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D A I L Y

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P R E S E N T S

2016 SPRING HOUSING GUIDE

KNOXVILLE

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HOUSINGGUIDE

The Daily Beacon • Thursday, February 4, 2016

Hey reader!

Thank you so much for picking up a copy of this year’s Fall Housing Guide! You and the additional thousands of intellectuals across campus allow The Daily Beacon to flourish, day after day. From our light interviews with students, to our hard-pressed discussions with faculty, combined with important campus and world news in between, we strive to provide stories and investigative journalism necessary to broaden your views and stimulate your mind.

Today we bring you a detailed package that will guide you to your future home. With or without roommates, it’s time to fly the coop and experience the true college life. Included are rental tips, how-to guides, information on the best housing options on and near campus and more.

We hope that by the end of reading this special section, you will have the confidence you need to secure your new place at the location required to start forging your own memories around Knoxville. Each housing option within this issue has the amenities required for fun, studying (don’t forget this part!) and sleep. So please, read, enjoy and as always, let us know what you think on Twitter @UTKDailyBeacon or on our Facebook page.

-Connor Thompson, Advertising Manager

THE DAILY BEACON STAFF

EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief: Jenna Butz Managing Editor: Bradi Musil Creative Director: Katrina Roberts Chief Copy Editor: Hannah Moulton News Editor: Tanner Hancock Asst. News Editor: Alahnah Ligon Sports Editor: Jonathan Toye Asst. Sports Editor: Taylor White Arts & Culture Editor: Megan Patterson Asst. Arts & Culture Editor: Michael Lipps Online Editor: Cara Sanders Asst. Online Editor: Altaf Nanavati Multimedia Editor: Hayley Brundige Photo Editors: Esther Choo, Alex Phillips Design Editors: Lauren Ratliff, Justin Keyes Copy Editors: Breanna Andrew, Sara Counts, Trenton Duffer, Courtney Frederick, Jared Sebby, Shelby Tansil Editorial Production: Laurel Cooper, Amber Dalehite, Rachel Incorvati, Caroline Norris, Cameo Waters Training Editor: Troy Provost-Heron

ADVERTISING/PRODUCTION

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HOUSINGGUIDE

Thursday, February 4, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

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4B

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The Daily Beacon • Thursday, February 4, 2016

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THINGS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER ABOUT YOUR FUTURE APARTMENT

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Depending on your price range and time spent on campus, the location of your future apartment should suit your schedule.

If you work a campus job, take night classes or simply love UT, consider living in the historic Fort Sanders neighborhood. It might get a bad rap, but you’ll be living in the oldest stomping grounds for students of years past. If you have a car and need removal from the daily grind, you should consider living across the river in a student housing location. Amenities (i.e. gyms, groceries raffles, shuttles, pool access) are great, but are a waste of money if you’re not around to enjoy them.

YOUR PETS They’re cute, they’re fluffy and they can be a pain in the butt.

If your pet is living with you, check first and foremost that they are allowed in your apartment. Some places have strict guidelines on pets, but it is possible to get special permission if you insist on keeping your furry friend around. Other areas will allow pets in the rented space, but may charge a pet fee. Lower maintenance pets like goldfish or turtles are generally accepted, but it is your job to care for the animal. You don’t want your roommates resenting you because your cat poops in all the bathtubs. Been there, smelled that. Overall, it is imperative that you gauge the comfort level (and allergies) of your other roommates. It’s not worth losing a friendship or lease over a pet that may be happier and better suited for a home that isn’t shared by four or more people.

You’ve left the stuffy four corners of your freshman dorm, but now the real, adult life challenge begins --- finding and maintaining your first apartment. Though the task appears daunting at first, staying within these guidelines is bound to secure you a place that fits your schedule, style and won’t break your bank account.

Heidi Hill, Staff Writer

YOUR ROOMIES It will be years before any of us can afford our own home, so roommates are part of the package, like it or not. When looking for your apartment, you and your roommates should make some basic decisions together — who gets the bigger bedroom, who’s bringing the CrockPot, who’s paying for Xfinity/Comcast? You should also determine how many roommates you can comfortably live with. Five other people might drive down the cost of rent, but is all the foot traffic worth losing your sanity?

Also, make sure everyone has enough space to store, cook and eat their meals. Wellfed roommates make for happier roommates and a happier you.

YOUR RENT Probably the biggest hurdle for any student searching for their first apartment.

Rent cost can be highly connected to your roommate situation (see above), but here’s a general breakdown of rent cost. Given its age and diverse housing styles, the Fort is often a cheaper option for those looking to save costs. Living with three or more roommates can also help with rent as it can drastically drive down cost once the bill is split among all residents. Rent averages $500, but even this will vary from house to house and from landlord to landlord. Apartments and homes across the river or near downtown will average a little higher, but you are paying for better upkeep, on site assistance and furnished rooms.

The hassle of living with roommates

Jenna Butz Editor-in-Chief I’ll be up front: I am not a fan of roommates.

Sorry, roomies, but having to share my space with other people, who have been complete strangers at times, is not my idea of a fun college experience. They leave dishes for weeks, have friends over until 2 a.m. on Monday when you have an exam the next morning and bring weird dudes into your

space. And you’re supposed to be cool with that. No thanks.

I could tell you roommate horror stories, but it’s not Halloween yet, and I’m not here to scare you. Instead, here’s some friendly advice on how to live with strangers, maintain friendships and not be “that” roommate.

Do your dishes. For the love of God, pleeeeeeeeeeease do your dishes. It’s not hard.

Rinse and put ‘em in the dishwasher. Or buy a sponge wand-thing and a dish rack and just do it. The soap is built in! It’s a Christmas miracle! A couple days is totally fine, but once you hit three or four days, you’re pushing it.

And if you leave them there for a month, just move out. Just do it. No one will miss you.

Don’t bring random sexual conquests over without a warning, particularly if you’re sharing a dorm room. We’re asking for a simple text here. Even better, try this: “Hey, so-andso is coming over. Is that cool?” And don’t be

afraid to say no. It’s your home too, and you have a right to not be sexiled, especially if you need to sleep or study or shower. Just don’t always say no. Girl’s gotta get it. Have your own room? You just go for it. Keep it down, but do it all night if you want.

Don’t always say no. People need social lives, and if your roommate wants to throw a party on an average Friday night, just go with it. Sure, parties at your place are a little stressful, but let a little beer spill and revel in being able to just throw your dress off and fall into bed at the end of the night. No Uber needed.

Not into it? Buy some ear plugs, lock the door and just go to sleep.

There’s more to say, but basically, don’t suck. You’re welcome.

Jenna Butz is a junior in English. She can be reached at jkw546@vols.utk.edu.

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Thursday, February 4, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

5B

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The Daily Beacon • Thursday, February 4, 2016

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Thursday, February 4, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

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The Daily Beacon • Thursday, February 4, 2016

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Thursday, February 4, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

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10B

The Daily Beacon • Thursday, February 4, 2016

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Thursday, February 4, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

COMMUTING COMES WITH VARIETY OF UPS AND DOWNS After spending freshman year living in one of UT’s dorms, interchangeably going from feeling like I was literally going to freeze to death to feeling like I lived in the middle of the Sahara desert, I was ready to move off campus.

It’s not that I didn’t treasure the times I woke up to the sound of the Pride of the Southland band practicing outside my window or all those times I had to steal toilet paper from the dorm lobby bathroom, but I needed a little distance from campus after that year. After living in an off-campus apartment for two years and preparing to move back onto campus grounds for my senior year, I present to you what I consider to be the pros and cons of off-campus living.

Bradi Musil, Managing Editor

PRO

Rent is (a bit) cheaper. This isn’t always true, but usually you can snag a reasonably nice apartment with your own bedroom and bathroom for much cheaper than you would at apartments within walking distance of campus.

PRO

Having an excuse to stay in all weekend. Admittedly, one of my favorite things about living off campus is that I always have a reason to stay in: I don’t want to drive, I can’t drive or I don’t have the cash for gas this week. No one can argue with that.

PRO

Avoiding game day traffic and Cumberland Avenue altogether.

Saturdays in the fall on Cumberland Avenue create what I consider to be my own personal hell.

I cannot stand sitting in traffic while a bunch of idiot pedestrians risk death for a post-game cheeseburger. No sir.

CON

Inclement Weather days. You may want to save all your spring class skip days for January because most days you simply cannot get to campus without potentially ruining your car/sliding into a ditch.

CON

Needing to figure out transportation every time you leave your apartment.

Factoring in the time it takes to drive to campus and find parking is without a doubt frustrating, but nothing compares to the nights you have to figure out how you will safely travel to and from friends’ apartments in Fort Sanders without blowing 20 bucks on a cab.

CON

Feeling disconnected with campus. This is not so much a problem for me as I work at the newspaper and can’t seem to escape whatever happens to be going on on campus.

11B

12B

The Daily Beacon • Thursday, February 4, 2016

HOUSINGGUIDE