1. Use Smart Power Outlets

A simple way to turn your everyday electronics and appliances into smart ones is to use smart power outlets. Start by buying several of these smart outlets. Then you can begin the transformation of your home. These outlets can be used for many of your smaller appliances and lamps. You will gain control of your appliances and electronics using your voice, and you’ll be able to manage them all using a convenient application. This means you have ultimate control over how everything works. You increase accessibility, and you get the ability to monitor and control your electric power usage. And if you expand into using a smart thermostat, you could can even control your heating and cooling temperatures.

2. Use a Single Ecosystem

Turning your apartment into a smart home can be tricky when trying to get different ecosystems to work properly together. That’s why it is best to choose a single ecosystem and stick with it. If necessary, you can use some smart home hubs, now available in the market, to help you sync up different products from different manufacturers. You certainly want everything to work together so that you’re not running 50 different apps to control everything. I don’t know about you, but I already have too many remote controls lying around! Using a single ecosystem where all the pieces are made to work together allows all parts to communicate seamlessly. So, if you like Amazon smart products, stick with Amazon. If you prefer Google’s solution, then stick with Google.

3. Use Smart Cameras

Enhancing the security of your home is easier when you add smart cameras into the mix.  Install them outside your windows and your doors. Maybe add some to the inside of your apartment too. You can connect a variety of different cameras to remotely monitor as much or as little of your apartment as you prefer.

4. Use Other Various Sensors

Get more information from your apartment by placing various smart sensors into the system. There are different sensors available that can help you identify issues before they become potential problems. Some examples include carbon monoxide sensors, motion sensors, and moisture sensors. Having any of these in place can help your apartment feel more secure so you feel safer. And you have the knowledge that you are in control!

In summary, converting your apartment into a smart home is pretty easy. With wifi connectivity, you won’t have to mess with the wiring in your apartment. That makes management happy! Instead, you can simply install whatever easy to use smart devices and sensors you feel gives you more accessibility, while boosting energy efficiency, and enhancing security. There has never been a better time to get started with smart devices for your apartment.

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From managing your thermostat to purchasing rugs for cold floors, here are tips on heating your apartment without running up the bill.

1. Clean Your Air Filters

Throughout the year the filters in your heating system can get clogged with dust and other household grime. This forces the heat setting to work harder to push warm air through the filter. Keeping your filters clean will allow the heating unit to run more efficiently, thus saving you money. Don’t know where to locate your filters or how to clean them? Have no fear! We’ve created a video tutorial to help. “How to clean the filters of your heating and cooling unit.”

2. Add Rugs

If you have tile, hardwood, or vinyl floors in your apartment consider stocking up on a few rugs. Additional rugs can really help if your carpet is a bit on the thin side, as well. 

Something you may not have considered is stitch count. The stitch count of the rug you’re purchasing is more important than just the overall thickness. Stitch count tends to insulate the best.

Adding a pad underneathe your rug can double the insulation you receive too, plus it makes for a much more cushioned experience. 

3. Avoid Space Heaters

Sometimes the only way to beat the cold is to turn up the heat. Unfortunately, space heaters are typically pretty inefficient heating sources since they require a ton of electricity to heat a small amount of square footage.

4. Manage Your Thermostat

Do not turn off your heat when you leave your home. It will cost twice as much and take twice as long to get warm if you wait until you get home to crank up the dial. Leaving your heater running a few degrees lower than you are comfortable when you are gone for the day is the most cost effective way to manage your apartments temperature. Once you return home, bump it up to the temp your prefer.

5. Bundle Up

Winter isn’t the best time to live in your shorts and tshirt, at least not here in Wisconsin. If that’s your go-to outfit for comfort at home, you may have to pay a little more to keep the heat higher. We suggest creating a happy medium. Turn the thermostat up to a comfortable setting and wear cozier pj’s with thick socks or slippers. Winter is the perfect time to bundle up in a soft blanket or oversized robe, as well.

You can also keep yourself toasty at night by fluffing up your bedding with thicker duvet covers or comforters.

As the days get shorter and the cold sets in, biting the bullet and paying the extra heating costs can seem like a good idea. We’re glad you stopped by to research better, more cost-effective ways to save money and live comfortably throughout our brutal Wisconsin winters.

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Typical Maintenance Requests

Typical maintenance items include clogged toilets, light bulb replacements, and garbage disposal concerns. These are requests residents are able to resolve themselves in a lot of instances. Battery replacements for a smoke detector or garage remote are two other examples.

When to submit these types of requests?

Cathedral ceilings are such a perk! The only downfall is when you notice a light bulb burned out and you can’t reach it to replace it. This is also the case if you hear your smoke detector chirping, but you cannot access it from a small step ladder. Submit a request for direct maintenance whenever safety is a concern, like climbing a tall ladder.

Many times, residents may even have questions as to what sort of light bulb or battery to purchase. Our managers can share links to different retailers that sell each type of bulb or battery used at their property too.

Anyone who’s ever clogged a toilet and experienced the fear of rising water knows how important it is not to test the porcelain God’s. Should you not succeed you may end up flooding your bathroom. Instead of avoiding eye contact with your property manager, maintenance staff, or potenial downstairs neighbor for the remainder of your residency, we suggest submitting a maintenance request right away.

While certain items can be corrected with ease, there are things residents may not feel comfortable handling without assistance. Thankfully, we’ve created video turtorials for residents at all Morgenson Realty properties to utilize for that not-so-typical stuff. Resetting your garbage disposal or a tripped breaker shouldn’t be cause for stress or feeling inconvenienced by maintenance staff in your apartment. That same location on our website allows residents to login to their portal and submit maintenance remotely. To learn more about the benefits of submitting maintenance online, click here.

Why it’s Important to Submit Minor Requests

We rely on our residents to ensure a smaller problem does not become a much larger one. Informing your property manager of a minor maintenance matter can be a good guide of what is a residents responsibility and what is the responsibility of the property management company.

There are also times our managers can correct the issue themselves without maintenance. In other instances, we may already have a third-party vendor on-site and be able to send them over to look at your request immediately. 

Emergency Maintenance

Let us open by saying, anything you consider to be an emergency maintenance concern should be called in right away. We are lucky that our policies allow for several lines of defense when it comes to emergencies. Property Managers for all Morgenson Realty Company, Inc. locations have smart phones on their person 24/7. This allows a resident to call at any time, day or night. Our teams have saved contacts and alarm montioring companies that also communicate with them directly. Major property accidents or emergencies can set off alarms that alert our staff immediately, as well. These communications can also be received by our maintenance team.

When to submit emergency maintenance requests?

Water leaking from your toilet, dishwasher or under your sink. Your refrigerator won’t stay cool, your heat isn’t working or your toilet is running. All of these examples are reasons to submit maintenance immediately. Additionally, broken door locks or unexplained power outages, though uncommon, are serious matters that are our responsibility to fix too. For anything outside our maintenance teams capabilities, we contact a third party vendor to assist.

This is true when it comes to common area concerns too. If a resident notices water dripping in underground parking, that is cause for an emergency maintenance request. If you hear your neighbors arguing past quiet hours however, that would not be consider an emergency. Your communities emergency phone line should be used when appropriate and for serious situations only.

Why it’s Important to Submit Emergency Maintenance Requests

There are two main reasons it’s imporant to submit an urgent request. If the situation presents a safety risk or property damage – you should reach out right away.

Avoiding charges upon moving out of your apartment is also a good reason. If your toilet is running, but you never contact management, there is no way of knowing when it started. If your properties water utility bill is paid by the management company, that could lead to losing money from your security deposit.

Unfortunately, no property manager or maintenance technician can anticipate every problem. Your position as a renter is an important one in keeping an eye on your apartment home. If you’re unsure of the level of importance on a certain maintenance item please feel free to call/email/text your property manager. They will be happy to provide guidance or schedule a member of our maintenance staff to look into the concern.

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Renting has never been easier. For those of you who have yet to experience the convenience, here are 3 Reasons To Love Your Tenant Portal:

• Pay Rent

Opting for online rent payments is both secure and easy. With two options to choose from you can pay your rent worry-free in whichever way suits you best. Automatic payments provides renters with a set-it and forget-it alternative to traditional due dates. It’s as easy as choosing the date you would like your rent payment to pull from your bank account  or credit card monthly and that’s it! Scheduling your rent payment avoids the potential for late payments and late fees.

Let’s say you want to pay half your rent now and half your rent later.  Manual payments allow for that freedom. Logging into your tenant portal and scheduling a manual payment gives the feeling of sending a physical check, by having more control of when it’s deducted and how.

Split payments between roommates, co-signers, and couples too!

• Submit Maintenance Requests

No matter if it’s 2 in the morning or 4 in the afternoon, submitting a maintenance request can be done from the palm of your hand.

Enter a description of the issue, upload any photos of the item needing attention, and hit submit. That’s it! You can even check the status to see it was received, scheduled, and that it’s been completed.

Goodbye paper maintenance requests. So long late night calls to your landlord. Good riddance lingering maintenance concerns that you lived with for way too long. Bye bye bye!

• Sign, View, & Download Documents + Communicate with Management

Everything from your lease signing to your lease renewal can be signed electronically in the tenant portal. These documents are saved and can be accessed at anytime. Your property manager can also send other important documents securely and you receive notifications if a new document is shared. These can be downloaded to your smartphone, tablet, or PC.

Quick newsletters or updates about the property can be emailed and sent via text message directly from the property manager to the resident. These can even include images, helpful tips, or reminders.

Additionally, you can update your contact information and even your renters insurance, all on the tenant portal.

Accessing the tenant portal is as simple as logging into your email or clicking an app on your phone. It’s convenient, secure, and allows renters to feel connected to their community at all times. We hope this has helped ease the minds of those worried about a more technology driven rental experience.

Ready to try it? More information on how to navigate the Online Portal can be found here.

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Amazing Amenities and Features

We believe it’s how you live that matters and strive to provide our residents with unique layouts and amenities. Equipped with modern kitchens for fully functioning food prep and cooking.  These one bedroom layouts have recently received polished GE appliances, to include: glass-top stoves, microwaves, dishwashers, and full-sized refrigerators.  Serve guests or enjoy a quiet meal in the spacious dining room or living area with wide view windows and plush carpeting.

Ridge Pointe Apartments extends your comfort with bedroom ceiling fans, stylish bathrooms, and updated fixtures throughout. Located right next door is our sister-property, Ridge View Apartments.  This complex has a truly unique fitness center for all of our residents to enjoy! Extra guest parking is a nice perk too. Other added benefits include on-site laundry, large storage units, and assigned off-street parking.

Well-maintained, secure apartment homes are also a top priority. Locked and secured building entry doors give residents peace of mind. While 24 hour emergency maintenance is available with a quick phone call. The ease of paying rent has also been considered with our residents in mind. This complex comes with the addition of an online tenant portal. Giving residents the ability to set automatic, manual payments, and even split-payments. 

Outstanding Convenience

We understand that with busy lives and schedules, our residents want to have more time to enjoy the best things in life. These one bedroom apartments enjoy incredible city views! Located near nature trails and the Fox River, Ridge Pointe offers the best of both worlds. The Fox River Sanctuary and Frame Park offer opportunities for a peaceful lifestyle without missing the excitement our city has to offer.

Friday Night Live events run from June to August and provide endless entertainment. Every Saturday, Waukesha’s Farmer’s Market hosts vendors from all over the state of Wisconsin. Flowers, fresh garden vegetables, and smiles line the streets as residents enjoy their purchases just steps away from their apartment. 

Ridge Pointe also gives renters quick travel to both Lake Country, and the Metro Milwaukee area. The hassle of long morning commutes is avoided with access to major highways and interstates nearby. Plus, this Waukesha location is walkable to amazing local dining! Restaurants like Taylor’s People’s Park, Mainstream Bar and Grill, and Bernie’s Tap Room and Restaurant are all must-haves amongst Waukesha residents. 

Interested in experiencing a fresh perspective on apartment living? We invite you to visit Ridge Pointe Apartment Homes today! You can also Search Availability Now!

This apartment community is ready to provide you with a virtual tour or self-guided tour at your convenience. In keeping with all safety guidelines, Ridge Pointe is also holding an Open House tomorrow, Saturday, May 16th between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM. Feel free to stop by or call to schedule a separate showing. Ridge Pointe Apartments is ready to accommodate and bring you the best living experience Waukesha has to offer!

The post Exclusive Living in Downtown Waukesha at Ridge Pointe Apartments appeared first on Morgenson Realty Company Inc.

Here are some quick ways to help people improve your overall output while working remotely in one of our Sussex apartments or any community.

1.  Create a Workspace

Apartments tend to have planned spaces that are conducive to your lifestyle. Which could mean, you have no available area where you can work uninterrupted since you never planned on working remotely. There’s hope! Accommodating your new home office can be easily done, with a little creativity.

Start by defining what is realistic with your daily life. Living with a spouse, children, or a roommate will demand a place more tucked away.  This is much easier to accomplish in any 2 bedroom apartment, like those found at both our Maple Grove and Maple Creek communities. If you’re living in a studio or 1 bedroom apartment in Sussex or elsewhere, consider modifying a single living area like your large breakfast bar or a part of your living room.

Once you’re able to set it up, your apartment can remain your home, while also being a comfortable place you conduct business.

2. Keep Structure

Concentration is key in any job. Staying focused with regular home distractions can be one of the most difficult parts of working remotely. But, distractions can’t be an excuse for losing structure throughout your workday. Learn to use your peak hours effectively. Schedule your biggest tasks to be completed within that period of time.

Working from a dog-friendly apartment can allow you to deviate from your normal day-to-day, as well. Pets can become more needy when you’re around more often. Take into account their normal structure. And don’t forget, they may have a harder time when regular office hours resume too.

At the end of the day, power down your electronics and move away from your desk or work space. Avoid taking your laptop outside of your designated work area. Blending your work and personal life will create opportunity to stay in work mode. Allow yourself to unwind and spend time with those you love.

3. Schedule Communications 

Regardless of where you set-up your home office, having a phone and internet access will be a requirement. If your work responsibilities include conference calls or conversations with clients, make sure to schedule them for times when you know you will be alone. Since you can’t avoid Skype calls with your boss, purchase noise-canceling headphones that help you focus on the task at hand in between those calls. In addition, find work from home playlists on Apple Music or Spotify.

Ideally, you want your home office to reflect the same practices as your company’s office. Remain connected with your co-workers. Avoid the feeling of being isolated and touch base with your team often.

Working from home can provide several benefits. It can also produce numerous challenges when space is limited or you share your apartment. Do your best work by cutting out a consistent work space, preparing for personal distractions, and creating a schedule that benefits you, your loved ones, and your employer.

For our residents and prospects living or inquiring about Sussex apartments for rent, we have all the details you need on the current detour. Information and directions for both our Maple Creek Apartments and Maple Grove Apartments can be found through the link below. Please reach out to our wonderful property manager, Katie, with any questions at (262) 246-9797. We have also included the Maple Avenue Detour Map for your convenience.

Click here for information about the Maple Avenue Reconstruction Project. Provided by The Village of Sussex directly.

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Apartment shopping can be an overwhelming task. When you go in search of the perfect apartment home, you typically have a few ideas in mind; affordability, great amenities, walk-in closets, and open-concept floorplans. You may not be considering what you’re actually agreeing to. Going into a lease agreement with your Landlord is a big decision. It’s important to keep an eye on issues that may be red flags early on. To get you started, we’ve listed 6 things to avoid when apartment shopping below.

1. Zero Photos 

The days of apartment renting magazines are long gone and searching has centered around mobile apps and online websites. Maybe you’re searching for a one bedroom loft in Waukesha and you have several options to scroll through. Steer clear of listings with zero photos. Apartment ads with one or two photos of only the outside of the building can be scary too. Remember, those with nothing to hide, hide nothing.

2. No Reviews or Bad Reviews 

We look up reviews for places to eat or a hotel we stay in for three nights. Why wouldn’t we hold the same standard for our new home? 1 star reviews happen, even to the best apartment communities. However, zero reviews or only poor reviews can be a good indication of a bad landlord. Residents who are taken care of tend to support where they live. If the leasing agent or manager seems nice during your showing, but you see no evidence of that online, you might need to worry about what actually being a resident could look like. Go out of your way to mention these concerns and see how problems are addressed or unfortunately, not addressed at all.

3. No Approval Standards 

Here you are, the tour is over and you’re ready to apply! This is where you discuss the awkward questions about things you normally don’t want to share with others. What do you need to get approved for an apartment? Standard rental criteria usually includes 3 major things; credit score, income, and a background check. Rental verification’s are often of importance to most Landlords, as well. Having the security of knowing your neighbors had to go through the same approval process you did should give you confidence, not cause for concern.

4. Signing Before Seeing

The model unit is always clean, well-maintained. and beautifully decorated. In a perfect world the apartment in your lease agreement could be just as beautiful. Unfortunately, there is no way to know without seeing the exact apartment or a similar layout. Oftentimes renters trust that what they’re seeing is what they’re getting. What they are getting is carpet that doesn’t match, older-style appliances, the list could go on and on. It can’t hurt to send an email to the leasing agent verifying there are no major differences between the two either.

5. No Move-in Inspection 

It’s move in day and you’re excited to start organizing your brand new apartment home! If you have a moving company, you watch and ensure they’re extra careful not to ding walls or damage your belongings. Unfortunately, a few days after settling in, you realize they took a chunk out of bedroom door casing. What now?

No move-in inspection form or grace period after your move in day, is a good indication that you may be unfairly charged for damage after you move out. Make sure that the complex has a move-in or check-in form and you have the opportunity to inspect your apartment for damage. Have the manager document those items and provide you a copy for your records.

6. No After Hours Phone Number

Your front-loading washer has a hole in the seal and water is gushing out everywhere. It’s midnight and the dishwasher is flooding your kitchen floor. “Who ya gonna call?” Ghost Busters? It seems likely their phone number would be easier to find in that moment. Most apartment communities have an after hours phone number if something major goes wrong. What are those hours? What is that contact phone number? Avoid finding out the hard way.

Rest assured, these are all avoidable problems when renting with us. Visit any of our beautiful communities for a tour today!

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