And Now I'm Freaking OUT!

Yesterday we drove up to the De Forest area to look at some more apartments. Actually, our first stop of the day was in Waunakee. We immediately LOVED the place! The neighborhood is GREAT, the town is interesting and pretty, and the apartment is spacious and clean. Ian's mom came looking with us and also loved the place, which makes me feel good about it because I think if there was something wrong with it she would say so. We looked at one more apartment and decided to just go back and apply for this first one. We ended up canceling the rest of our appointments for the day because we put $100 down when we applied. I hope we are approved! There is no reason we shouldn't be, but who knows. I want to sign the lease ASAP!

Things I loved about this apartment:

• Great location. (Nice-looking neighborhood. Sidewalks and bike trails. SEVERAL parks within walking distance. The library [which is connected to bigger libraries and allows you to order in books and movies] is about a block away from the apartment. There are a few local shops and no chains, such as Walmart. However, the East Towne area of Madison is only about a 10 minute drive away. There is a PIGGLY WIGGLY! There are gas stations nearby. There are also a couple fast food places like Culvers, BK, and McDonald's nearby if I am feeling lazy. The town has craft fairs and a farmer's market. The bank I am planning on banking at has a location right in town.)
• The apartment was spacious and felt very airy.
• The living room was huge and had a big screen door that led outside to a nice-sized balcony (there was a nice neighborhood view from the balcony as well).
• The bedrooms were at least the same size as our current bedrooms with a little more closet space.
• The bathroom (though ugly) was big. It had counter-space and cabinets under the sink.
• The kitchen (though ugly again) was decent sized. There was at least enough room to walk around. There was a dishwasher and a garbage disposal. There was a little more counter-space in the kitchen than we have now.
• CATS and DOGS are allowed.
• The neighbors seemed pleasant and quiet.
• We have our own locked storage space in the basement.
• 15 minute drive to work
• HEAT and WATER bills are included in rent, which is $675. Deposit is only half of one month's rent.
  

Things I disliked about this apartment:

• The laundry machines were located in the basement, were coin-operated with no coin machine around, and are to be shared with eight other units. They were also more expensive than we are used to. On the plus-side, the laundry room was spacious.
• There was no garage, it was all outside parking. There is a parking lot, but only one car per unit is allowed to park there.
• The colors used in the kitchen and bathroom were outdated and ugly. Some of the counters and appliances did not look the best, but as long as they are clean and in working condition, I should not complain.
• There is a $200 deposit if I want a cat (which I do), but I will get it back if the cat doesn't destroy anything.
• Unit is located on 2nd floor. This will not be a bad thing AFTER I am done moving.
• We are losing a lot of pantry space and I think we are losing very little kitchen cabinet space.
  

Overall, I pretty much loved this place. It looked very charming from the outside. I'm excited to move there, IF we are approved. I feel very anxious about waiting. I wish we could just move now and settle BEFORE I start at my new job.