5 Essentials for Personalizing Furnished Apartments
Furnished apartments are a convenient option for temporary living situations. For example, corporate employees, government workers, professors, and consultants often need short term housing during temporary assignments. Since the average stay in corporate housing is about 84 days, most of these clients would not be able to sign a lease which would typically run one year or longer. Conversely, staying in a hotel room for three months or longer would be expensive and lack the comforts of home.
When moving into short term furnished apartments, you will typically be provided with the essentials, such as cookware, tableware, silverware, bedding, towels, and linens. However, most residents want their short term apartments to feel like home, even if it is only a temporary home. Here are five ways to personalize furnished apartments:
Personal Decor
While your furnished apartment may feel comfortable, it may not feel like home until both your mind and spirit are at ease. Photos are a way to connect with the people, places, and things that are important to you. Planning ahead for your stay in corporate housing may include framing some photos of your family, pets, or hometown to make your temporary residence feel more like your personal space.
Likewise, if you have artwork or decor that has special significance to you, you should bring it along. For example, if you are an avid fan of your hometown sports team and you cannot be comfortable without posters of your favorite players, have them framed and delivered to your furnished apartment.
Pets
Not all corporate housing allows pets. However, some furnished apartments will allow your dog, cat, hamster, snake, or another animal companion to stay with you during your temporary work assignment. If bringing your pet along helps you to be happier and more productive, you should let your employer know that you would like pet-friendly furnished apartments.
Just because a furnished apartment is pet-friendly does not mean that it is equipped for pets. This means that you should remember to bring whatever you need for your pet, such as food and water dishes, litter boxes, and pet toys. Remember that you are staying in a rental so you should make sure your pet is well-behaved or bring along a pet crate for the times your pet is left alone in the furnished apartment.
Specialty Cooking Gear
While furnished apartments include essential kitchen equipment, they typically do not include anything more specialized than a toaster. If you like to make waffles or you cannot live without Friday night fondue, you will need to bring the right tools for the job.
Similarly, if you fancy yourself a gourmet chef, you may find the basic cooking equipment provided in furnished apartments does not meet your needs. You may want to bring along the knife set, pots and pans, and other kitchen tools that you are familiar with.
Entertainment
Furnished apartments usually include at least one television and may also include a DVD player and stereo. If you plan to watch DVDs, you may want to bring along a few of your favorite movies to save a few dollars on movie rentals.
If you are an avid gamer, you will likely want to bring your game console or PC along with you. Likewise, you may want to bring your streaming device or find out if your furnished apartment includes a smart TV.
Loved Ones
While most people envision corporate housing as studio apartments, many brokerages have one, two, or three-bedroom options available. Most businesses are aware that happy employees are productive employees. For many people, a key part of happiness is being with their spouse or significant other and children. If bringing your family to your temporary assignment is essential to your ability to perform your job, let your employer know that you would like to choose from larger furnished apartments.
Your home is where you renew yourself. It should be calming, inspiring, inviting, and reflect your personal tastes. Personalizing your corporate housing with personal decor, pets, and loved ones can boost your mood and make you more productive. Moreover, equipping your temporary home so you can cook familiar food and enjoy familiar entertainment can help you to live the satisfying life that can keep you motivated.