My new apartment?

And there goes the brain, yapping away. I’ve been lying in bed for 20 minutes trying to fall asleep, but I’m so excited that I can’t fall asleep. I hope that the tea I had at dinner really was decaffeinated or I’ll be up for hours. However, I think it’s just the hopeful excitement.

So what am I hopeful and excited about? Well I was surfing a little online for apartments on Thursday and stumbled across a place that sparked my interest at www.viewit.ca. I called the number immediately (usually I wait until the end of the day), got a voicemail and left a pleasant message, not expecting to hear back. Then I forgot all about it.

Later in the evening my phone rang. A lady was returning my call about the apartment. I explained that I was looking for May 1st as I need to give 60 days notice. She explained that the apartment was empty now. I guess I may have sounded slightly disinterested as I was out with friends phone was rather rude. So I asked her to put me on a waiting list and if it didn’t rent immediately, to call me. She said why didn’t I come and look at it. I had immediately picked up her French accent and at some point had flipped to French and asked if this was better. She said she didn’t mind and we continued in French.

For some reason at this point my enthusiasm increased. I don’t know what it was; her suggestion of coming to see the place, getting to practice my French, or her pleasant demeanor (imagine a land lady that was nice). Whatever the reason, I became more excited. By the end of the conversation I had booked to see the apartment on Saturday morning.

After hanging up with her, I gabbed to my friends a bit about it, but left it at that. And again forgot all about it.

However, after crawling into bed tonight and trying to fall asleep, my brain has started to wander. At first I was thinking about speaking French. I very much miss that at my new job. Other than my old co-workers, it is the one of the few things that I miss about the old job. But once I began that train of thought my mind drifted to the apartment.

One of the reasons I have not overthunk the new apartment thing, is that I really do want to move. I’ve been very lazy because once I get an idea stuck in my head, I run with it, unable to stop. And I don’t want to rush too fast into anything. I want to make the right choice. (like the coat)

Well I’m chomping at the bit now.

I’ve started thinking about it, very seriously. First of all, if I really like this place (and I’m already sold, so it will have to completely suck for me to turn it down now), I’m considering giving only 30 days notice instead of the proper 60. I know it’s wrong, but as a friend has pointed out, with low income housing such as mine they’re lucky to get 30 days, if that. I know, excuses to make myself feel better. Am I afraid that it will affect my credit history? No, not much.

So that was my first thought. Move in April 1st, instead of May 1st…brain has begun to tick now.

She had said that the apartment is available now. So if I take it, it will be empty all of March. So I will inquire into painting ahead of my move in date & being able to begin moving some stuff over early. If she says no way, well, I am not opposed to offering a little extra $$$ to allow me that privilege. I very much prefer to take my time on a move to prep and do things in order with time to spare.

Okay, Done.

Next, I will make sure that if take the place, to be firm and learn from my past mistakes (ie. this place). I will make sure that things are repaired before moving and I will be specific (ie. floors, electrical, etc.). I will also ensure that it will have been scrubbed before my move in date.

Well now that I’ve started thinking about all that…now I’m thinking about painting, which means thinking about colours.

It’s a one bedroom apartment. My current comforter is maroon. However, the 8x8 foot curtain I have could be used as a bed cover and I could work with those colours (again). However, the wood in all of the bedroom furniture is light coloured wood, and the curtain is dark colours. I was thinking about a calming blue colour for the walls. But that would mean shopping for new linens (excitement building).

(okay…pause – since I started writing all of this, I have a) gone online to check out my possible new pad again and b) gotten back up to look at the colours in my curtain…ideas are coming together, decisions are being made)

Okay, the bedroom will be painted one of the warm colours in the curtain, probably a warm goldy/orange (not too dark), if so I will accent the bedroom with bronze/gold knobs etc. to bring out the embroidery in the curtain, or just go with the colour of the embroidery for the walls.

I will use the current curtain/false wall as either my bed cover or the curtain for the windows, depending on the size of the windows. I can use gold rope to accent it in either setting, something I had thought of doing originally with the material.

As for the living area, I’m at a loss. Maybe the calm blue, however it doesn’t really go with the dark living room furniture. Maybe a darker redder version of the bedroom colour, but not too dark, I don’t want it to be too harsh. It could work nicely though if done properly.

I will make sure to touch up all baseboards, and although a rental, I might consider mouldings. Too much? What…I’m fantasizing here…work with me.

Bathroom? Always a fan of black and white in the bathroom. However, I would enjoy some red accents (to tie it in with the rest of the apartment). I like sharp & crisp in the bathroom. AND my mother suggested from the minute I moved into my current place to get a storage unit for behind the toilet. So I will get one of those too.

The kitchen is also stumping me a bit. The cupboards are wood. If I leave them that way, I will probably do a cheery (not too bright) yellow. It also depends on how the living area and the kitchen are divided. If there’s no outside light, then definitely yellow, heck…even if there is. I like a cheery kitchen. I will also do the peel & stick mirrored tiles as I had hoped to do in this apartment.

So far it looks like blue is out the window (literally) and I’m going to go with warm tones of yellow – kitchen, orange/gold – bedroom, red/orange – living room, and then red accents in a black and white bathroom.

Yay Yay Yay

Now this can work whenever & wherever I move to, but oh, wouldn’t it be great if all of this could work out.

Things I’ll need to buy; toilet storage unit, under the sink unit if there isn’t one, peel & stick mirrored tiles, a filing cabinet (I just need one), a new sofa cover (the current navy was a last minute poor choice). Longer term dream purchases; a new bed (ie. a real one, not just a futon, but I do love this futon), another couch, except that I can use the futon as a couch if I get a new bed, a dishwasher if there’s space (yes, here I’m really dreaming, but it’s a nice dream).

Well, it seems I have just mentally negotiated a new apartment, given notice, decorated & moved in over a period of two weeks, all from a photograph, a message, a phone call and a booking.

I’m very excited, can’t you tell?

Details – 1 bedroom, small building (only 5 apartments, it’s an old house I think), with balcony (very small, but it’s still a balcony), appears to be street parking (cheap), all utilities except hydro (hey…that’s what I’m doing now), I block East, 2 subway stations South, a little more $$$ than what I’m paying now…but not much.

Well, fingers crossed. If all works out, I’ll be looking at paint colours and tiles Saturday afternoon. YAY (see…this is me hoping)