Being Comfortable in Your Space

I'm working toward moving to a larger apartment. Yes, it will be more expensive, but I've come to a point where I can see that if I try to cram everything I have into this space, I'm going to be miserable.


Making Space for Actual Living

For years, I lived in bedrooms and apartments stacked floor to ceiling with boxes. I always said I lived in "a storage space with a bed." That is not a good way to live. The visual clutter
alone is depressing, not to mention the inability to move normally through the rooms.

I've thought of every way possible to create storage space in this apartment, and I've come to the conclusion that I don't want to live in a house with bicycles and garden tools hung on walls. I want a bedroom that has only bedroom stuff in it and a LR/DR that has only the appropriate furniture in it. I also want to get back to doing things I love, like my crafts and trash-to-treasure items, and I can't do that here, because there just isn't room without taking up open space in the living room or bedroom. I want to be able to walk through my home with ease, not have to squeeze through a pathway.

Needs vs. Finances

So I'm going to be moving into a 2 bedroom apartment; maybe here, maybe somewhere else. Right now I'm just in the saving money to move stage, and where I end up will depend largely on how much I can afford. If I stay here, I will have to pay $100 more a month, and I may have to move to an apartment that faces a parking lot. If I leave, I will have added moving expenses and may not be able to find something close enough to shopping.

I need room to garden, but not too much, and I don't want to take care of a yard. I need quiet and I need good neighbors. I also need good property management and timely maintenance, all of which I have here, which is an extremely compelling argument to stay.

I'm close to all the shopping I need here, have buses to get me wherever I want to go, and this place is quiet and peaceful. If facing a parking lot would be the only drawback, that is a small price to pay, especially in view of the fact that I won't actually have to SEE the parking lot, because of the courtyard buffer.

Plus, if I stay here, the most I will have to pay is another $300 deposit and moving costs, which will be pretty minimal, considering I'm not moving too far. I'll get most of that $300 back when they inspect this apartment and return my deposit from that. I'll have transfer fees for utilities, which are nominal -- less than $100 total.  No first, last and deposit. I may not even have to prove 3X income, since I've paid my rent on time every month since I've been here, but if so, that won't be a problem.

The Drawbacks

The main drawbacks are 

1. Higher Rent - at least $100 more a month, which will take most of my SS payment. I'll have to work a bit harder to cover other expenses, but not that much harder. It is nice, though, to be able to have my rent, internet and part of my utilities covered every month. It's a big consideration for me.
2. Packing - Do I unpack and live here normally until I can move, or do I just keep everything in boxes and unpack it once I get there? I hate packing, but I am decluttering and downsizing my possessions, so maybe I'll just continue with that. Still, it's tempting to just leave all that stuff in boxes and keep living the way I am.
3. Moving My Gardens - I've put so much work into these gardens, and having to deconstruct them and replant is almost unbearable to think about. It's one of the main reasons I don't want to move at all, ever.

So I'm weighing the pros and the cons, and I think the pros win. Moving here was a financial decision as well as an experiment to see how well I would do in a small space. I'm not enjoying it, so I think moving up is a good decision.