prayers for me please!

[petrie86]

Right now my younger sister and I are living with a family friend, who is very very nice. However they're extremely messy and they have 2 dogs and 3 cats. I'm extremely allergic to the cats... take allergy meds and keep them out of my room. Any who.... my uncle wayne owns a window washing co. and was doing business in the town i live in at a near by church. He was talking to the lady and she mention an apartment behind the church that they rent out. It's a once bedroom with kitchen and a huge living room, lots of closet space and ac! She told him that the tenant just moved out, and it's rent free but all they ask is to do little chores around the chruch. Not exactly sure what they are, i was told vaccuming the church before service, taking out the trash and throwing salt our in the winter time yata yata. So i was very interested!!!! I work full time and the only time the women is there to show the appartment is 9am-3pm. I had bekah my younger sister check it out, she took a video of it with her digital camera, its really nice! the carpets are a little icky and the walls but they're ripping out the carpets and painting it this weekend. So i spoke to the women nancy via phone and she passed my number to the pastor. Spoke to him yesterday and he said he will keep it open for me untill i get to check it out, right now they're working on it so i cant see it. He gave my cell number to this other guy whose in charge of everything and he will call me early next week abotut he responsibilites and answer all my questions.
PLEASE KEEP ME IN YOUR PRAYERS, i really want this apartment and it'd be great for me to be on my own. My concerns would be that i would be "on call 24/7" and i cant do that i work full time.... so im just praying that it all works out.
The other thing is IF I get it, what the heck to do i do about furniture!!!!! My parents have refused to give my anything from my room, including my bed. So i'd have to start from scratch. any ideas of where i could find furniture cheap or hand me downs? Summer's almost over and there arent alot of garage sales. so that's out... lol
any advice on questions to ask them or on anything would be benficial to me at this point. Thanks everyone!

Rachel

[hdb1982]

You can always look in the local papers and bulleting boards for furniture. For couches and such you can buy really nice covers if they aren't the prettiest. Also tables and stuff can be re varnished. As long as the scratches aren't too deep you just have to sand them down an reapply the varnish. I do this to all my furniture as it is not normally purchased at one time and I have to have a perfect match. Doing this, buying used and refinishing/covering, saves a lot of money. My brother got a really nice, big sturdy couch with a queen pull out bed, perfect for your sis by the way if she is coming along, there was a huge stain in the middle of this beige sofa. He spent like 65 on a nice cover and it looks great. Plus with covers the furniture can move with you b/c you can change them easily to match the carpet or whatever. And whenever you feel like a new living room suit, just slip a new cover on. Also a good place to look is Goodwill, I hear. Never been in one myself but I have donated a lot of nice clothing and toys to our local one. There is an outside drop off so I have never went in the store. My friend. Kat, got a real Fendi bag for 3.00. She goes to estate sales and such and has a great eye. She never shops retail. Always at consignment, vintage, estates and donor stores. She is the trendiest of all my friends. Has more clothes than 3 people. she spent 110 and got an entire fall wardrobe, accessories and all. So don't rule places out like that. I just don't have the patience to actually have to "look through" things:headbang:. LOL I could save a lot of money if I gained some patience though. Good luck. I hope it works out.

[marymove]

I am praying that you get the apartment. It sounds like the answer to your prayers. I agree that looking in the paper is a great idea and what about a Salvation Army store or a resale shop? Best of luck to you!

[leelee88]

Best of luck! Heather gave you some great tips..:pray:

[amaranthe]

Oh, I really hope you guys get this! It would be so great for you! If you do get it, then definately go check out Goodwill, and even go to all the ones in the largest cities out of your town. There are nearly always some decent finds there. I went to one a few days ago in a metro area near me and got a Dooney & Bourke purse, and Bass gold/copper/silver tri-color purse, a Liz Claiborne dress, a Casual Corner Suit, and 2 Danny and Nicole coat dresses, 2 pair of earrings, a brand new looking baby afghan, 2 candle wall sconces, a candleabra, a children's book and a decorative plate all for $42! Hard to beat that!

While I was there, I saw all kinds of nice dishes, toasters, mixers, blenders, towels, sheets, etc. They have most everything there you would need to set up house inexpensively. Not all Goodwills carry furniture, so you have to call around to find the ones that do. But one you do, there is you usually lots of furniture (some decent, some not, but the wooden stuff could be refinished or painted and you could buy couch covers or chair covers for the upholstered items that aren't your taste or are stained or out of date.) I know, in our town, we have a separate Goodwill store that sells the furnature. But, I dont know if it is that way in other towns or not. When I was out of town the other day and got all that in a larger city, it wasnt a Goodwill furniture store, but they had some furniture in it too. So, you probobly need to call one of the stores in your area and ask. I am sure they'd know which one has the furniture or if it is spread out among them all.

Best of luck! I really hope you guys get this! It would be such a good thing for you!

Other good sources are freecycle, and furniture consignment stores. (The furniture consignment stores are my favorite, if you have one of these in your area. The one in my town has some great stuff, including designer pieces like Thomasville and Hickory Chair as well as great accessories at dirt cheap prices, (of course still not as cheap as Goodwill!)

Dont forget too that most furniture stores offer 12 and 24 mo interest free financing, in case you end up having to (or wanting to) purchase some new things too.

[ICNDonna]

You could just get some air mattresses so you will have a place to sleep and the rest will come. It could even be that the church will help you find some furniture.

Hugs,
Donna

[petrie86]

thanks for all the advice ladies! I have an appointment to see the apartment today at 4:30 and meet with the head of the church. Almost like interviewing lol... kinda nervous. I'm leaving it up to God at this point bc I really want this and with my bad luck streak im just giving it all to him. He knows what's best for me right?
I will keep you posted on what happens tonight and how the apartment looks.

[petrie86]

After work yesterday bekah(my sister) and I met with the administrator of the chrurch/school and i cant quite rememeber who the other guy was he kinda was just there. We sat and talked to them for a little while... I told them a little about myself and why I was interested in the apartment and how beneficial it would be to have me. It was odd interviewing, but there are 12 other people interviewing for the the apartment.
It's about 30hrs worth of work a week between cleaning the church and school. (they had a typed paper or the job description) The compensate the work you do to pay for rent, phone, and utilities. The majority of the work would be done on saturday, it's pretty much cleaning all the sunday school rooms and church like moping and vaccuming a little dusting. During the week it'd be just checking to make sure everythings clean (spot cleaning) and making sure all the windows and doors are locked (security work). Between my sister and I, i think we couldnt knock out the work on saturday in an hr or 2. But to me its worth not paying rent and utilities, new york is rediculous now!!! so I'm really keeping my fingers crossed about this apartment... I think i made a good impression, asked alot of questions and seemed personable and responsible. Just giving it to god at this point.... if its meant to be it will happen.
Oh yea the apartament its really nice, they had the carpets ripped up and theyre putting it in this week. They had just painted all the walls cream and looked clean... kitchen was relatively clean... I'm nurotic with my house so i can super clean it when i get it. Or IF i fet it lol.
Please just keep me in your prayers.

[ICNDonna]

:pray:

Donna

[SharonA]

I have my fingers crossed for you. :)