Our story opens with me having decided to move up to a larger apartment in my current complex.  I had come to this decision while working with a financial planner and also on advice from my son who suggested “an interim solution“.

Finally the day came for me to put my plan into motion.  It was October 3, 2016, when I received a letter from the apartment management with a “Lease Renewal Offer”.  My current lease was going to expire on December 11 and the letter explained my options: a minimally increased rate for another 12 months in my one-bedroom, a more than $200 increase for a month-to-month rate, and a reminder that per my lease I am required to give 60 days notice if I’m planning to move out.  It was time to make my move.

On November 15, I went to the management office and talked to Lauren about renting a two-bedroom apartment.  She showed me the two floor plans that had two bedrooms. One plan had two bedrooms that share the same bathroom and the other plan had a main bedroom with an en suite bathroom and a second bedroom and separate bathroom.  I chose the one with the en suite bathroom.  I wrote the rent for each on the page with the floor plan I had chosen along with notes about transfer fees, apartment number, and the date it would be available.  And most importantly the date of this conversation.

Then on Thursday, November 17, I submitted a move-out letter stating my intention to move to a larger apartment within the complex.  The next Monday I went to the management office to settle which apartment and find out the next steps.  But when I walked in I immediatley noticed that something was different, wrong.  The doors to the two managers’ offices were closed.  No one was sitting at the two desks outside the offices.  It was very quiet; no music; some lights were off.  Then a young woman I recognized came out and asked if she could help me.  I told her why I was there for and we sat down at one of the desks.

After I explained the situation and which apartment I wanted and how much rent I had been told I would be charged, she took the paper and went in the back.  When she returned she said the rent would be about $200 more.  I explained that I had been in on November 15 and pointed to the date on the floor plan.  I was   told the rent would be this amount and I showed her on my paper where I had written the amount.  She left again and this time a man came out with her; his name was Kenny.  I had never seen him there before but he acted as if he was in charge.  “Strange”, I thought, “but ok, I’ll go with it.”

I explained to Kenny everything I had explained to the young woman and he agreed to the rent.  Next step was sending me a lease to reveiw which they would do in the next few days.  When the lease came in my email, I reviewed it.   It was all as expected except for the rent which again was the higher rent.  I went back to the office with all my papers in hand and this time the managers’ offices were open, people were sitting at the desks outside and the lights and music were on.  Now this was normal except I didn’t recognize anyone.  A young man, Saia, sitting at one of the desks, asked if he could help me and I explained the situation to him.  He pulled my lease up on his computer and left.  In a few minutes, both he and Kenny came out.  He told Saia to honor the cheaper rent.  He told me they would send another lease for me to review.

It was all so weird, these new people and all these mistakes with the rent.  I commented to Saia that there were so many new people.  It was then that I found out the apartment complex had been sold to a new company, Greystar.  It all became clear.  But so odd that the sale and change in management hadn’t been announced to the residents.

A few days later I received the final lease for me to sign.  I reviewed the pertinent details like how much rent.  Again it was the higher rent.  I was so frustrated and wondered if they were trying to pull one over on me.  So I called Saia and told him about the discrepancy in the rent.  I did not tell him about my ugly suspicions.  He apologized all over the place and promised to correct the lease and send it to me that day.  He did; it was correct; I signed it.  Finally, my new apartment was all ready to go.  It was going to be repainted so it would be like new, I hoped.  I was very excited.  It was December 20—Merry Christmas to me!  I could start moving in on January 6—Happy New Year to me!

I began planning the move and packing.  My new apartment was in the same building, same floor—second—but off a different breezeway.  So there was going to be lots of stair climbing—nineteen steps up and nineteen steps down. (I frequently counted them when I carried my groceries in.)  Two of my sons and my daughter-in-law were going to help with the move.  Fortunately, my daughter-in-law worked for an office furniture distributor so she got one of their mover guys to help with the furniture.  I did all the packing.  On moving day everything was ready to go.

The weather on moving day was beautiful: sunny skies, rather chilly breeze, no humidity.  Perfect for stair climbing.  The move went very quickly and smoothly.  It was amazing, and a little scary, to watch the professional mover pick up my couch—a small, but rather heavy couch—and walk down a flight of stairs and then up a flight of stairs with it on his back.  He was one strong guy!  We could not have done it without him.  No way!

Once all the big stuff was moved, I told everyone I would finish up the small, light stuff and let them all go.  That afternoon, as I walked back and forth from apartment to apartment, down stairs and up stairs and then up stairs and down stairs over and over, I had a lot of time to think.  I remembered when I had sub-let and how easy that process was.  I simply took over someone else’s lease.  Of course, I had to prove I was financially able to pay the rent but that’s all.  No negotiation or fees; just move in.  Then I rehearsed the process of renting my new apartment: all the back and forth over the rent and how I had to stay on top of it or I could have ended up paying more rent than necessary.  I remembered how at first I was tempted to just accept the higher rent.  And realized that’s what the old Kay would have done instead of standing up for herself.  Wow, I really had come a long way.  I frequently thought I had become stronger, more independent but here was proof.  Tears came to my eyes.  I was simply astounded.

Around this time, I was dating a man named Berne.  I confessed to him that I was feeling nostalgic about my one-bedroom apartment.  It was the first place I had ever lived on my own and the first place I had picked out on my own, both the city and apartment.  The move was a momentous event in my life.  Now I was leaving behind a lot of adventures, tears, joy and all the growing up I did in that little apartment.  While I was excited about moving on to a bigger place, I told him, I was also sad to be leaving a place that had sheltered me through the last year and half.  He suggested writing a letter to my apartment expressing all these emotions and saying good-bye.  So after I had cleaned it, I sat on the floor in that special little one-bedroom apartment with my journal and wrote a letter.

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Dear Apartment,

This my last time to be here as an inhabitant.  One more load is stacked by the door ready to go to my new place.  I am tired and sore and stiff, way past ready to end moving.  But I couldn’t move on without telling you what you have meant to me.  You helped me grow up, become independent.  You’ve seen me cry, be lonely, be happy, be regretful, even think about going back to my old life.  You saw me grow out my grey, cut my hair short and be happy about it.  In your kitchen my habits became those of a singe person.  I started out cooking real meals with real recipes and slowly turned to canned soup and single serve recipes that I made up as needed.  I learned how to handle my finances and grow efficient in money matters.  I’ve contemplated and made lots of decisions for good or bad within your walls.  Since Augurst 14, 2015, I’ve been sheltered by you and grateful every day that I had you to call home, a warm, safe place.  So today I cleaned you up one last time.  I hope you felt loved as I did so.  I will never forget you.  So now I’m moving or have moved to a 2 bed 2 bath place just across the building.  I’ll still see you and think about you.  I hope someone deserving of you moves in, someone who will take care of you and appreciate you.  So this day is bittersweet.  Good-bye is sad but I feel confident I’m moving on as I need to.  You were my  “college” apartment, just left home figuring out life.  Now it’s time for a grown up place.  Thanks for helping me get to this place.  You’re the best, little apartment. You will always be a part of me.

Love,

Kay

Movin’ on up,

Woodpile Kitty ATX