Apartments and Craftsmenship

After a great deal of frustration, I have been assured AGAIN, that the apartment is mine. As I should have expected, just about nothing ever comes easily to me when it involves my living situation. This time, however, I had the ability to be in control of some things.

The Saga:
Thursday, I passed the background, rental history and credit check. I put down the deposit in the form of a check and basically was told that the apartment was mine. Elation and relief swept over me.
After the last year, though, i should have known better.

• Monday: I was supposed to get a phone call telling me exactly when my move in date was. There was some question as to what needed to be "flipped" in the apartment before I took over. When by the end of the day I hadn't received a phone call, I checked my bank account and saw that the checks for the deposit had already been cashed. So i think all is well, and they probably just didn't get to it.
• Tuesday: Still no phone call by lunchtime, so since i was there anyway visiting a friend who also lives there, i stopped by. Upon walking in, i start dealing with an entirely new person, whom i've never even seen before. She starts going off with "oh my god, they didn't call you? I'm so sorry." But the way she said it, made me freeze. I've heard that tone of voice many times before and it never means good things.

It turns out that monday, the current resident of the apartment in question asked for an extension of 10-12 days and that extension was approved. According to the person i talked to, the resident, being on a month to month lease, has that right. (sounds fishy to me). So I asked her, what was going to stop him from getting another extension if 10-12 days wasn't enough. The answer i received: basically nothing.

After going back and forth with them about the possibility of getting another, more expensive, apartment for the promised price, and them trying to negotiate with the current resident, and me....the manager finally got involved and basically, told the current resident that he had to be out on the time originally agreed upon.

I have never felt more played before in my life. Perhaps they figured that at 23, I would allow myself to be bullied, and remain naive about rental laws, instead deferring to their "expertise".

They couldn't have been more wrong. Not only did I manage to stand up for myself in a calm and logical manor, but I put them back in their place. Citing their own paperwork which proved they were the ones who were wrong. I didn't tolerate the lack of communication and instead went in to put them on the spot and essentially force them to work on my time frame.

Why did I decide to still rent at this place after all the games, you might ask?

When it comes down to it, it's just about the only place i can afford to live alone in my town. And since I tasted the option of living alone...i hunger for it. Not to mention, they have a better idea of who they're dealing with now. It's going to take a lot more than what they've got to beat me into stupid decisions. Not to mention, I got an opportunity to meet their head and second maintenance guys. And i really like them. Good people who know their stuff are hard to find. And likely, once the lease is signed, i won't have to talk to the leasing agents again.

In other news...
Quality furniture is hard to find for a good price. Or rather in a price range that I can afford. Perhaps it's my picky nature looking for features that I like, or perhaps that I value quality as well as design that has left me frustrated with what the market has to offer.
Not to mention, I have abilities, finely honed over time, that most 23 year olds can't even dream of possessing. Abilities like Wood Craftsmanship.

• http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u34/Firefly_Haven/My%20Creations/P1010336.jpg
• http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u34/Firefly_Haven/My%20Creations/Bookshelf.jpg
• http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u34/Firefly_Haven/My%20Creations/Bookshelf.jpg
• http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u34/Firefly_Haven/My%20Creations/P1010337.jpg

My plan is to stay in this apartment for a minimum of 2 years, barring any unforeseen circumstances. So why not design and create some custom furniture that suits my needs and wants all in one?
I'm in the process of designing, then i'll talk to my dad and neighbor who are both amazing craftsmen to see what they think the materials might cost for this. I'm hoping to design a TV stand with drawers (my first experience with drawers) and a pair of matching DVD stands. Maybe eventually, making a coffee table and end tables to match.
Hopefully, it won't be cost prohibitive and I can in the end have a complete matching set of furniture all custom built to my specs. It's a dream i have. An ambitious one, but mine never the less.