Living standards in cities are skyrocketing by the day. Saving water as you clean is a great idea to cut costs. Additionally, conserving water is a noble act since it’s a precious resource that none of us can do without. Surprisingly, with the much water, we have on the planet, it is not limitless, especially the freshwater needed for human survival.
The earth is made up of 70% percent water. In spite of that, only 1% is fresh. The rest is salty and 2% is in the form of ice and glacier. Therefore, some areas experience drought now more than before because of climate change. As little and unnecessary as it may seem, little adjustments to cut back on the water goes a long way to help maintain balance the ecology.
With the next generation in mind, here is our list of ways of saving water as you clean:
Fix Leaks
The moment you notice water leakage in your home as you clean, you should repair it. The first instinct that kicks in is to take a bucket and tap the water. Well, that is thoughtful and you will save water; however, you will still need to fix the leakage as a long-term solution. If you can’t do it yourself, then call for a professional plumber. It’s for your safety. For instance, when you need to go out, the water might overflow. Definitely, that will not be cutting backwater or cost and worse still, you may expose yourself and family to health issues. Water leakage can do more damage than it’s necessary to your exposed structure too.
Turn Off The Tap As You Clean
Turning off the tap when not necessarily using it is the simplest and effective way to save water. Most people have underestimated how much of a difference they can make by turning off the tap on certain occasions. You can maintain white teeth and a beautiful smile and conserve water at the same time. Turn off the tap as you are brushing your teeth. As you are washing your hands, also turn off the tap as you do the scrubbing. Save water by washing vegetables in a basin instead of a running faucet.
Shower Bucket
Showers bucket is useful when you are trying to balance the temperature of your water. Mostly, we let the water run until the water heats up, wasting gallons of water in the process. The water you have trapped can be used to water your plants or flush the toilet. As you are cleaning your bathtub too, it is good you trap the water in the bucket, instead of letting the faucet run.
Take The Car to a Car Wash
As we are doing our general cleaning or tidying up the garage, it is tempting for you to clean your car. In fact, most do, and there’s no harm to it. Yet, taking your car to a car wash saves so much water than you could have. The water is usually recycled. Next time you feel your car needs a wash, take it to the car wash. Chances stand that it will be cleaner than if you could have done it.
Water Outdoor Plants in The Morning
As you are cleaning, you may want to skip watering the plants for the afternoon or evening when you are relaxing. But watering them in the morning might prove more effective in many ways. For example, in the morning the soil will allow the water to pass through to the roots without losing too much of it to evaporation. The presence of dew also helps in conserving water. When you water in the morning, you also give the plant time to dry off before nightfall. Otherwise, too much of water overnight might cause molding.
Install a Water Meter
When you clean, it is not easy to notice when you are misusing water. In fact, that might be the last thing on your mind. The water meter though will show how much water you have used and the bill you are to pay. This, in a big way, creates an incentive to use less water. This device also helps to detect leakages in pipes. You get a win-win situation.
Use a Dishwasher When Full
Dishwashers do a good job of saving water, and more importantly, when loaded fully. For instance, an energy-efficient dishwasher will use only 4 gallons of water. While handwashing uses up to 20 gallons of water, or even more if the faucet is left running as you are it. If you lack a dishwasher, just fill up the sink and wash your dishes all at once.
Use Your Cleaning Water For Your Plants
Household wash water, also called ‘gray water’ can totally be used to water your plants without causing any harm. It is important for you to know that gray water from dishwashing might contain food remains which may attract rodents and is also visually unpleasant. Therefore, your rinse water from laundry and dishwashing is perfect for irrigation. Whereas, soapy water from dishes is better left to flush the toilet.
Use Water From Water Butts
A water butt is a gadget that can be instilled in your gutter downpipe. After you collect rainwater from the room, you can now use it effectively for cleaning your car, windows, watering plants or topping up fish pods. It greatly helps in conserving water that could otherwise be used from the tap.
Install a ‘Cistern Displacement Device’ in Your Toilet
This helps in cutting down the amount of water flushed down the toilet pan. As you clean your toilet, you will probably flush it more than once. Normally, water-efficient dual-flush toilets will use six liters of water for a full flush. This is an improvement from the old single flush toilets that used 13 liters of water. You can save even much more water by instilling a cistern displacement device. Just place it in the cistern of your toilet and save a whopping 7,300 liters a year.
The Bottom Line
With the above ways of saving water, you should be making a great difference and avoiding a lot of water wastage at home.
Some of the world’s tallest and magnificent buildings are found in Chicago. The iconic buildings in Chicago such as the Sears Towers now known as Willis towers and John Hancock are the symbols of success and fine architecture. There are of course other numerous iconic architecture in Chicago such as the famous Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. These gravity-defying skyscrapers make a tour of Chicago the most incredible experience leaving you with an overwhelming feeling of wonder and admiration. These giant towering steel structures that adorn the Chicago skyline illustrate the City’s innovative architecture. Chicago also known as the Windy City is the home of many skyscrapers with some having view decks and rooftops.
Chicago is the 3rd largest City in the USA and is located along the Lake Michigan shores. You might think Chicago is a coastal city because it is situated along one of the world’s freshwater bodies. However, Chicago is actually in the heart of the Midwest. Chicago is the place where the skyscraper was born. This was after a great fire engulfed Chicago and the discovery of steel. The new buildings were constructed using steel, iron and stone. This led to a building frenzy which saw the construction of the first skyscraper in the world, it was known as the Home Insurance Building. The revolutionary idea behind skyscrapers was the use of the steel skeleton to make buildings tower to amazing heights.
Chicago has a renowned architectural tradition and it features some of the world’s most amazing collection of buildings. The city has benefited from the most innovative urban planning with a spectacular array of parks, public observatories, boulevards, business district and a breathtaking river flowing through the middle of downtown. Among the world’s most prominent skylines, Chicago is one of the very tops. Along each side of the lakefront, there are amazing beaches and parks together with several skyscrapers lined up towering high up far beyond the clouds.
The Willis Tower in Chicago which was formerly referred to as the Sears Tower is the 5th tallest building on the planet rising 108 stories above the City approximately 1,451 feet. The view from up the building’s observatory is the most thrilling experience.
The other amazing skyscrapers to check out in Chicago include the Trump Tower, Tribune Tower, Aqua building, AON center, Lake Point Tower and many more. We at Companion Maids have fallen in love with Chicago’s beauty and breathtaking skyline!
The residential cleaning industry has experienced drastic changes over the last several years. As I referenced in my blog post at BuiltinChicago, many new cleaning companies have started in the last few years, each company with a common goal of making a footprint in a fast-changing landscape. All kinds of cleaning services have sprung, from the premium, uber-expensive services, to the Homejoy types, or what I like to call,” the new McDonald’s” of the cleaning industry.
With that said, behind all the numbers, marketing, and promises of a spotless home, there remains a most important common denominator in regards to this industry, and that is the treatment of the maids themselves. Cleaning homes is a HARD job. I’ve done a few cleanings myself on behalf of Companion Maids, and the work is physically demanding, the time management aspect can be stressful, and satisfying client and employer can be nerve-racking. This is why, as a company, we started and/or adopted a few very important ‘maxims’ when it comes to our cleaners.
Our cleaners must be paid a fair, sustainable wage. Minimum wage doesn’t cut it in this country, and it doesn’t cut it with us either.
We will only work with clients that want to pay a fair amount for an exceptional job. We love to offer the occasional deal, but we will not undercut just to snag a client.
Our cleaners are an integral part of Companion Maids. Even in the event of a conflict, they will be treated with respect and decisions will be fair to the client, company, and cleaner.
We need to take a bit of a stand. Most of the time we hold interviews for new cleaners, we inevitably run into cleaners that are being paid far less than minimum wage for their work. If a company is charging an absurdly low price for a sizable job, understand that the cleaner is making an absurdly low amount of money for their hard work. In fact, some maid TEAMS make as little as 20% of what the company has charged you. 20%. If you’re OK with that, more power to you, but we simply would not like to have you as a client. If you’re not OK with that, then try not to patronize that company.
*Cleaners (teams) should generally be making 30%+ of what you pay, PLUS their company should be reimbursed for supplies/gas/other related expenses.
*Cleaning teams should generally be making 50%+ of what you pay IF the company does not reimburse them for expenses.
There are many standalone services where the worker is independent and will charge a small amount of money to do the job. This is more acceptable because any amount of money can be of help for some people, and the typical independent cleaner doesn’t have any overhead to deal with. Of course, they also keep 100% of what you pay them. However, we would strongly caution against working with an independent that doesn’t at least have general liability insurance. It protects the client, the cleaner, and it’s the law.
The sad truth is that most cleaning companies aren’t great to their workers. Fortunately however, most of those companies don’t stay in business past 5 years. At Companion Maids, to date, we haven’t had ONE team quit our company to work with another cleaning service. There’s a reason for that. Of course, we have had to part ways with a few teams over time. But the maxims stand.
If you work with a good company that charges a fair rate, you can generally be more confident that the cleaners that come to make your home look good are happier, and are rewarded for their work.
Interestingly, sometimes you feel that you have budgeted less for your household’s cleaning items, which then results in you spending a lot of cash in purchases. Housekeeping costs are often too expensive but sometimes as the homeowner, you might be caught up in making everything spic and span at home that you fail to notice how much you are spending on cleaning items.
In these harsh economic times, minimizing one’s budget even when it involves essentials like cleaning items is of the essence. Saving on costs where applicable will go a long way in helping you manage your finances very well. Here are some tips that can help you cut down on your housekeeping costs.
1. Put It In Writing
Many are the times that you will walk into a supermarket and find yourself picking items that you really had no intention of buying at all. Going for shopping calls for absolute discipline as far as minimizing budget is concerned. Having a shopping list is the best way to be disciplined and principled when it comes to shopping for housekeeping items. A shopping list will help you buy what you really need and not buy anything else just because it is on offer or it is a new cleaning product. This is a safe practice that will help you become mindful of your spending.
2. Buy in Large Quantities
You might think that buying items in small quantities is cheaper and safer, well, that’s a wrong notion. Buying goods in bulk is cheaper and saves you quite some good money. Discounts on items bought in large quantities are often offered and this makes it cheaper to buy more goods as opposed to buying goods in small quantities. Buying in bulk also saves you the energy and time of having to go to the store on several occasions. Most home cleaning products last a long time and you don’t have to worry about expiry dates when you buy them in bulk.
3. Practice Top-Notch Maintenance
With the advancement in technology, there are several home appliances that make home cleaning easier. The efficiency of these appliances largely depends on their maintenance. Proper care will save you the cost of having to do frequent replacements. Make sure cleaning appliances such as the vacuum cleaner and the dishwasher are regularly serviced and cleaned. This will save you not only replacement costs but the time when cleaning because a well-running vacuum cleaner is the one that gets regular maintenance.
4. Embrace Technology
As stated above, technology has largely improved in these modern times. Things that we used to clean by hand around the home can now be machine-cleaned. You can save a lot of time if you had your clothes machine-washed as opposed to hand washing and a modern cooking appliance can save you hours of cooking that you would have spent using an old fashioned stove. If your family is large, it will probably take you many hours to finish washing the laundry which can be very inconveniencing if you need to run errands or clean other areas of the home. Use cleaning appliances that consume less energy and will get the job done efficiently.
5. Go Green
You don’t have to necessarily buy all the advertised cleaning products from the store. There are several green cleaning items right in your kitchen which you can use for cleaning. Things like baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, and many others can be great and non-toxic cleaning agents. Instead of buying expensive air fresheners, you could simply keep your rooms well aerated by keeping the windows open. The internet is also a rich source where you can learn to create your own non-toxic cleaning agents from natural raw materials, this will greatly cut down on costs.
On the other hand, you can always look for green cleaning products that cost less in the stores instead of going for toxic scouring agents that will leave your home spotless but leave you with allergic symptoms which will cost you even more on treatments.
6. Do The Cleaning Yourself
Hiring someone to do your cleaning means extra money paying them. You can set aside time just for thorough-cleaning your house once a week. Weekly cleaning will make your home look clean always and you will just maintain it by doing the daily surface cleaning. If the economic times are weighing you down and the money you are making isn’t enough to meet all your needs, simply consider cutting down housekeeping costs by doing the cleaning yourself. You could ask family members living with you to help so the work can be easier. Besides, you know your house better and you will do a better job of cleaning it than the person you have hired if you really put your heart into it.
7. Embrace the Technique of Reusing
Reusing and recycling is a very good technique that helps you avoid the cost of buying an item all over again. For instance, old cloth can be used as a cleaning rag. Old containers can be reused as flower vases. You don’t have to throw away everything, there are items that you can re-use to serve another purpose and this will surely help you cut down on housekeeping costs by preventing you from buying a new version of the repurposed item.
8. Go for Energy-Efficient Appliances
The cost of electricity can be high at times and that means you have to dig deeper to pay the electricity bill. These utility bills can be expensive at times and due to that fact, it’s advisable to go for home appliances that efficiently save on energy. You can check on the internet about appliances that are energy efficient and you can also find out how you can save energy on your household appliances.
Cutting down on housekeeping costs is a process that really requires discipline and dedication. It’s evident by now that if you aren’t strict on how you spend your money on home cleaning appliances and products, you will end up finding that you are such a spendthrift. All these tips can really help you save some cash in several instances but you need to be strongly dedicated to the whole process of cutting down on housekeeping costs. Try these great tips and you will surely reap some amazing benefits.
Chicago often referred to as the “Windy City” is the 3rd largest City in the USA situated along Lake Michigan shores. It is famous for its architecture, sports, vibrant art and culture and amazing beaches. The city features some of the best twentieth-century architecture from renowned architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan. Chicago is also home to some of the legendary artists including Picasso, Chagall, Mirõ, and Dubuffet. Famous for its sports Chicago has some of the top teams in major sports such as American football played by the Chicago bears, baseball played by two top teams the Chicago Cubs and the White Sox as well as Basketball played by the famous Chicago Bulls.
Art Institute of Chicago
This is one of the world’s most classic museums featuring some of the oldest and latest amazing pieces of art including paintings, architectural drawings, photography, sculptures and so much more. It houses some of the works of legendary artists like Claude Monet, Circque Fernando, Georges Seurat and many others.
Millennium Park
A visit to downtown Chicago will take to the Millennium Park next to Michigan Avenue. It features the Jay Pritzker Pavilion the best venue for outdoor concerts, the AT&T Cloud Gate sculpture, the interactive Crown Fountain and the beautiful Lurie Garden.
Michigan Avenue
This is no doubt America’s most beautiful boulevard. Here you will find some of Chicago’s skyscrapers including the renowned John Hancock Center, the Tribune Tower, and the Wrigley Building. A visit to Michigan Avenue would not be complete without going to Chicago’s famous Magnificent Mile on the north of the Chicago River and check out the famous boutiques, luxury shops, and galleries.
The Navy Pier
One of the most popular spots for tourists the Navy Pier features amazing gardens, parks, concert venues, restaurants and other popular attractions such as the Ferris wheel and carousel. Visit the Chicago Shakespeare Theater and watch a classic play or watch a film at the 3D IMAX Theater. Apart from that there is the Crystal Gardens, the Children’s Museum and so much more.
Wrigley Field
Baseball is huge in Chicago and you can catch the Chicago Cubs in action at the amazing Wrigley Stadium.
The Museum of Science and Industry
This is Chicago’s most majestic museum that was founded in 1933 to showcase the principles in industrial and technological advancements. You will witness practical exhibits from hundreds of exhibitors. While there remember to check out the OMNIMAX theater.
The Field Museum of Natural History
The Field Museum of Natural History whose original was the Columbian Museum of Chicago was founded in 1893 and is dedicated to the World Columbian Exposition showcasing anthropological and biological collections. It features a permanent collection of geological, botanical, zoological and anthropological artifacts and specimens totaling about 20 million. Check out displays from ancient Egypt and to the whole of the Americas. Another special attraction is the Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton known as “Sue” which is the largest in the entire world.
Other notable attractions in Chicago include the Willis Towers skyscraper, The John Hancock Center, the Garfield Park Conservatory, the Lyric Opera, the Lincoln Park, and the Oriental Institute Museum etc. There is a lot more to explore in Chicago and Companion Maids is a proud member of the Chicago community.
Being a maid — particularly a housemaid can be a very difficult task. As a maid service business, we encounter an entire spectrum of different expectations and needs from our clients. Recently, I had a conversation with a close friend of mine, who isn’t in the business and has never hired a maid before, about how much maids make on an hourly basis. His thoughts were that experienced maids typically earn an unreasonably high rate per hour ($35-45) where I, as a company owner that pays well above the standard rate, have more realistic numbers.
So we decided to look this up. The results surprised even me. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were a bit less than 1 million full-time employed maids last year, with an average, or ‘mean’ wage of $10.49 an hour. Now in Chicago, the pay was $11.39 an hour, which is not much different, and frankly, a low wage.
In Chicago, the pay was $11.39 an hour
This is a problem. The maid service industry is an old-school industry that hasn’t seen much change until recently, with the explosion of Web 2.0 websites that make booking an appointment a little easier (the premise of our site) with investors pouring money into financing them. Services such as ours charge a bit more for the convenience factor, and we tend to pay our maids a LOT better. This helps Web 2.0 companies two-fold:
Higher pay means attracting higher quality cleaners
Higher pay means cleaners perform higher-quality cleaning jobs
Of course, customers generally like knowing that their cleaners are getting a fair wage, and are working harder to make their home clean as a result.
So the question is, how much do Web 2.0 companies pay their maids?
We can’t speak for other companies, and because we pay by the job, a more efficient maid team will earn a higher effective hourly rate. However, our average maid team will make just over $20 an hour. As a result, Companion Maids has been able to hire some amazing maid teams, and our customers are pretty happy.
But that’s beside the point. The point is that your typical full-time maid cannot make enough money to pay their bills. And this is a problem. We need to focus on providing a means for making maid services valuable again so that when people pay to get their house cleaned, it’s a win/win situation for all.
Chicago also is known as ‘The Windy City’ is one of the cities in America where sports is loved and taken very seriously. The Chicago home teams are sure of one thing, the love of the Chicago fans never dies even when they fail to win.
If you are in Chicago and you are looking for some action then go check out any game played by any of the renowned Chicago sports teams. The Chicago sports teams have had a history of success in major tournaments and even when they disappoint the fans never turn their backs on them. The fans in Chicago are some of the most loyal fans who never lose faith in their teams no matter what! Even if you are not an avid sports fan the experience of catching any of the teams in action is captivating. There are a variety of sports in Chicago and most of them are very popular including baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer, athletics and horseracing. There is a season for every sport each year and the drama is breathtaking.
Football is the biggest sport in Chicago and you cannot miss the Chicago Bears football team in action at the recently refurbished Soldier Field. Thousands of loyal fans brave some of the worst weather to support their team. Being one of the biggest attractions in the city of Chicago the Chicago Bears team draws huge crowds. Another huge sport in Chicago is hockey and you can catch the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team in action at the largest arena in the USA the United Center. Another famous Chicago sports team is the Chicago Bulls, basketball team.
When it comes to baseball now that is like a religion in Chicago. The two famous baseball teams in Chicago the south side Chicago White Sox and the north side Chicago Cubs have a religious following from their fans. Catch the Cubs in action at the historic Wrigley Field and the White Sox at the state of the art US Cellular Field. Soccer fans can go down to the Soldier Field to join electric soccer fans cheer the Chicago Fire soccer team.
Life in Chicago would not complete without sports and highly passionate fans. The Chicago sports teams are some of the toughest in the country if you look at the history of the Bears and the Bulls. We cannot forget the minor league teams such as the Wolves hockey team, Schaumburg Flyers baseball team and others who provide excellent entertainment for families in Chicago.
The most popular Chicago sports teams still remain the Bears, Hawks, Bulls, White Sox and Cubs. The Bears despite having an awful season are still the top team in Chicago and we at Companion Maids will always remain die-hard fans! If you want to host a party for the upcoming world series make sure to check out the house cleaning services we provide so you can focus on the game!
Chicago’s the type of city where you have options for nearly anything you could imagine. If you feel like hanging out inside a dark and quiet lounge instead of a loud, raucous bar, the city will provide you with dozens of places you’ll love. If you’d rather enjoy a pricey plate instead of a homemade meal, you can rest assured that any chef in the Windy City would be glad to make your entree.
When it comes to apartments, there are just about as many options as anything else you could think of. One great debate seems to be more present than any other: should you choose a building with a doorman or one without?
Like most things in life, there are pros and cons to each option. The building that’s best for you may not be a great fit for your friends or family members. It’s a very personal choice—one that’s best made after evaluating all the pluses and minuses available in either case.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of living in a building in Chicago that has a doorman.
Pros of Having a Doorman in Chicago
We’ll start with the positive features of doorman-guarded buildings.
1. Safety
Great doormen pay attention to everything. That means they’re watching who comes into and out of the building, who might be loitering on the property, and which faces look like they don’t belong. The people who are approved to go into a doorman building have been vetted by the professional person who knows how to keep his (or her) building as safe as possible.
2. Convenience
When you’re away at work all day, it can be hard to plan your schedule around picking up packages. If you live in a building without a doorman, you might have to rely on your neighbors to keep an eye out for your boxes when they arrive. Even then, you’re leaving a bit of your package-delivery success to luck.
Doormen eliminate this unwanted shuffling of the clock. They’re there to get your packages and secure them until you’re able to pick them up. And, what if you have someone coming over to clean your place, such as a maid service, while you’re away? Don’t worry! Doormen do that duty, too. They’ll let your housekeepers in and make sure no one’s there who’s not on your list.
3. Luxury
It’s so nice to have someone open the door for you when you have your hands full, but doormen don’t care if you’ve got anything in your hands or not. They provide the intangible service of ensuring the people in their building feel special. Having someone open the door for you makes you feel like you’re a celebrity, no matter how un-famous you are.
Doormen greet you with a kind smile and wish you a great evening when you leave. Many of them offer concierge services that’ll enable you to make the most of your city with insider tips and special reservations.
4. Assistance
Trudging those last few steps after you’ve already hiked a few blocks with groceries in-tow can be excruciating. Coming back from a trip where you’re juggling tons of luggage poses another awkward situation in terms of getting from here to there.
There are plenty of ways people need assistance every day, and a great doorman will do his best to mitigate stressful situations when they arrive at his building. He’ll help you lug that luggage into the building and will take it upstairs for you if he’s able. He’ll open the door when you have your hands filled with groceries, and he’ll probably suggest a good recipe, too.
Whether you simply need help navigating the lobby, or your shopping excursion has taken you past the limits of carrying bags by yourself, your doorman will save the day.
Cons of Having a Doorman in Chicago
Now, let’s look at some of the reasons people choose to live in non-doorman buildings in Chicago.
1. Lack of Privacy
Doormen don’t necessarily care what you’re doing or who you’re doing it with, but they are watching. By default, their job is to no one—and nothing— comes into the building without authorized access. That means they’re paying attention to the guests you’re bringing onto the property and the packages they’re signing in your name.
If you’re a stickler for a quiet life where nobody knows what you’re doing or who you’re hanging out with, a doorman building is probably not your best option.
2. Expense
Doormen aren’t volunteers. They’re professionals, and most of them take their jobs very seriously. As such, they expect to be paid the type of wage worthy of someone who looks after the safety and well-being of an entire building.
While you won’t see an invoice from your doorman directly, you will incur the expenses by way of rent that’s higher than that of no-doorman buildings in Chicago. For many people, this is the trade-off cost between saving money and maybe having some extra living space or paying a higher monthly fee in favor of a bit of luxury.
If you’d prefer to forego higher rent in favor of a bit of savings in your pocket each month, you might be better off looking for a building that doesn’t employ a doorman.
3. Expense (Continued)
If you live in a doorman building, your base costs are covered by your rent or the monthly fees you pay your property manager or HOA. The expenses don’t stop there, however. A large portion of doormen’s income is derived from tips, particularly around the holidays. Although you’re certainly not required to tip your doorman, you can be certain that he is keeping tabs on the residents who have failed to show their appreciation monetarily.
If you don’t tip your doorman, he may accidentally forget to open the door for you when it’s pouring rain outside, or perhaps he won’t be there to sign for our package. Is it professional? No. Does it happen? Absolutely. It’s best to factor in the cost of a tip every now and then to ensure you’ll be getting the service you’re ultimately paying for if you choose a doorman building.
4. Chitchat
Chitchat can be a bonus for people who like to interact with a familiar face every day, but for people who’d prefer to run through the lobby and get into their homes without interacting with another human being, doorman buildings can create uncomfortable situations. By nature, doormen tend to be pretty social people who care about their residents and want to hear about their lives. If this scenario makes you cringe, you’re probably better off looking for a place that doesn’t have an attendant.
Don’t rule out individual apartments until you see them for yourself. Be sure to write down a list of pros and cons as you go exploring. If not having a doorman is a deal-breaker, tell your Realtor upfront. However, if you’re open to exploring the possibilities that could be found in buildings that don’t employ doormen, set some time aside to explore both options. You’ll probably know which place is right for you as soon as you walk into the building.
