local grocery store and make a meal out of it. Each friend gets a different store so you don’t all end up with the same dishes. Have a weekly competition between each friend to see who comes up with the most delicious meals. It is a great way to save money, expand your cooking skills and have a great time, as well.

If you are locked in a lengthy battle with your apartment landlord, there is a possibility that the war could end with you being evicted. Thankfully, renters laws across the country almost always favour the renter over the landlord. That doesn’t mean that it is impossible to get someone evicted, but it does mean that the judge will almost always be more critical of what your landlord says than what you say. If you have been given an eviction notice, here are a few things to do.

First off, talk to a lawyer. They can help navigate you through the process in your state or territory in regards to the paperwork you have to file to get the eviction halted. If you have small children, it will be next to impossible for your landlord to throw you out and even if you don’t, as long as you stay within the law and show up to all designated court appearances, you have a good chance of surviving long enough for you to find a place of your own.

Next, be courteous. This can be extremely difficult since you probably can’t stand your landlord, but being rude or disrespectful in court will only go to reinforce the image that your landlord is trying to paint. You also want to bring as much evidence as you can into court with you to show your side of the story. Show up empty handed and it shows that you are remarkably unprepared.

Finally, try to have a backup plan in place in case you lose. If you have been battling your landlord this long, chances are you have been thinking about moving out anyway. Call on family, friends or anyone you can so you have a place to sleep. You can even speak to a local shelter if you have no place else to go. There are social service agencies out there that can help.

No matter how careful you are with ketchup, a glass of wine or a can of pop, chances are, you are going to spill things and those spills will turn into stains. Since an overly stained carpet can eat into your security deposit, there are a few things you can do to help return your carpet to like-new status.

First off, get a good spot cleaner. There are several products on the market, and while they can be a bit pricy, they will easily pay for themselves when they help you get your deposit back. You may have to try more than one kind to find the one that works best with the kind of carpet you have.

When you clean a spot, be sure to wet it first, even if you just caused the spill. A few squirts of water and then a blast of stain cleaner will do wonders. Also, don’t use paper towels to clean up the mess. Use an old sponge that still has a scrubbing surface that is intact. This will help lift the stain from the carpet.

Once a year, rent a steam cleaner from your local grocery store and get your carpet cleaned. Some apartment complexes even pay for this one annual cleaning, but they don’t tell many people about it, so ask and you may get a free carpet cleaning.

Finally, if things are reaching critical mass with your carpet, you may want to call Sears or another professional company to come in and have your carpet cleaned for you. A professional cleaning can do wonders for a carpet and you may end up getting your security deposit back after all. A small investment up front can really pay dividends if you put forth the effort, and as anyone can tell you, there is nothing quite as nice as walking on a clean carpet.

The Internet is the best thing to happen to apartment hunting in history. Most apartment buildings advertise the fact that they have vacancies, either through city-wide or nationwide apartment hunting sites or through your local newspaper. This allows you to really organize and plan out your day of apartment hunting. Use sites like Maps.Google.Com to plan a route that will save you the most time on your hunt. You also want to consider calling ahead to see when you can come by as some buildings only show empty apartments for a few hours per day.

Be sure you don’t get carried away when apartment hunting. We all want to live in the nicest place possible, but make an effort to stick to your guns when it comes to how much you can afford for rent. A good way to keep your expenses under control is to always apartment hunt with another person. They can point out issues that you may be glossing over.

Always get business cards from every building you visit. It can be impossible to keep all of the places straight once you’ve seen 10 places in a single day. Try to take written notes once you’ve seen an apartment, as well. By the end of the day, you may only remember that nice place that had a dishwasher and in-suite laundry, while forgetting the fact that it was next to the railroad tracks or in the wrong part of town. Perhaps the biggest mistake apartment hunters make is that they get tunnel vision and only focus on the positives of a place while forgetting the bad things. You really need to stay as impartial as humanly possible if you are going to end up with a new home that you love.

Finally, make a note of the tone of the landlord. This is the person you are going to be interacting with on a weekly or at least monthly basis for the next year, or longer. If he or she seems surly, you may want to think twice about signing on the dotted line.