May 2, 2006
NEWSStudents seek personal space
Working more hours, asking their parents for help, or even taking up a second job is what students are doing so they can move out of their parents’ house and into their own.
If they are not renting a house with several other friends, than they are signing a lease at an apartment complex.
What worries potential apartment renters the most is whether or not they have made the best living decision.
“Is it a good location, free of crime and other illegal activities? Do they have a bug problem? Is it conveniently located? Does it have a washer and drier?” said Melinda Tasca, who lives in the San Ventura apartment complex on Ray just west of the 101.
According to Tasca, these points are essential while choosing an apartment to live in.
“I went about finding my apartment from the Apartment Guide,” Tasca said.
“You can either access it online or pick one of the books up at any grocery store.
“All I had to do was type in exactly what I was looking for in an apartment and the web browser takes care of the rest. It is very convenient.
“Driving around your (desired) living area is also a good way to find apartments.”
But the number one question among young adults that is most important in finding a new pad is, how much will rent be.
Tasca has a 15-month lease on a one-bedroom apartment.
She lives alone and her monthly rent is $800 which does not include utilities, electric, cable, and a landline.
“The two and three bedroom apartments in my complex are leased anywhere from $900 to $1100 a month,” Tasca said.
“It would have saved me a lot of money if I had a roommate but being an only child I cherish my own space.”
Pinnacle Terrace is a gated apartment community located in Chandler on Ray and the 101.
Laura Landis just moved there from a different complex on Elliot and McClintock.
“I love my new apartment. I moved here because I was not prepared to sign another lease with my old apartments,” Landis said.
“I was always having problems with the appliances and there was even a crack in my bathtub that overtime got bigger and bigger and ended up somehow leaking water into the apartment downstairs.
“I was not about to deal with the management for another year.”
When dealing with apartments people tend to love or hate where they live.
However, apartment living comes and goes. It is primarily temporary living until you can afford to own a home.
“I was 18 when I was ready to move out of my parent’s house. Living in an apartment was the next best thing,” Landis said.
“I have been in and out of three different ones in the last four years.
I’ll be ready to settle into my own home sometime down the road. It’s all just a matter of when,” Landis added.