Our Very First Home

It was a miserable day- the rain had barely let up at all & it was a good day to be inside- and that’s where I spent the majority of my day so far in back to back classes- listening to lectures, taking notes, and learning about Sigmund Freud and his complex theories about human development. My mind was wandering today more than usual because it was a very important day. I was standing outside my campus with my heavy bookbag sagging on my shoulders, as the rain bounced off my umbrella, waiting for my Dad to once again come to the rescue. Neither my boyfriend nor I had a working vehicle at the time and of course today- of all days- it had to be pouring rain. Otherwise, we could have walked as the apartment we were viewing was only a 12-minute walk from the college. I couldn’t help but to keep checking the time on my phone- 2:40PM, leaving just 20 minutes to meet my boyfriend at what potentially could be our future home and more importantly- our very first home together. He didn’t have classes today but was working part-time at a fast food joint in the middle of town. I hoped he wasn’t late- I’m sure he wouldn’t be but it’s just in my nature to worry. Back to the living arrangements- I was still living with my parents at the time, and he was sharing a home with 3 other male students- all of which attended the same college as we did. It was time for a change for both of us and this is the day we had been waiting for ever since we replied and heard back from the online ad: “Newly Renovated 1 Bedroom Apartment For Rent” that was posted online just a few weeks prior. We had been looking for months now but the current housing crisis in my town was to blame for not being able to find anything, at least not until now. I was starting to panic, as first impressions are everything and today was not the day to be late. I was just about to dial his number when an older gold Honda CRV pulled into the parking lot and I was instantly relieved. It was my Dad- he was on time for once- Hurray! I threw my bookbag into the backseat and jumped into the passenger side. I knew exactly which way we were going as I had rode past it at least a dozen times on the bus ride home from school, as it passed right by; just one of the many perks of this new apartment complex. Out of over 100 applicants, we were tickled pink to have been chosen for a walkthrough. The superintendent’s name we were meeting there was Heather- We were meeting her in the main lobby at 3:00PM. We still had 5 minutes to spare as we pulled into the parking lot of the big red apartment building. Just as we did, the rain stopped and the sun tried to make an appearance through the dark clouds above. I noticed a newer white SUV parked closer to the apartment building entrance and I could only assume this was the superintendent that we were meeting. We parked in the visitor parking and turned the car off. Less than a minute later, a blue sunfire pulled up with my boyfriend and his friends in it. They dropped him off and left. This was the moment we were waiting for! The apartment building was hard to miss, it was covered in freshly coated red paint, the exact color of a candy apple. It sat right on the riverfront, each unit boasting its own private balcony- big enough for 2 chairs, a table, and a small BBQ if you’d prefer one. You could tell right away that this unit was empty and move-in ready as there were no curtains on the windows and you could see right in. The excitement began to kick in. My Dad decided to wait in the car and my boyfriend & I started walking toward the entrance. A lady named Heather came out of the main lobby to greet us as we were approaching the front entrance. She introduced herself and we did the same. She asked if we preferred, she wears a mask, as some people do and some people don’t. We didn’t care either way so she left her mask down and we left ours in our pockets. It was nice to finally meet the lady I’d been messaging back and forth with for the last week and ½. She was very friendly and I instantly felt relieved as I had been so nervous. I’m not fond of meeting new people, and I guess you could say I’m shy- at least until I open up. I’m an introvert at heart, but my boyfriend is 100% an extrovert and does enough talking for the both of us. The apartment was advertised as newly renovated- and you could tell this was no lie immediately upon entering. It featured 5 brand-new appliances- Fridge, Stove, Washer, Dryer, and Dishwasher. The price was $1250/month which included electricity, and hot/cold water. While this might seem high- compared to everything else on the market- this was a steal! We were lucky to have been contacted for a viewing- Most rental companies were only willing to entertain employed individuals. We were at an advantage though, having no pets, and not meeting the typical college student profile of partying, drinking, or smoking. I was in my first year of a two-year Diploma Program- studying Early Childhood Education and my partner of 5 years was in his second year of an Electrician course. When we weren’t at school, we were both working in the evenings and on most weekends and we didn’t spend much time at home. We were both floored at the possibility of finally being able to live together- to come home to each other at the end of the day- You can’t put a price on that! We were very much in love and the honeymoon stage still hadn’t worn off. I lived with my parents long enough, and my boyfriend was just as eager as I was to finally own something together- something we could call our own. As my boyfriend was making small talk with the superintendent just outside the main entrance, I ran back to the car to grab our references that I had written down on paper earlier that day. My spouse had at least one landlord reference from his current rental but I hadn’t rented before so I wrote down my character references and their contact information. We had no kids or pets, which was a bonus. If we would have had, we probably wouldn’t have been lucky enough to be accepted for a viewing. When we first walked in were overwhelmed by the smell of fresh paint. The apartment was beautiful! When you first walk in, you are standing beside a large storage/coat closet and across from a beautiful brand new kitchen, which boasted a beautiful marble island separating the kitchen from the living room. The floors were hardwood throughout besides the kitchen light grey tile which matched the white & grey marble kitchen countertops. The kitchen had tons of storage space and its very own food pantry closet. The light fixtures were fancy & different in each room and the ceilings were higher than the average. The living room was a decent size and featured a picture window overlooking the water, as well as the door to the walkout balcony. The bathroom was quite large as well and featured a stackable washer and dryer- and the countertops matched the kitchen marble countertops perfectly. The walls were painted white throughout, which would match well with any furnishings. The bedroom had a large walk-in closet- which definitely had more than enough room for two. After sharing housing for so long with others- the thought of having this apartment to ourselves was beyond exciting. It didn’t take long to do a walkthrough, as I said it was only a one-bedroom apartment- but to us- it was so much more. It was a place where we were going to make new memories, a place where we were possibly going to live together for the first time- and we couldn’t have been more excited. I could definitely see us turning this house into our home! The viewing went well- my partner being the talker, spoke to the superintendent about our preferred move-in date, and preferred method of payment for the monthly rent. As they spoke I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful light fixture in the living room- This was luxury. My parents owned a two-level house with a full basement- but the modern look of this apartment I fell in love with at first sight. Before we could ask when to expect to hear back from her, she told us that they had one more viewing that evening- but they were going to cancel it because she had made her choice- we were picked that day on the spot!! We were both flabbergasted and we couldn’t wait to make this house our own. We asked some general questions- if we could put things up on the wall, where the mail was delivered, and other common questions you would ask when renting for the first time. For the last year, we had been collecting household items- mostly furniture and storing them in my parent's basement- a sectional couch, end tables, lamps, coffee table, dressers, and home décor. The only thing we needed to go shopping, for now, was a new bed, and a television for the living room. I couldn’t wait to get back out to the car to tell my Dad- he too was excited and so happy for us. We ended up paying the first month's rent and security deposit that day- and went over and signed a copy of our lease which she promised to photocopy and provide us with a copy of before the end of the weekend.  It was Wednesday May.28^th, 2021- and since the unit was vacant- she provided us with the keys that same day and told us we were free to move in as soon as we wanted. We were completely moved in by the end of the weekend- and couldn’t have been happier- finally a place to call our own- our very first home!