Auston Woods Apartment Homes Blog

Charlotte is one of the top 10 fastest growing cities in the country with new residents coming to town daily. At Auston Woods, we’d love to help you get settled into this sprawling, growing area.

There are many options when it comes to finding a home too. From apartments in Charlotte, NC to old historic homes, there is something for everyone. With the many career opportunities this growing city offers, many people continue to move to Charlotte. There is much to see and do, and exciting night-life, and so far, the city has remained affordable.

If you are just moving to Charlotte and you don’t know too much about the area, it might be smart to consider renting. With a ready-made community, fitness and pool facilities on-site to assist you in making friends, an apartment community might be just what you need to quickly make Charlotte your home.

A good apartment home staff can make the difference between an ordinary rental and a dream home. A very crucial part of the apartment-finding process is talking with the manager and office staff about the property. Most people don't realize what the manager does within an apartment home community.

A good manager and staff is one who has their resident's well-being and comfort in mind. When renting and you have a maintenance task; a stopped up toilet, a leaking sink, or your carpet needs to be re-stretched, the apartment home manager has to take care of it.
 
Before you commit to a place, talk with the on-site manager at Auston Wood Apartments and ask us some questions about our maintenance.

Ask questions and, when you tour Auston Woods, be sure to look over the general cleanliness. With our 9 foot ceilings, crown molding and various homes with sun rooms, we know you will love the floor plans, the property and the neighborhood. We are very proud of our exceptional customer service, and inviting lush landscape.
 
When you decide to live in an apartment home in the desired Charlotte area you need to know you've made the right choice about your living space. You need to know your interests are taken care of; that you won't be left stranded should there be a problem in your building or in the complex. When you find this type of satisfaction you will feel confident in making a lasting commitment and a pleasurable rental experience.

Finding your new apartment is just the first step in creating your home. Decorating makes your apartment feel like a home. It is important to create a space to come home to after a long day at work. It’s a good idea to start with a focal point for each room like a piece of furniture that can multitask. For example, in your living room, use a chest which could be used for storage and as a coffee table. Pick a piece of furniture you love or a color palette that feels inviting, and the rest will begin to fall into place. You can find affordable furniture at a number of stores as well as by asking around your new apartment community.

Once you've got the furniture in, it is time to make the space feel comfortable. There are several things you can do to warm up the space. Pay extra attention to lighting, which can make a room feel larger and increase the ambiance. You can use both natural and artificial light to make your apartment feel big and bright. Along with windows for natural light, lamps and ceiling lights can bring the effect you are looking for to your apartment.

Along with light, think about color selection as well. Use a fun and interesting color on the wall which will accent the quality craftsmanship, crown molding, or cathedral ceilings. Lighter colors on the walls and white ceilings with a darker floor, carpet, or throw rug will make the room look and feel larger and taller. For bright colors, you can use toss pillows with exciting and bold colors.

Accessorize your space with mirrors, plants, vertical pieces and lamps in vertical shape. Also, be sure to keep your eyes open at flea markets and garage sales for interesting items with character. If you keep the color, texture, and feel consistent in the items you buy, they're sure to look great in a room together. Greenery is a simple and inexpensive item that can enhance any room. Plants not only help to clean the air, they give your new place a splash of color and life. Enjoy your new apartment home.
 

You’ve moved in, set up phone service and changed your mailing address. What’s left to do? Get renter’s insurance to protect your precious belongings from unexpected perils like theft, flood or fire! Renter’s insurance also covers your valuables kept in a garage and storage. Our property owner’s insurance covers the buildings, not personal valuables inside. You should also carry liability insurance in case there is a fire in the apartment and damage occurs, or if your apartment gets flooded apartment due to a water bed bursting.

Many renters understand the importance of renters insurance.  Though there is no law that says you must carry renter's insurance, you will certainly be able to sleep better at night knowing you are covered in the event of an emergency. Insuring your belongings is certainly advised by any landlord or property owner. When you carry renter's insurance, the policy covers all your personal belongings, regardless of their individual value. Whether it is an expensive heirloom or your cellular phone, your items are covered if something happens. The monthly cost of this type of insurance varies depending upon what you are covering with the policy.

It is important to understand that renter's insurance covers the items belonging to the policy holder.  Therefore, if you have a roommate or two, each person living in the residence would need their own policy. Otherwise, if only one person has a policy, that is the only person's belongings that are covered. There are different types of insurance policies that tenants can carry depending upon their needs. A tenant needs to understand the types of insurance available and choose the policy that is right for them.

• The most expensive type of insurance to carry is replacement cost value insurance. This insurance replaces lost or damaged personal items at the price it was purchased for. This is good if you have an item that depreciates in value quickly but will cost you more monthly.
• If you have a lot of jewelry or antiques, it may be in your best interest to take a policy that replaces items based on their current market value. This type of insurance is called actual cash value insurance. The monthly cost of this insurance is dependent upon what types of items you are insuring.
• Lastly, there is liability insurance that is available to renters. This is good to have to insure yourself against injuries that take place inside your home. Should you be sued due to someone having an accident in your home, liability insurance will cover your medical expenses as well as the cost of your legal defense.

Please contact an insurance representative immediately for peace of mind. Auston Woods values the safety and happiness of their residents, which is why we suggest applying for renter's insurance to keep your belongings safe. As the old saying  goes it's better to be safe than sorry. Contact us today for more information and we'll be happy to help.

So you’ve just moved into your new apartment, great! How exciting is this, a new start in a new place! When searching for apartments you only visited the ones you believe to be in a desired location; but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t follow a few extra resident safety precautions. Here are a few tips Auston Woods recommend:

Resident Safety Tip Sheet

As a resident at an HHHunt Community we unfortunately can never provide any assurances or guarantees for your personal safety.  Crime and other emergencies are often inescapable and occur indiscriminately.  However, all of our residents can be certain we are committed to a proactive approach concerning deterring and managing criminal activity at our communities.  It is in your best interest and ours to take the necessary steps to deter crime from occurring when possible.  Below are some general safety tips for you to follow while living at our community to help protect yourself, your family and your property from criminal acts.

• Always report suspicious people or cars to the proper authorities, then to the Management Team
• Keep all doors and windows locked in your apartment home, even if home or taking a short walk.
• Never open your door to strangers and report solicitors to the Management Team immediately.
• Teach your children not to open the doors to strangers, talk to strangers, or get into a vehicle with any strangers and to report strangers to an adult..
• Always be aware of your surroundings and avoid strangers at night.
• Avoid walking or running alone at night.
• Avoid using headphones while walking or running.
• If someone in a vehicle stops and asks for directions, answer from a distance. Do not approach the vehicle.
• Try to take trash out during daylight hours.
• Never give amenity access codes or gate keys or codes to friends or guests.
• Do not label your keys with your address.
• Report inoperable window or door locks to the Management Team.  Inoperable window and door locks are considered emergency service requests.
• Do not discard mail with your name and address listed into common area trash receptacles.  Shred all mail or documents with your personal information (name, address, social security number, etc.) listed prior to disposing.
• Never publicize planned vacations or business trips.  This may notify potential burglars of opportunities to commit theft.
• Use lamp timer devices when out of town for an extended period of time.
• Request a mail and newspaper stop when out of town.
• Let a spouse, friend or other relative know your whereabouts, especially if you live alone.
• Vary your routine.
• Do not hide a key to your apartment under a mat, plant or other patio decoration.  Give a spare key to a trusted friend or relative instead.
• Purchase a Renter’s Insurance policy to cover loss of personal property due to theft.
• Purchase Comprehensive Insurance to cover loss due to auto theft.
• Take pictures or a video inventory of all valuable possessions in case of theft or fire.
• Never leave candles, oil lamps, stoves, ovens, or any other heat-producing element unattended.  
• Know all escape routes from the building and discuss escape routes and how to react in the event of fire with all family members.
• Report lighting outages in the breezeway to the Management Team.
• Check the backseat before entering your vehicle.
• Always lock your car doors.  
• Never leave packages, store bags, and other valuables in plain sight in your car.
• Avoid leaving cars running in the parking lot unattended to “warm up” during winter months.
• Always have car keys or apartment keys in hand when walking to and from your vehicle.  Never overload yourself with packages, bags or groceries when coming home.
• Do not leave your keys in your car.
• Develop a Family Emergency Plan to prepare for natural disasters, fire, crime, acts of terrorism and other emergencies and communicate to all family members.

Want a simple and easy way to create a custom piece of art to dress up your apartment walls? You can make a beautiful three piece art series with just a few materials and have it look as beautiful as any professional art piece!

The materials you’ll need would be wall paper in your chosen design, scissors, tape and three frames. To keep a consistent look you can purchase three of the same frames, or to mix it up and create more of a visual interest purchase three very different frames (colors, metals, etc.).

First open up the frame, inside will be the photo paper that all frames come with to illustrate the size. Use that paper as a template for how much to cut out of your decorated wall paper. Trace the photo paper on the inside of your decorated wall paper with pencil. Then cut out the traced area. Repeat that step for all three frames, working right after one another to continue the pattern.

After you’ve gotten all your decorated wall paper cut out, place the respective pieces in their frames. Arrange, in order of the pattern, in your apartment. Play with layouts to see which you like best; remembering that you can adjust heights to also add visual interest. And there you have it, an easy and inexpensive ‘do-it-yourself’ project to add custom art to your apartment. Many of our residents have decorated their homes in their own unique way and we have really been impressed with some of the things people have done. With this little addition you can turn your apartment into one of a kind. As always feel free to contact us should you have any questions about apartment living.

Do you know how important activities like reading, writing, and chores are to your physical health? Health status has a calorie calculator that can compute how many calories you burn in a set amount of time. The list offers dozens of activities from hang-gliding to hair-dressing and is dependent on your body weight.

Many of the activities you already do everyday or can be doing from your apartment living room, kitchen, or bedroom. After viewing the calorie calculator you may even see more reason to get involved with more vigorous and aerobic activities like working out or outdoor sports.

Here are some ways to burn some extra calories around the apartment complex without really working up a sweat.

• Take the kids to the playground (and actually PLAY with them)

• Push the stroller around the neighborhood

• Start a fashion project on your old jeans or leather jacket

• Vacuum the carpets or mop the floors (remember, burning calories!)

• Make your bed (calories!)

• Hula-hoop, jump rope, or ice-skate (You are never too old!)

Remember that all these activities and more are a part of our loving community and everything is just a couple miles away from our apartment homes. Feel free to contact us should you have any questions about our units or amenities we have to offer.