Unexpected Side Effects of Moving Into Your First Apartment

By Alisa Pierce
Blog Content Contributor

Most of the time, moving into an apartment is super exciting. Sure, the rent might be too high, and your roommate’s dog might not use the puppy pads, but you finally have a place to call your own. Who cares about the negatives when the positives are so great? As amazing as independence is, there can be some unexpected setbacks to moving into an apartment. These issues might seem small at first, but as the year goes on and the excitement wears off, the problems you once considered miniscule become catastrophic. Unfortunately, it can be hard knowing what complications you’ll face before moving in, so here are some cautionary tales and advice from my own experiences:

You’ll think pets are cute – for about a week. I love all animals, and whenever I decided to move into my first apartment I wanted to bring my pets with me. Despite my love for my pets, unexpected issues prevented me from bringing them. As sad as this originally made me, it didn’t take long to see the blessing in disguise it truly was. I was having to do a lot on my own for the first time, and in between class and grocery shopping I just didn’t have enough time to take care of an animal. Any pet you have will rely solely on you for care, and if you fall asleep after a long day and forget to walk your dog or clean your cat’s litter, that seriously affects them. Not only is it a huge responsibility, but soon even your roommate’s pets will get on your nerves. If their pet isn’t trained extremely well, you’ll probably find poop in your room if you don’t shut the door well enough. Even small things like a dog barking or a cat wanting to play at all hours of the night will eventually drive you crazy.

You’ll either come to love or hate cooking. Cooking meals at home can be a great way to stay healthy, but for a lot of people it can be a challenge. Cooking can be really hard, and not knowing what ingredients work well with others can lead to some odd food combinations. After a few mistakes you’ll be tempted to give up and dedicate yourself to a life of fast food, and as good as Whataburger tastes, that temptation will be really strong. On the other hand, learning what you like and what you can cook is a really cool experience. Growing as a cook can be super rewarding or super annoying depending on who you are.

You’ll realize that mess is unavoidable. Living with roommates can be really fun, but the dirty dishes, laundry, and trash can pile up. Before you know it, you’ll have a serious amount of garbage in your apartment. Your roommates might not be as cleanly as you are, so sometimes you’ll have mess in your kitchen or living room that doesn’t even belong to you. Fortunately, most apartments offer a trash pick up service, so don’t worry too much.

You might come to distrust your apartment staff. If you’re a very, very lucky person, you’ll have a stellar office and management staff. If you’re like everyone else, two big problems you might run into is having an uncooperative or disorganized staff, and having either of those in charge of rent and damage issues can be extremely frustrating. Sometimes it’ll seem like their jobs are just to complicate every aspect of living in your apartment. Look for red flags before moving in, because any problems you have before living in the complex will most likely continue long into the school year. 

Moving into an apartment can be a really rewarding experience, so don’t think it’s all bad. Just remember to be ready to deal with some minor issues that can become major if you don’t pay attention. I hope this helps prepare you for apartment struggles whenever you move in.