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Ultimate Guide For Downsizing From A House To An Apartment

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    For many individuals, their living situation determines their overall life satisfaction. Contentment with one’s home often translates into a general sense of happiness, while dissatisfaction with one’s living environment can harm one’s overall well-being. Consequently, transitioning from a house to an apartment can represent a refreshing new beginning. This transition provides an opportunity to simplify and prioritize the quality of life over material possessions. An apartment has less physical space to manage, reducing the time and effort spent cleaning and maintaining. Additionally, it implies having fewer belongings to oversee, which can contribute to a sense of liberation and lightness. For some, downsizing signifies a practical means of saving money and reducing their ecological footprint. For others, it may signify embarking on a new chapter in life. Regardless of the rationale behind it, downsizing can serve as a commendable approach to enhance one’s overall quality of life.

    The Advantages of Downsizing

    Downsizing is a terrific way to be green, save money, and embrace a minimalist lifestyle.

    Environmentally Friendly

    An increasing number of individuals actively seek avenues to embrace eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyles. A practical step in this direction involves transitioning from a house to an apartment. Opting for a smaller living space reduces electricity consumption for heating and cooling. Moreover, the limited room discourages unnecessary purchases, fostering more mindful consumption practices. Downsizing to an apartment also simplifies recycling and composting processes. Additionally, apartments offer convenient access to public transportation, such as The Hop, which is a more environmentally friendly choice compared to an individual car. Downsizing to an apartment is a terrific way to live a more environmentally friendly life!

    Keep Your Money

    Owning a home with a white picket fence sounds wonderful in theory, but a home is expensive. Repairs are not cheap, and maintenance consumes much of a homeowner’s time. The picket fence dream can quickly become a flooded basement nightmare at any moment, so why put yourself through it? Leave the mortgage and repair costs behind and downsize! Sell your house and free up your money and time. Work less, play more; doesn’t that sound better? While you’ll still have expenses, they’ll be less than when you owned your home.

    Fewer Possessions

    Imagine downsizing from a house to an apartment; sounds overwhelming, huh? Think of it as an opportunity to purge a bunch of junk! Everyone says, “I’m not a hoarder,” until they go through their possessions. You probably have a lot more items collecting dust than you realize.

    8 Tips for Downsizing from a House to an Apartment

    1. Embrace the Liberation of Decluttering: Parting with possessions can be challenging, yet it also offers a sense of liberation. Streamline your belongings by assessing what you genuinely need and use daily. Consider passing down family heirlooms or sentimental items to loved ones. Hosting a garage sale or donating to charity can also help downsize.

    2. Simplify Your Furnishings: Adjusting to a smaller space may necessitate downsizing your furniture. Quality should take precedence over quantity, and select versatile pieces that serve various purposes.

    3. Reflect on Your Shopping Habits: Evaluate impulsive buying and overindulgence in specific items. Downsizing allows you to reevaluate your spending habits and concentrate on acquiring only essential items.

    4. Embrace Organization: Downsizing translates to less storage space, making organization crucial. Make the most of this chance to declutter and eliminate rarely used items.

    5. Cultivate New Interests: Downsizing creates additional free time. Utilize this opportunity to explore hobbies and activities that bring you joy.

    6. Build New Connections: Moving from a house to an apartment might mean less familiarity with neighbors, but it’s an opportunity to make new friends. Engage with your new community and forge fresh connections.

    7. Adapt to a New Environment: Acclimatize yourself to your new surroundings, including learning your way around a different neighborhood or city. View this as an exciting chance to discover new restaurants and shops near your apartment.

    8. Flexibility is Key: Remember that downsizing doesn’t have to be a permanent decision. If you find adapting to a smaller living space challenging, you can gradually reintroduce some of your possessions. Allow yourself time to adjust to your apartment living at your own pace.

    Looking to Downsize in Milwaukee, Wisconsin?

    Many people think they will lose out when downsizing to an apartment from a house. However, that’s not true! Our apartment community is located in the heart of Downtown Milwaukee, and The Hop stops out front. Streetcar Flats is a stone’s throw from all the best nightlife in Milwaukee.
    Whether you prefer to be close to the action or on the top floor overlooking it all, we have an apartment that suits your needs. There’s always something to do in Cream City, so check out our available apartments, view our virtual tours, and then call and schedule your appointment today!

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    About Streetcar Flats

    Streetcar Flats is Downtown Milwaukee’s Newest apartment community located at 828 N Broadway. Streetcar Flats incorporates modern luxuries with the vintage charm of our hundred-year-old landmark building. What was once the Underwriter’s Exchange Building is now Streetcar Flats, your future home in Downtown Milwaukee, perfectly located along The Hop’s M-Line, Milwaukee’s new streetcar system. 

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    Rental Criteria

    INCOME
    One Adult – Gross income must meet or exceed 3 times the apartment rental rate. Roommates – The combined gross income must meet or exceed 3 times the apartment rental rate. If you are self-employed or retired, you must provide your most recent tax filing or consecutive bank statements from the past six (6) months to verify your income.

    CREDIT HISTORY
    Your credit score must meet or exceed six hundred fifty (650). You will automatically be denied rental if any monies are owed to a previous landlord or management company. If you owned a home and it has been foreclosed upon, you will be denied rental. If you have been sued in an attempt to obtain a monetary judgment against you within the last five (5) years you will be denied rental. If you have a monetary judgment against you that is older than five (5) years you must have legally satisfied that judgment or you will be denied rental.

    PREVIOUS HOUSING
    A verifiable history of apartment rental or mortgage payments. If there is no verifiable housing and you are a first-time renter, a Guarantor will be required, along with a security deposit of one (1) month’s rent. Any previous eviction judgment is an automatic basis for rejection of an application. Any negative reference from a prior landlord will cause you to be denied rental.

    OCCUPANCY STANDARDS Maximum limits are as follows:

    • Studio: 2 individuals maximum
    • 1 Bedroom: 2 individuals maximum
    • 2 Bedroom: Not to exceed 4 individuals with no more than 3 unrelated adults
    • 3 Bedroom: Not to exceed 6 individuals with no more than 3 unrelated adults o
      • Children under the age of 2 are not included in the calculation


    GUARANTOR(S)

    Should an applicant not qualify in terms of credit history, the applicant, at the discretion of the landlord, may have the lease guaranteed by another party. Guarantor(s) must meet or exceed the rental criteria as stated above.

    Each Guarantor must provide sufficient income verification equal to three (3) times the amount of the rent to guarantee the apartment rental.

    CRIMINAL BACKGROUND
    If applicant has been convicted of illegally manufacturing or distributing a controlled substance as defined in sec. 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802) their application will be denied.

    If applicant is subject to a state lifetime sex offender registration program their application will be denied.

    If applicant has not been otherwise disqualified based on the above factors, and the applicant has been convicted of a felony or released from custody or supervision for a felony conviction, whichever occurred later, within the last six years, or a misdemeanor within the last three years, and the crime shows a demonstrable risk to tenant safety and/or property, their application may be denied after consideration of the nature and severity of the crime, the applicant’s age at the time of the conduct, and the amount of time that has passed since the criminal conduct occurred. Other factors may be considered on a case by case basis. Applicant shall provide any mitigating information or documentation that he or she would like to be considered regarding any criminal convictions.

    *If management is unable to verify any information on your rental application, including but not limited to your prior rental history and employment, you will be denied rental. If you misrepresent your application information, you will be denied rental.

    Date Started Using: May 16, 2023