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While areas like Oklahoma City and Tulsa are the more popular destinations, the truth is there are other cities and towns in Oklahoma with excellent reasons not only to visit, but to live as well. One of those is Norman, just a half-hour drive (maybe even less) from Oklahoma City.

We might be a little biased, but Norman offers plenty of attractions, amenities, and fun for everyone. In this month’s post, read about our favorite eight reasons that you might want to consider Norman for your next home.

Low Cost of Living

One of the biggest reasons people choose to move to Oklahoma is its affordability. The entire state has a very low cost of living. According to US News, Oklahoma ranks fourth overall in affordability and second in cost of living. Norman itself is in the lower end of cost of living in the state, making it one of the most affordable places to live in the country. Not a bad place to start when making your pros and cons list!

Delicious Food

Move over, NYC and LA, Norman is coming for you – alright, maybe not quiet yet. But the food in Norman is excellent, with a wide variety of both popular chain restaurants such as Whataburger, Torchy’s Tacos, and Pei Wei, as well as local gems and hotspots. No matter what you’re craving, Norman definitely has it.

For a fancy night out, Oklahoma City has some innovative, exciting new restaurants, one of which was named the best restaurant of 2018 by Bon Appetit Magazine. You’ll likely never run out of new places to try in Norman and nearby areas.

Local Favorites

As we mentioned, Norman has many hidden local gems that are lauded and obsessed over by local citizens. There’s Midway Deli, a neighborhood grocery store founded in 1955 transformed into a sandwich shop; Tarahumara’s Mexican Cafe, a fast-paced, customer-friendly Mexican restaurant; and Victoria’s Pasta Shop, a student favorite.

But there are many other non-food favorites in Norman where locals love to spend their free time. From University of Oklahoma campus destinations like the Fred Jones Museum of Art to night-time fun at The Deli, which is not a deli and is instead a live music venue on the famous Campus Corner, there is a seemingly endless list of things to do.

All Kinds of Sports

For the sports fan, Norman is heaven. In the fall, you can enjoy the legendary Oklahoma Sooners play at one of the loudest stadiums in all of college football. Or if you don’t want to attend the game but just enjoy the atmosphere, the town near campus basically shuts down on game days, offering food and drink on the street.

If you’re more of a basketball fan, you can enjoy both local basketball at the university, or head up to Oklahoma City to watch the Thunder, the second-most winningest team since 2010. Not to mention, the OU men and women’s gymnastics teams boast national titles in the last few years, as well as the softball team.

Great Proximity

Like we mentioned, Norman is great for its proximity to Oklahoma City, but there are also tons of other nearby destinations that make Norman an excellent place to live for adventurers. There’s the Wichita Mountain range and the Arbuckle Mountain range, plus the Great Salt Plains State Park to the north. You can also visit Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Dallas/Fort Worth in only a few hours in the car.

Beautiful Walking Spots

For many, exercise is a key element of not just life, but where you live. In Norman, you get prime access to excellent places to walk, run, or bike. There’s the University of Oklahoma campus, which is filled with beautiful trees and paths and open to the public, or you could try one of the city’s parks, which offer everything from baseball diamonds to soccer goals and jogging paths.

If that’s still not enough, check out the Sutton Wilderness Park, a wooded area with walking and running paths plus a lake for fishing and relaxing. You could even take a day trip to nearby Lake Thunderbird and go swimming, boating, or just lounging.

Local Climate

We know, we know. Every city brags that their weather is the best weather (except for places like Chicago, where they brag that theirs is the worst weather for their frigid winters). In Norman, you’ll experience warm but rarely unbearable summers and mild, sometimes frosty winters. Snowstorms  are common but hardly ever a hindrance.

In the fall and spring, you can enjoy some of the prettiest weather you can find nationwide, with temperatures in the 50s to 70s. It’s hard to complain about the weather in Norman.

Get Where You’re Going

In Norman, it’s incredibly easy to get wherever you need to go, no matter what area of town you live. There are walkable and bike-able grocery stores close to almost every popular neighborhood, as well as bike paths all over town. In the car, you’ll find you rarely need to drive more than ten minutes to reach everything from your favorite restaurant to even the movie theater.

If you’re ready to make your move to Norman, we’d love to chat. We offer several excellent apartment options with different layouts and locations. Contact us today to talk to a leasing agent.

Despite it being quite cold outside, the holidays are often a warm and cozy time of the year. Driving down the street and seeing decorations from Santa Claus and his reindeer to brilliant displays of lights can make even the grouchiest Grinch feel sentimental for the season.

If you live in an apartment, it can be easy to feel left out during this time of the year when it comes to decorating, but fear not! There are plenty of ways to deck out your apartment for the holiday season, even on a budget. Below, we’ll discuss our favorite ways to achieve this in your apartment, from small changes to big displays.

Hang Your Holiday Cards

If you’re looking to get more festive around your apartment but you don’t have the budget – or the motivation – to go all out, one easy way to get into the spirit is to simply hang your holiday cards in a visible, organized way. You can use magnets on the fridge or repurpose an existing bulletin board as a temporary card display.

To take this to the next level, you can use string to hang the cards on the wall or purchase something to hold them. Some items even look like little Christmas trees, which is a great segue into our next idea.

Mini-Trees

Even in the roomiest apartment, space is often at a premium, and an entire Christmas tree, real or fake, can be more trouble than it’s worth. Our recommendation? A miniature version, or even multiple ones. There’s plenty of variety when it comes to smaller trees, including real ones and fake ones, lit and unlit ones, as well as tons of different colors.

Buying a miniature tree can be a great way not only to save space but also to express your own individual holiday spirit. You could get a few trees in different sizes, or add one to every room. Whatever works for you. If you don’t feel like adding a bunch of small trees or you don’t want to take up any space at all, you can make a tree that hangs on the wall out of construction paper with the kids.

Hang a Wreath

One of the most simple holiday decorations is also one of the best, which is a wreath. Like the miniature trees, wreaths are a great, inexpensive option for apartments that can be customized so they fit your personality and lifestyle.

Not only are they versatile, they can also be made, which is a great activity for the whole family. The kids can even make wreaths from leaves or construction paper that they can hang on their bedroom doors and before you know it, an activity has become a family tradition.

Decorate the Table

An easy way to transform your home from regular to Holiday mode is by simply decorating or even just setting the table. From candlesticks to placemats, there are tons of small changes you can make that signal it’s time for the holidays.

Especially if you’re hosting any parties this season, decorating the table is a great idea. For the kids, you can once again turn it into an activity, using styrofoam balls and paint to help them build their own decorations.

Spruce Up Your Furniture

Just like the table, couches and chairs in your living room can be decorated. Many people have throw pillows specifically stored away, ready to be placed on furniture during the holiday season. This is a fun, easy way to add texture and decoration to a room.

Taking it even further, you can add a festive tablecloth on the coffee table, or get even more candlesticks like the ones you picked up for the dining room. There are plenty of ways to deck the halls when it comes to your living room and furniture, so get creative. Even simple items like a few pine cones you pick up on a walk can make a world of difference.

All the Small Things

Like those pine cones we just mentioned, small changes are sometimes key in decorating your home for the holiday season. Fill a large bowl with shiny ornaments, pick up a snow globe, or add a bit of garland to your shelves. The choice is yours, and that’s the idea. Every family is different, so decorate your apartment in a way that you love.

Looking for a New Home?

If you’re looking for a great new apartment to start decorating, give us a call today. We’d love to help you find a perfect place for you and we have plenty of options in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Norman. We also offer storage space options!

Moving into a new apartment often means a few days or even weeks of unfamiliarity before your new home truly feels like home. There are plenty of ways to change that, from indoor plants to posters hanging on the walls, filling up all the empty space.

However, one of the most effective ways to not only make your new apartment feel like home but also to create a more cozy, comfortable space is lighting. As any great photographer or filmmaker would tell you: lighting is everything. Great lighting takes its subjects from good to great, and your apartment is no exception. Here are some of the best ways to take your lighting up a notch.

String Lights

In the last few years, basically everyone has started to realize that Christmas lights look pretty great year-round and not just on the home’s exterior or on the Christmas tree, but all over. Now, there are even better options, like larger bulbs on strings that provide a warm glow.

String lights are an excellent option for anyone who wants to light an area but wants something more relaxing than overhead lighting or lamps. The best thing about string lights is that they fill the entire space with a warm glow, rather than a burst of light like that of a single light source.

Smart Plugs

Technology is always trying to find new ways of making life easier, and in the last few years, smart plugs and outlets have become an underrated but awesome accessory for any home. Using a smart plug, you can control everything from fans to the string lights we mentioned above.

For anyone hesitant to add more tech to their lives, we understand. There’s a solution. When we say “smart plug,” it doesn’t have to be something that can connect to a phone or Amazon device. You can also opt for more simplified versions that come with a remote to keep by the bedside or on the coffee table. This helps to minimize and simplify your areas.

Another huge benefit of smart plugs is that you can set your lights on a timer using the smart features. If you often get home late, it can be really nice to turn the lamps on before arrival. This also ensures that your home isn’t left in the dark while you’re away.

Smart Lamps and Bulbs

Conversely, if you love technology and you’re trying to build your own smart home, you can take it to the next level with smart bulbs and lamps. These provide the control of smart plugs while also adding extreme versatility to your lighting setup.

The biggest smart light bulb brand is Philips with their Hue products. The company has gotten a huge head start on the market, but there are others like GE’s Google Smart Lights that offer similar features.

The main difference in a smart light bulb versus a smart plug is that you get full control over the actual color of the lights. Not only can you create whatever color combination you want in your favorite rooms, you can also dim the lights for bedtime, or set them to turn on/off at sunrise/sunset.

Lighting for Movies

For the entertainment lovers in your apartment, lighting is likely a big deal. The lights in your room and even around your TV can greatly impact your viewing experience. To meet these needs, companies have also started manufacturing new types of lighting that works for this purpose.

For example, there are LED lights you can place behind your TV, also known as bias lighting, which studies show reduces eye strain during extended viewing and also just plain looks cool. It’s perfect for anyone who likes to watch their movies in darkness but struggles to see clearly.

You can also buy rope lights, which are similar to string lights but can be placed on the ground or on tables behind the couch or seating area. This creates a soft glow around you and your guests while minimizing glare on the screen.

Creative Lighting

Our last suggestion for lighting your new apartment is not one single suggestion, but simply a recommendation, which is simply: get creative! We could never write a blog post that included every single way someone could light their home, because there are just too many options. From the ones we mentioned here to things like neons, fake candles, or even portable lights that can charge and be moved around with you, the options are limitless.

The most important thing when moving into a new apartment is turning it into a home. Lighting is one of the biggest ways to accomplish this. If you can’t afford new lights or don’t feel like spending money on that, you can still use the ones you have in creative ways, like placing lamps in new locations.

If you’re ready for move-in, please contact us at 405-360-0445! Or if you’d like more moving and storage tips, read the rest of our blog.

Sleep is one of the best things in the world, not to mention one of the most important. Getting proper, consistent sleep can help with stress levels, exercise routines, and even weight loss. Plus, if you go too long without sleep, it can be really bad for your health.

In a new apartment, it can be challenging to get a great night’s sleep in such a foreign environment. It takes time to get used to your new home. However, there are steps you can take to immediately improve your sleep.

Stay Active

If you like to exercise, you probably already know that getting great sleep leads to better workouts, reduced soreness, and improved results. Experts recommend between 7-9 hours of sleep, especially for those with even moderate exercise routines.

Luckily, staying active in any sort of way also leads to better sleep, creating a self-fulfilling cycle. If you’re getting routine exercise, even by simply taking a 2-4 mile walk in the morning or evening, your body will be much more inclined to naturally falling asleep, and you’ll find yourself ready to go to bed when it’s time.

Reduce Light

Everyone is different; some people enjoy waking up to the natural light of the sun entering their bedroom, while others prefer a cavernous dark room, allowing them to wake up at their own pace. No matter which way you like to rise, darkness is excellent for sleep throughout the night and when sleeping in after a late night.

Human beings naturally need darkness to sleep well, which makes a lot of sense. The first step to take if you’re having trouble with light is to keep your blinds closed as well as putting up dark curtains – even of the blackout variety if you want to take it to the next level. This prevents outside light from entering the room, but what about interior light? With technology on the rise, it’s also crucial to make sure there aren’t a bunch of small but powerful LEDs keeping you up in your bedroom, so cover them with sticky notes or binder reinforcement stickers.

(pro-tip: if you don’t want to go to the trouble of installing curtains, an eye mask can often do the trick.)

Reduce Noise

If the first pillar of human sleep is darkness, the second is silence, or something like it. For many, total silence is actually a deterrent of slumber, so the real goal should be to reduce random sounds throughout the room and area.

In an apartment, if you’re trying to go to bed early or sleep in, noise can be an issue, even in the most well-built places, simply because other people are always moving around, and they’re unpredictable. One of the best ways to alleviate this problem is with the purchase of a white noise machine, which can drown out extraneous sounds and create a consistent base of noise throughout your bedroom. If you don’t feel like buying some sort of machine, most smart phones offer cheap and even free apps that do similar things.

Know Your Surroundings

This one starts by meeting your neighbors, which can make it easier to politely ask people around you to keep it down or find out what is making certain sounds (for example, someone blasting music at 2 o’clock in the morning). Making friends with those in your building, particularly those next-door, can pay off hugely.

Also, before moving into your new place, you should check to see if there’s anything nearby that could cause sleep problems, such as railroad tracks or a hospital. These aren’t dealbreakers, but it’s good to know beforehand so you can remain prepared.

Make Your Bedroom Great

Along with your surroundings outside the apartment, you should also focus on the actual bedroom. You don’t need to break the bank or anything, but creating a calm, relaxing environment goes a long way towards great sleep in the bedroom.

From better pillows, mattress, and bedspread, to other elements in the room such as candles or dimmed lighting, one way to improve your sleep is by making your bedroom a place that makes you want to use it for bed. Also, research has shown that those who spend a significant chunk of time in bed for activities other than sleeping like working or watching TV may have a harder time going to sleep.

Try Other Remedies

We don’t recommend taking sleeping pills without consulting your doctor, but there are plenty of other home remedies that are said to provide healthy sleep. One place to start is by drinking a glass of tea an hour before bed, or less.

You could also try essential oils in a diffuser such as lavender and peppermint which can relax and soothe before bed, as well as natural supplements like melatonin.

Build a Routine

One of the most important ways to achieve consistent, healthy slumber is by creating a routine which you follow almost all the time. Whether it’s as simple as getting in bed at the same time or as complex as a soothing bath and a glass of tea, simply doing the same thing every night tells your body that the specific time is when you go to sleep.

If you’d like to learn more about our fantastic apartments like our Tulsa Woodland Hills location, please contact us at 405-360-0445! Or if you’d like more storage and cleaning tips, read the rest of our blog. 

Even in the best of situations, moving is inherently stressful. There are simply too many factors to consider for it to not be at least somewhat complicated. Searching for a new place is one of the most important elements, and it can be hard to know if you’re getting the right place for the right price.

Like any purchase, there are many questions you should ask before committing, but with an apartment, it’s even more vital to know what you want and what matters to you, as it’s the place you’ll come home to every single day. To help, we’ve created our top ten questions you should be ready to find the answers to along your apartment hunting journey.

1. How Do I Pay Rent?

This question comes with other questions under one umbrella. You should aim to find out not only how to pay rent, but what happens if you miss the due date. What are the late fees like? Does your complex take a check, or do they require a credit card or bank account info?

Furthermore, many apartments have certain fees that come with moving in, so you’ll want to make sure that you know about these before signing on the dotted line. Be polite but confident when discussing this with your leasing agent, and don’t be afraid write everything down to compare notes when you get home.

2. What is the Apartment Guest Policy?

We get it; you have a busy life! With as many family, friends, loved ones, etc. as you know, it’s important that wherever you move in is comfortable with visitors. Even if you’re more of a hermit, it’s a good idea to find out the guest policy.

If you’ve got people from out of town coming to visit or stay with you, or you foresee that situation in advance, be sure and learn what the apartment’s policy on guests is like. Obviously you aren’t typically allowed to have someone live with you full-time without their name on the lease, but where is the balance between a full-time guest and someone coming to hang out on the weekends? Find out before you move in.

3. Where Can I Park?

This one is extremely important for many people, especially if you’re driving to and from work or school every day. Parking is one of those things that, when it goes well, you don’t think about it, but when it doesn’t, it’s agonizing.

Driving around at the end of a long day searching for a parking spot is the favorite activity of absolutely no one. Some complexes also have parking garages, which can help if you live on a higher floor. Find out what the parking situation is in advance, as well as if there is a parking pass you’ll be required to pay for.

4. How are Repairs Handled?

One of the great benefits of renting is that your landlord is responsible for many repairs, such as faulty appliances and leaks. But before you move in, you should find out exactly how these situations are handled by your potential new home.

There’s almost nothing worse in a new apartment than something in your home being broken and having to wait days for it to get fixed. Make sure you’re choosing a home with a reliable maintenance policy, especially in the case of emergencies.

5. Which Utilities/Services Are Covered?

For this question, almost every complex is different. Some places are all expenses paid, meaning you pay one fee for rent, and the apartment covers everything from electricity and water all the way down to WiFi and even cable. For others, you’re on your own.

When choosing a new apartment, you likely have a specific budget in mind, and unexpected utility and service costs can destroy your financial planning. Be sure to ask how this process works and what elements the facilities are going to cover.

6. What is the Policy on Landlord Entry?

In many states, landlords are simply not allowed to enter a home without first checking with the tenants. However, in apartment complexes, specifically in Oklahoma cities like Tulsa, landlords can sometimes enter in the case of maintenance or repairs.

If privacy is a high priority for you, which we’re guessing it is, check with the leasing agent before you commit so you know when people are allowed to enter your new home.

7. What Kind of Changes Can I Make?

Your new home should be exactly that: yours. To make it so, there are certain changes you likely want to make, from hanging things to painting the walls. However, in many cases, this can result in losing your security deposit.

Check with your apartment complex before moving in to see if they allow changes to be made, or if there are certain policies in place to prevent this. There are usually rules of some kind, of course – you can’t just tear down whole pieces of your new place. The key is finding out what those rules are.

8. What is the Sublet Policy?

Studying abroad? Leaving town for a temporary assignment? Just need a change? In these cases and more, you might be looking to sublet your apartment so that you don’t have to go through the process of ending your lease early and incurring financial penalties.

Many places don’t allow for subletting as it creates liability for all parties involved, however, so check with your leasing agent if you think you might need to rent out your new home.

9. Will Renovations Occur and How?

Everyone is always renovating. Well, not everyone. But many places are adding new features all the time to make life even better for their tenants. From new parking to new seating areas at the pool and even fitness centers, additions can be great for everyone.

However, if you’re living in the complex during those renovations, it can be anywhere from a minor irritant to a huge hassle. You should ask if there are plans to renovate and if so, how those work, making sure they won’t interrupt the essential parts of your life.

10. What is your Pet Policy?

Last but not least by any means, you need to know about pets. From fish, lizards, and snakes to cats, birds, and dogs, there are tons of animals to fall in love with. Unfortunately, not all apartment owners are also in love with your furry (or scaly) friend. Sometimes, this simply means paying a pet deposit in case your dog eats the walls, but others, there are no pets allowed under any circumstances. Check with your landlord before signing your lease if your pet is key to your new home.

For more questions, please contact us at 405-360-0445! Or if you’d like more moving and storage tips, read the rest of our blog.

A self storage unit is a great option for anyone with belongings they need to keep safe during a move, temporary relocation, or just wants to protect extra stuff. But as easy as that might seem, not all units are the same, and neither are all facilities.

With varying degrees of quality come varying degrees of security, space, and other amenities and features. Before you decide on one, you should be aware of factors that can help improve your overall experience. Here are five of the most important ways to get the most out of your self storage unit.

Choose Carefully

The best way to have a satisfactory self storage unit experience is to choose your facility with a lot of care. Even if you aren’t storing anything particularly valuable, you’re just going to have a better time storing belongings somewhere you can trust.

You’ll want to look for a facility with strong security measures in place such as cameras, keypads (with individual codes, so ownership knows who is there), and even on-site security guards working around the clock. While not all facilities utilize all of these measures, it’s important you know which ones are in place. Even if they do have all of these, you should also check to make sure their equipment is updated.

Once you’ve learned all the security features, it’s time to check other features which can come in handy depending on what you’re storing. For example, some facilities require you to bring your own locks, and others don’t. Some facilities have climate control, while others are outdoors. You should make sure you know what you need for your items before moving in. Finally, it’s a good idea to find 2-4 facilities you like and check their pricing and reviews online before signing on the dotted line.

Know Your Priorities

Depending on what you need to store in your unit, your priorities might be different. If cost is your highest priority, that’s completely okay. However, choosing the first budget option that comes your way carries risk, as many self storage facilities cut costs by using cheaper materials (and not remodeling and/or updating their buildings) as well as using less/cheaper security.

Not every place is out to rip you off, but they may care less about protecting your belongings the lower the price is. If your priority is the security and safety of your items, it’s good to know this before you start so the price doesn’t make you think twice. Like any transaction and especially ones concerning rental property, what you get is what you pay for, so make sure you know how much you’re willing to spend before moving in.

Insure Your Belongings

Even in the safest self storage facility, accidents can happen. From bad storms and floods to robberies, there are a myriad of things that can go wrong with your stuff. Just as you would at your home or apartment, you should absolutely get your belongings insured before moving them into a self storage unit (or after, if you forget, but it’s best to do it before you’ve packed it all up).

Insurance can and will protect your things in the case of fire, flood, and theft. You can often buy coverage from your actual self storage facility, but in many cases, your existing insurance coverage for your home or rental property will work.

Pack Well

One of the worst ways to take advantage of a self storage unit is to haphazardly throw your belongings into the space and then shut the door. Not only do you run the risk of damaging your precious (or not so precious, but still) valuables, this also makes it incredibly difficult to find anything that you happen to need later on.

Even if that sounds ridiculous to you, it happens. Customers renting self storage units are often moving, and anyone who’s moved a few times knows that by the time you’re packing and unpacking the extra, remaining stuff, all you want to do is toss it wherever it goes and lie down. Still, resist the urge. Your self storage unit will do much better in the long run if you take the time to organize thoroughly and effectively, with clear labels on boxes and heavy stuff on the bottom.

Be Thorough

The last thing is not one simple thing but many; make sure you take time to consider the various important aspects of renting a self storage unit, many of which we’ve already discussed. From the location of your unit to its accessibility, everyone has different needs, and your unit should work for you. 

You should also check on smaller, seemingly less vital elements like checking the atmosphere of the area (humidity, average temperature) and measuring your belongings to compare with the size of the unit to make sure everything will fit properly.

If you have more questions about a self storage unit or would like to discuss renting one, please contact us at 405-360-0445! Or if you’d like more storage and cleaning tips, read the rest of our blog.