The apartment hunt struggle is real these days, especially with ever-competitive rental markets. You have to know precisely what you’re looking for in an apartment, whether it be specifics like a walk-in closet or just the general location you want to live. You need to always think about things like the security deposit, the lease and the landlord.
It’s also a good tip when looking at the apartment you might rent to check everything from the bathroom to the bedroom. Make sure all the outlets and smoke detectors work and that the space is precisely what you want. Don’t forget to get good referrals because landlords often ask for them when you’re renting.
These are all important things to consider once you’re touring a new apartment but before you even get to the tour, there’s one thing you should also consider and that is what you should wear while apartment viewing.
Does it matter what you wear to an apartment tour?
While there are more important aspects to finding and securing a new apartment — such as your credit score, the security deposit and the application process — the truth is clothing does matter. Think of apartment viewing as a job interview and follow the same etiquette. Don’t arrive late — real estate agents and leasing managers are busy people who have many separate showings in a day, so don’t waste anyone’s time and dress for the future apartment you want.
What to wear to an apartment tour with a leasing agent
You might wonder if clothes really matter. Well, as they say, you should dress to impress. Most likely there are other people viewing the same apartment that you are with their leasing agent and you want to stick out. It also doesn’t hurt to impress the landlord of the apartment you want to rent in this competitive rental market
Remember, those first impressions are important and while it’s good to know what’s on the inside is what counts, it can’t hurt to make the outside match the inside. While clothes may vary depending on the situation, here are some tips on what to wear while apartment viewing.
1. Dress according to the weather
Since you can view an apartment in all types of weather, you should dress accordingly. It’s pretty basic knowledge — if it’s cold, wear a coat and good shoes. If it’s hot, wear something that you won’t sweat through. Consider these clothing tips for each season.
Winter: If you’re going on an apartment tour in the winter then you should obviously dress for the weather to stay nice and cozy. Consider wearing one of your nicer coats and boots to the tour. Wearing weather-appropriate shoes will make it so you don’t have wet feet or drip water throughout the place you’re touring with real estate agents.
Fall: Think about wearing something casual like a nice pair of jeans and a crisp shirt. Avoid clothing with tears, wrinkles and holes in it. Wear something that you’ll be comfortable but confident in.
Spring: Think about wearing a nice spring dress or skirt or khakis. Business casual attire is always a good go-to when house hunting.
Summer: During hot weather, it’s totally understandable to want to wear less clothing. However, when touring an apartment with your leasing agents, it’s best to avoid tight or short items. You want to wear something that you won’t sweat through but that still looks nice and presentable.
2. Wear business casual attire on an apartment tour to impress the property manager
You still might wonder exactly what you should wear when looking at apartments. Well, generally speaking, you can always rely on business casual attire. You really can’t go wrong with a nice pair of pants and a button-up shirt. You can dress up your street clothes by adding a few accessories here and there. Just be sure to take an iron to your clothes so they’re freshly pressed and this will make them look more professional.
3. Step it up a notch for your apartment viewing
You might have to choose different clothing depending on the apartment complex you’re touring. If you’re looking at a particular apartment that’s a bit more upscale, then business casual might not cut it and it might require formal attire. Check out the apartment community and see what the people are like and dress accordingly. Talk to the property managers and ask about what you can generally expect from the apartment complex.
If this is the case, then you can always go with a nicer pair of dress pants or dress or even consider a button-up and tie. When in doubt it’s always better to over-dress than to dress too casually.
4. Wear comfortable shoes
It’s easy for renters to forget the hard parts that go into apartment hunting, such as the amount of walking that goes into touring apartments and walking around the complexes. Touring apartment after apartment gets tiring easily and is hard on your feet. It’s a good idea to wear shoes that you can walk around in for the day and not get nasty blisters.
If you don’t want to walk around in heels for the day, then opt for some clean sneakers. There’s nothing worse than being uncomfortable, and you don’t want anything to distract you from the apartment you might rent.
5. Wear something that makes you feel confident and be yourself
While there are many tips that you can follow, there’s always room for exceptions. The bottom line is that you should always dress in something that makes you feel the most confident. Whether that’s jeans and a T-shirt or a suit, just be yourself. Nothing looks better on a person than confidence. Before you leave your bathroom or bedroom, take one last look at yourself and remind yourself that you’ve got this and that property is yours. If you have confidence, then you’ll have no problem finding the apartment of your dreams.
Sign the lease while looking your best
A landlord will consider things like your credit score and ability to pay rent on time over what you wear to an apartment tour, but it doesn’t hurt to dress up and look nice when touring apartments you’re considering renting. First impressions matter, whether we like it or not. So, put your best foot and fanciest shoe forward and you’re well on your way to signing a lease.
Ashley Singleton is a writer who loves following and writing about current lifestyle, DIY and home improvement trends. You can read some of her other work on the Lady Spike Media website. In her spare time, she performs stand-up comedy in Los Angeles.
There’s nothing worse than finding your dream apartment only to discover that you don’t quite meet the income requirements to qualify. Maybe you have poor credit or maybe you don’t make enough money each month to cover the rent. Whatever the reason, you know that you’re not quite what the landlord is looking for in a tenant. If you still have your heart set on that unit, you can bring in a co-applicant.
But there are benefits and drawbacks to co-applicants that you should know and consider before going down that road.
What is a co-applicant?
A co-applicant is an additional person you add to the rental application and resulting lease agreement for an apartment. If you have poor credit or your finances are in shambles due to recent bankruptcies, they boost your application with their improved assets like income or a great credit score.
Along with you, they jointly sign and bear the financial responsibility for paying rent for the apartment for the entire lease term. You both sign the lease agreements and are equally responsible for the apartment’s costs, but there is typically a primary applicant and then a secondary co-applicant. Think of it as a co-borrower when taking out a loan. You’re both taking out a stake to live in this apartment complex, and you’ll both be on the hook for costs. They also have the same rights to live in the apartment as you.
Both you and the co-applicant will need approval from the landlord. You’ll both need to submit apartment applications with all your personal information, rental history and employment history. The landlord will also need to run a background check and credit check to retrieve information on both you and the co-applicant to make sure you both qualify.
What is the difference between a co-applicant, a co-signer and a guarantor?
Terms like co-applicant, co-signer or guarantor are sometimes used interchangeably during the process of applying for a rental property. But in fact, there are key differences that separate all three. It’s also important to know and understand the differences between the three types in case you still need a third party to sign your lease but don’t necessarily want to live with that person.
Co-signer
A co-signer is a third-party person who signs a lease agreement along with the applicant, but they generally won’t live on the property. Similar to a co-applicant, they do have the right to live in the apartment or have access to it. People usually ask family members or friends to act as their co-signer and help vouch for them as tenants.
A co-signer is an insurance policy of sorts. By co-signing the lease, they’re guaranteeing that they’ll cover the rent in the event that the tenant fails in their responsibilities or falls behind on regular payments. For younger applicants just starting out who don’t have a good credit score or a well-paying job, many landlords prefer the stability of having someone co-sign.
Guarantor
A guarantor is a person who also signs the lease as a third party, but they aren’t entitled to live on or have access to the unit. Their relationship to the agreement is strictly financial, guaranteeing that either you or they will pay rent each month.
What are the pros of getting an apartment with co-applicants?
There are all sorts of benefits to renting an apartment with a co-applicant, from companionship to having someone to help with monthly rent payments.
Improves the odds of having your application accepted
Do you know that saying that two heads are better than one? Well, if you have bad credit or your monthly income is too low, two applicants are far better than one.
When you apply to an apartment with a co-applicant, their credit history, income and other assets are jointly considered along with yours. If you’re adding someone with more financial stability and overall better financial standing than you, it can greatly improve your odds of being accepted for the apartment.
Having someone to help pay rent
If you’re going to live with your co-applicants, odds are you’re both going to pay rent. With rental rates climbing ever higher, having someone to split the cost of the rent payment is a big money-saver.
Having an emergency fallback
Life happens and sometimes you come up short on rent on the first of the month. Knowing you have someone else you can turn to for help not only reduces stress but ensures you stay on good terms with the landlord and don’t have late payments added to your record.
Potentially lowers costs
Bringing on a co-applicant with excellent credit history can also help you save money. A good credit history shows that the co-applicant is financially responsible and more likely trustworthy. This can incentivize the landlord to reduce some fees like the security deposit.
Getting to live with someone else
Whether friend, partner or family member, living with someone you know and get along with has far more than financial benefits. It gives you the chance to create wonderful memories during a certain chapter in your life.
What are the cons of leasing an apartment with a co-applicant?
At the same time, you want to use care on who you sign a binding legal contract. People can reveal a whole different side of themselves when they move in. That’s true even individuals you’ve known for years like friends or partners.
That’s why it’s important to consider the ramifications of adding a co-applicant to the application process. It’s also why you shouldn’t simply sign a lease with someone you don’t know that well.
They have the same legal rights to the apartment
Co-applicants have the same rights to the apartment as you since both yours and their names are on the lease as co-signers.
If they don’t make sure that their share of the rent gets paid, you could be on the line for repayment.
Late or missed payments could damage the credit of both applicants
If you’re the primary applicant for the property and your co-applicant doesn’t pay their share of the rent, it could hurt your credit. Their credit will also be impacted.
Your relationship with the co-applicant could be impacted
If things go south between you and the co-applicant, it’s more than your finances that could be impacted. It could damage your relationship. That’s why one of the key takeaways in this debate is that you need to fully understand the ramifications of signing a legally binding document to live with someone.
Carefully consider who you want as your co-applicant
It’s all well and good to need someone to act as a fail-safe to help you get started as a renter. A co-applicant can bolster you. But, they can also become a hindrance if they’re not reliable since they have the same rights to the apartment.
Zoe Baillargeon is an award-winning writer and journalist based in Portland, Oregon, where she covers a variety of beats including travel, food and drink, lifestyle and culture for outlets like Apartment Guide, Rent., AFAR.com, Fodor’s, The Manual, Matador Network and more. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, reading and spoiling her cat.
Today we have a little holiday miracle to share with you – a pretty little package tied up with a perfect bow – no tape, cuts or twisted knots required. Ok – so I didn’t say it was a big miracle but I get such joy out of these little details.
Did you know you can tie a ribbon without having to use tape? Without it having to have a bump or twits on the back? Call me crazy, but that always drives me nuts when my gifts won’t lay flat. Thankfully, there is a secret ribbon tying technique that will leave discerning gift wrappers saying, how did you do that??
Step 1: Measure out your ribbon to make sure it’ll go around your box twice. Lay your cut piece of ribbon out on a flat surface
Step 2: Set your box on top of the ribbon. Make sure there’s plenty of ribbon sticking out on both ends. Make a loop on the left end no need to tie anything, just make a little circle – the end of the ribbon will be point back toward your body
Step 3: Slip your loop over the left corner of the box furtherest from your body. It’ll just rest there – don’t worry it might fall off – you might have to hold it in place
Step 4: The tail of your loop will stretch across the underside of the box back towards you, making a flat! cross
Step 5: Bring the ribbon from the right side and pull it under your corner loop
Step 6: Bring the second tail up from the underside
Step 7: Tie the two pieces in your first knot
Step 8: Tie your bow. Big, small or over-the-top huge – let your creativity be your guide!
Et voila!
Even if you’re the only one to appreciate the thoughtfulness that goes into your gift wrapping skills, there’s something so satisfying about tying your packages up in perfectly wrapped string!
original photography for apartment 34 by Emily Scott // custome 34 paper c/o Zazzle.com
High above the Las Vegas Strip, solar panels blanketed the roof of Mandalay Bay Convention Center — 26,000 of them, rippling across an area larger than 20 football fields.
From this vantage point, the sun-dappled Mandalay Bay and Delano hotels dominated the horizon, emerging like comically large golden scepters from the glittering black panels.Snow-tipped mountains rose to the west.
It was a cold winter morning in the Mojave Desert. But there was plenty of sunlight to supply the solar array.
“This is really an ideal location,” said Michael Gulich, vice president of sustainability at MGM Resorts International.
The same goes for the rest of Las Vegas and its sprawling suburbs.
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Sin City already has more solar panels per person than any major U.S. metropolis outside Hawaii, according to one analysis. And the city is bursting with single-family homes, warehouses and parking lots untouched by solar.
L.A. Times energy reporter Sammy Roth heads to the Las Vegas Valley, where giant solar fields are beginning to carpet the desert. But what is the environmental cost? (Video by Jessica Q. Chen, Maggie Beidelman / Los Angeles Times)
There’s enormous opportunity to lower household utility bills and cut climate pollution — without damaging wildlife habitat or disrupting treasured landscapes.
But that hasn’t stopped corporations from making plans to carpet the desert surrounding Las Vegas with dozens of giant solar fields — some of them designed to supply power to California. The Biden administration has fueled that growth, taking steps to encourage solar and wind energy development across vast stretches of public lands in Nevada and other Western states.
Those energy generators could imperil rare plants and slow-footed tortoises already threatened by rising temperatures.
They could also lessen the death and suffering from the worsening heat waves, fires, droughts and storms of the climate crisis.
Researchers have found there’s not nearly enough space on rooftops to supply all U.S. electricity — especially as more people drive electric cars. Even an analysis funded by rooftop solar advocates and installers found that the most cost-effective route to phasing out fossil fuels involves six times more power from big solar and wind farms than from smaller local solar systems.
But the exact balance has yet to be determined. And Nevada is ground zero for figuring it out.
The outcome could be determined, in part, by billionaire investor Warren Buffett.
The so-called Oracle of Omaha owns NV Energy, the monopoly utility that supplies electricity to most Nevadans. NV Energy and its investor-owned utility brethren across the country can earn huge amounts of money paving over public lands with solar and wind farms and building long-distance transmission lines to cities.
But by regulatory design, those companies don’t profit off rooftop solar. And in many cases, they’ve fought to limit rooftop solar — which can reduce the need for large-scale infrastructure and result in lower returns for investors.
Mike Troncoso remembers the exact date of Nevada’s rooftop solar reckoning.
It was Dec. 23, 2015, and he was working for SolarCity. The rooftop installer abruptly ceased operations in the Silver State after NV Energy helped persuade officials to slash a program that pays solar customers for energy they send to the power grid.
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“I was out in the field working, and we got a call: ‘Stop everything you’re doing, don’t finish the project, come to the warehouse,’” Troncoso said. “It was right before Christmas, and they said, ‘Hey, guys, unfortunately we’re getting shut down.’”
After a public outcry, Nevada lawmakers partly reversed the reductions to rooftop solar incentives. Since then, NV Energy and the rooftop solar industry have maintained an uneasy political ceasefire. Installations now exceed pre-2015 levels.
Today, Troncoso is Nevada branch manager for Sunrun, the nation’s largest rooftop solar installer. The company has enough work in the state to support a dozen crews, each named for a different casino. On a chilly winter morning before sunrise, they prepared for the day ahead — laying out steel rails, hooking up microinverters and loading panels onto powder-blue trucks.
But even if Sunrun’s business continues to grow, it won’t eliminate the need for large solar farms in the desert.
Some habitat destruction is unavoidable — at least if we want to break our fossil fuel addiction. The key questions are: How many big solar farms are needed, and where should they be built? Can they be engineered to coexist with animals and plants?
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And if not, should Americans be willing to sacrifice a few endangered species in the name of tackling climate change?
To answer those questions, Los Angeles Times journalists spent a week in southern Nevada, touring solar construction sites, hiking up sand dunes and off-roading through the Mojave. We spoke with NV Energy executives, conservation activists battling Buffett’s company and desert rats who don’t want to see their favorite off-highway vehicle trails cut off by solar farms.
Odds are, no one will get everything they want.
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The tortoise in the coal mine
Biologist Bre Moyle easily spotted the small yellow flag affixed to a scraggly creosote bush — one of many hardy plants sprouting from the caliche soil, surrounded by rows of gleaming steel trusses that would soon hoist solar panels toward the sky.
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Moyle leaned down for a closer look, gently pulling aside branches to reveal a football-sized hole in the ground. It was the entrance to a desert tortoise burrow — one of thousands catalogued by her employer, Primergy Solar, during construction of one of the nation’s largest solar farms on public lands outside Las Vegas.
“I wouldn’t stand on this side of it,” Moyle advised us. “If you walk back there, you could collapse it, potentially.”
I’d seen plenty of solar construction sites in my decade reporting on energy. But none like this.
Instead of tearing out every cactus and other plant and leveling the land flat — the “blade and grade” method — Primergy had left much of the native vegetation in place and installed trusses of different heights to match the ground’s natural contours. The company had temporarily relocated more than 1,600 plants to an on-site nursery, with plans to put them back later.
The Oakland-based developer also went to great lengths to safeguard desert tortoises — an iconic reptile protected under the federal Endangered Species Act, and the biggest environmental roadblock to building solar in the Mojave.
Desert tortoises are sensitive to global warming, residential sprawl and other human encroachment on their habitat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has estimated tortoise populations fell by more than one-third between 2004 and 2014.
Scientists consider much of the Primergy site high-quality tortoise habitat. It also straddles a connectivity corridor that could help the reptiles seek safer haven as hotter weather and more extreme droughts make their current homes increasingly unlivable.
Before Primergy started building, the company scoured the site and removed 167 tortoises, with plans to let them return and live among the solar panels once the heavy lifting is over. Two-thirds of the project site will be repopulated with tortoises.
Workers removed more tortoises during construction. As of January, the company knew of just two tortoises killed — one that may have been hit by a car, and another that may have been entombed in its burrow by roadwork, then eaten by a kit fox.
Primergy Vice President Thomas Regenhard acknowledged the company can’t build solar here without doing any harm to the ecosystem — or spurring opposition from conservation activists. But as he watched union construction workers lift panels onto trusses, he said Primergy is “making the best of the worst-case situation” for solar opponents.
“What we’re trying to do is make it the least impactful on the environment and natural resources,” he said. “What we’re also doing is we’re sharing that knowledge, so that these projects can be built in a better way moving forward.”
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The company isn’t saving tortoises out of the goodness of its profit-seeking heart.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management conditioned its approval of the solar farm, called Gemini, on a long list of environmental protection measures — and only after some bureau staffers seemingly contemplated rejecting the project entirely.
Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the conservation group Defenders of Wildlife show the bureau’s Las Vegas field office drafted several versions of a “record of decision” that would have denied the permit application for Gemini. The drafts listed several objections, including harm to desert tortoises, loss of space for off-road vehicle drivers and disturbance of the Old Spanish National Historic Trail, which runs through the project site.
Separately, Primergy reached a legal settlement with conservationists — who challenged the project’s federal approval in court — in which the company agreed to additional steps to protect tortoises and a plant known as the three-corner milkvetch.
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The company estimates just 2.5% of the project site will be permanently disturbed — far less than the 33% allowed by Primergy’s federal permit. Regenhard is hopeful the lessons learned here will inform future solar development on public lands.
“This is something new. So we’re refining a lot of the processes,” he said. “We’re not perfect. We’re still learning.”
By the time construction wraps this fall, 1.8 million panels will cover nearly 4,000 football fields’ worth of land, just off the 15 Freeway. They’ll be able to produce 690 megawatts of power — as much as 115,000 typical home solar systems. And they’ll be paired with batteries, to store energy and help NV Energy customers keep running their air conditioners after sundown.
Unlike many solar fields, Gemini is close to the population it will serve — just a few dozen miles from the Strip. And the affected landscape is far from visually stunning, with none of the red-rock majesty found at nearby Valley of Fire State Park.
But desert tortoises don’t care if a place looks cool to humans. They care if it’s good tortoise habitat.
Moyle, Primergy’s environmental services manager, pointed to a small black structure at the bottom of a fence along the site’s edge — a shade shelter for tortoises. Workers installed them every 800 feet, so that if any relocated reptiles try to return to the solar farm too early, they don’t die pacing along the fence in the heat.
“They have a really, really good sense of direction,” Moyle said. “They know where their homes are. They want to come back.”
Primergy will study what happens when tortoises do come back. Will they benefit from the shade of the solar panels? Or will they struggle to survive on the industrialized landscape?
And looming over those uncertainties, a more existential query: With global warming beginning to devastate human and animal life around the world, should we really be slowing or stopping solar development to save a single type of reptile?
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Moyle was ready with an answer: Tortoises are a keystone species. If they’re doing well, it’s a good sign of a healthy ecosystem in which other desert creatures — such as burrowing owls, kit foxes and American badgers — are positioned to thrive, too.
And as the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, human survival is inextricably linked with a healthy natural world.
“We take one thing out, we don’t know what sort of disastrous effect it’s going to have on everything else,” Moyle said.
We do, however, know the consequences of relying on fossil fuels: entire towns burning to the ground, Lake Mead three-quarters empty, elderly Americans baking to death in their overheated homes. With worse to come.
The shifting sands of time
A few miles south, another solar project was rising in the desert. This one looked different.
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A fleet of bulldozers, scrapers, excavators and graders was nearly done flattening the land — a beige moonscape devoid of cacti and creosote. The solar panel support trusses were all the same height, forming an eerily rigid silver sea.
When I asked Carl Glass — construction manager for DEPCOM Power, the contractor building this project for Buffett’s NV Energy — why workers couldn’t leave vegetation in place like at Gemini, he offered a simple answer: drainage. Allowing the land to retain its natural contours, he said, would make it difficult to move stormwater off the site during summer monsoons.
Safety was another consideration, said Dani Strain, NV Energy’s senior manager for the project. Blading and grading the land meant workers wouldn’t have to carry solar panels and equipment across ground studded with tripping hazards.
“It’s nicer for the environment not to do it,” Strain said. “But it creates other problems. You can’t have everything.”
This kind of solar project has typified development in the Mojave Desert.
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And it helps explain why the Center for Biological Diversity’s Patrick Donnelly has fought so hard to limit that development.
The morning after touring the solar construction sites, we joined Donnelly for a hike up Big Dune, a giant pile of sand covering five square miles and towering 500 feet above the desert floor, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The sun was just beginning its ascent over the Mojave, bathing the sand in a smooth umber glow beneath pockets of wispy cloud.
On weekends, Donnelly said, the dune can be overrun by thousands of off-road vehicles. But on this day, it was quiet.
Energy companies have proposed more than a dozen solar farms on public lands surrounding Big Dune — some with overlapping footprints. Donnelly doesn’t oppose all of them. But he thinks federal agencies should limit solar to the least ecologically sensitive parts of Nevada, instead of letting companies pitch projects almost anywhere they choose.
“Developers are looking at this as low-hanging fruit,” he said. “The idea is, this is where California can build all of its solar.”
We trekked slowly up the dune, our bodies casting long shadows in the early morning light. When we took a breather and looked back down, a trail of footprints marked our path. Donnelly assured us a windy day would wipe them away.
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“This is why I live here, man,” he said. “It’s the most beautiful place on Earth, in my mind.”
Donnelly broke his back in a rock-climbing accident, so he used a walking stick to scale the dune. He lives not far from here, at the edge of Death Valley National Park, and works as the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity’s Great Basin director.
As we resumed our journey, the wind blowing hard, I asked Donnelly to rank the top human threats to the Mojave. He was quick to answer: The climate crisis was No. 1, followed by housing sprawl, solar development and off-road vehicles.
“There’s no good solar project in the desert. But there’s less bad,” he said. “And we’re at a point now where we have to settle for less bad, because the alternatives are more bad: more coal, more gas, climate apocalypse.”
That hasn’t stopped Donnelly and his colleagues from fighting renewable energy projects they fear would wipe out entire species — even little-known plants and animals with tiny ranges, such as Tiehm’s buckwheat and the Dixie Valley toad.
“I’m not a religious guy,” Donnelly said. “But all God’s creatures great and small.”
After a steep stretch of sand, we stopped along a ridge with sweeping views. To our west were the Funeral Mountains, across the California state line in Death Valley National Park — and far beyond them Mt. Whitney, its snow-covered facade just barely visible. To our east was Highway 95, cutting across the Amargosa Valley en route from Las Vegas to Reno.
It’s along this highway that so many developers want to build.
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“We would be in a sea of solar right now,” Donnelly said.
Having heard plenty of rural residents say they don’t want to look at such a sea, I asked Donnelly if this was a bad spot for solar because it would ruin the glorious views. He told me he never makes that argument, “because honestly, views aren’t really the primary concern at this moment. The primary concern is stopping the biodiversity crisis and the climate crisis.”
“There are certain places where we shouldn’t put solar because it’s a wild and undisturbed landscape,” he said.
As far as he’s concerned, though, the Amargosa Valley isn’t one of those landscapes, what with Highway 95 running through it. The same goes for Dry Lake Valley, where NV Energy’s solar construction site is already surrounded by energy infrastructure.
What Donnelly would like to see is better planning.
He pointed to California, where state and federal officials spent eight years crafting a desert conservation plan that allows solar and wind farms across a few hundred thousand acres while setting aside millions more for protection. He thinks a similar process is crucial in Nevada, where four-fifths of the land area is owned by the federal government — more than any other state.
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If Donnelly had his way, regulators would put the kibosh on solar farms immediately adjacent to Big Dune. He’s worried they could alter the movement of sand across the desert floor, affecting several rare beetles that call the dune home.
But if the feds want to allow solar projects along the highway to the south, near the Area 51 Alien Center?
“Might not be the end the world,” Donnelly said.
He shot me a grin.
“You know, one thing I like to do …”
Without warning, he took off racing down the dune, carried by momentum and love for the desert. He laughed as he reached a natural stopping point, calling for us to join him. His voice sounded free and full of possibility.
Some solar panels on the horizon wouldn’t have changed that.
Shout it from the rooftops
Laura Cunningham and Kevin Emmerich were a match made in Mojave Desert heaven.
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Cunningham was a wildlife biologist, Emmerich a park ranger when they met nearly 30 years ago at Death Valley. She studied tortoises for government agencies and later a private contractor. He worked with bighorn sheep and gave interpretive talks. They got married, bought property along the Amargosa River and started their own conservation group, Basin and Range Watch.
And they’ve been fighting solar development ever since.
That’s how we ended up in the back of their SUV, pulling open a rickety cattle gate off Highway 95 and driving past wild burros on a dirt road through Nevada’s Bullfrog Hills, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
They had told us Sarcobatus Flat was stunning, but I was still surprised by how stunning. I got my first look as we crested a ridge. The gently sloping valley spilled down toward Death Valley National Park, whose snowy mountain peaks towered over a landscape dotted with thousands of Joshua trees.
“Everything we’re looking at is proposed for solar development,” Cunningham said.
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Most environmentalists agree we need at least some large solar farms. Cunningham and Emmerich are different. They’re at the vanguard of a harder-core desert protection movement that sees all large-scale solar farms on public lands as bad news.
Why had so many companies converged on Sarcobatus Flat?
The main answer is transmission. NV Energy is seeking federal approval to build the 358-mile Greenlink West electric line, which would carry thousands of megawatts of renewable power between Reno and Las Vegas along the Highway 95 corridor.
The dirt road curved around a small hill, and suddenly we found ourselves on the valley floor, surrounded by Joshua trees. Some looked healthy; others had bark that had been chewed by rodents seeking water, a sign of drought stress. Scientists estimate the Joshua tree’s western subspecies could lose 90% of its range as the world gets hotter and droughts get more intense.
But asked whether climate change or solar posed a bigger threat to Sarcobatus Flat, Cunningham didn’t hesitate.
“Oh, solar development hands down,” she said.
Nearly 20 years ago, she said, she helped relocate desert tortoises to make way for a test track in California. One of them tried to return home, walking 20 miles before hitting a fence. It paced back and forth and eventually died of heat exhaustion.
Solar farms, she said, pose a similar threat to tortoises. And at Sarcobatus Flat, they would cover a high-elevation area that could otherwise serve as a climate refuge for Joshua trees, giving them a relatively cool place to reproduce as the planet heats up.
“It makes no sense to me that we’re going to bulldoze them down and throw them into trash piles. It’s just crazy,” she said.
In Cunningham and Emmerich’s view, every sun-baked parking lot in L.A. and Vegas and Phoenix should have a solar canopy, every warehouse and single-family home a solar roof. It’s a common argument among desert defenders: Why sacrifice sensitive ecosystems when there’s an easy alternative for fighting climate change? Especially when rooftop solar can reduce strain on an overtaxed electric grid and — when paired with batteries — help people keep their lights on during blackouts?
The answer isn’t especially satisfying to conservationists.
For all the virtues of rooftop solar, it’s an expensive way to generate clean power — and keeping energy costs low is crucial to ensure that lower-income families can afford electric cars, another key climate solution. A recent report from investment bank Lazard pegged the cost of rooftop solar at 11.7 cents per kilowatt-hour on the low end, compared with 2.4 cents for utility solar.
Even when factoring in pricey long-distance electric lines, utility-scale solar is typically cheaper, several experts told me.
“It’s three to six times more expensive to put solar on your roof than to put it in a large-scale project,” said Jesse Jenkins, an energy systems researcher at Princeton University. “There may be some added value to having solar in the Los Angeles Basin instead of the middle of the Mojave Desert. But is it 300% to 600% more value? Probably not. It’s probably not even close.”
There’s a practical challenge, too.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has estimated U.S. rooftops could generate 1,432 terawatt-hours of electricity per year — just 13% of the power America will need to replace most of its coal, oil and gas, according to research led by Jenkins.
Add in parking lots and other areas within cities, and urban solar systems might conceivably supply one-quarter or even one-third of U.S. power, several experts told The Times — in an unlikely scenario where they’re installed in every suitable spot.
Energy researcher Chris Clack’s consulting firm has found that dramatic growth in rooftop and other small-scale solar installations could reduce the costs of slashing climate pollution by half a trillion dollars. But even Clack said rooftops alone won’t cut it.
“Realistically, 80% is going to end up being utility grid no matter what,” he said.
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All those industrial renewable energy projects will have to go somewhere.
Sarcobatus Flat may not be the answer. Federal officials classified all three solar proposals there as “low priority,” citing their proximity to Death Valley and potential harm to tortoise habitat. One developer withdrew its application last year.
Before leaving the area, Cunningham pointed to a wooden marker, one of at least half a dozen stretching out in a line. I walked over to take a closer look and discovered it was a mining claim for lithium — a main ingredient in electric-car batteries.
If solar development didn’t upend this valley, lithium extraction might.
On the beaten track
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The four-wheeler jerked violently as Erica Muxlow pressed her foot to the gas, sending us flying down a rough dirt road with no end in sight but the distant mountains. Five-point safety straps were the only things stopping us from flying out of our seats, the vehicle leaping through the air as we reached speeds of 40 mph, then 50 mph, the wind whipping our faces.
It was like riding Disneyland’s Matterhorn Bobsleds — just without the Yeti.
Ahead of us, Muxlow’s neighbor Jimmy Lewis led the way on an electric blue motorcycle, kicking up a stream of sand. He wanted us to see thousands of acres of public lands outside his adopted hometown of Pahrump, in Nevada’s Nye County, that could soon be blocked by solar projects — cutting off access to off-highway vehicle enthusiasts such as himself.
“You could build an apartment complex or a shopping mall here, and it would be the same thing to me,” he said.
To progressive-minded Angelenos or San Franciscans, preserving large chunks of public land for gas-guzzling, environmentally destructive dirt bikes might sound like a terrible reason not to build solar farms that would lessen the climate crisis.
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But here’s the reality: Rural Westerners such as Lewis will play a key role in determining how much clean energy gets built.
Not long before our Nevada trip, Nye County placed a six-month pause on new renewable energy projects, citing local concerns about loss of off-road vehicle trails. Similar fears have stymied development across the U.S., with rural residents attacking solar and wind farms as industrial intrusions on their way of life — and local governments throwing up roadblocks.
For Lewis, the conflict is deeply personal.
He moved here from Southern California more than a decade ago, trading life by the beach for a five-acre plot where he runs an off-roading school and test-drives motorcycles for manufacturers. His warehouse was packed with dozens of dirt bikes.
“This is my life. Motorcycles, motorcycles, motorcycles,” he said, laughing.
Lewis has worked to stir up opposition to three local solar farm proposals. So far, his efforts have been in vain.
One project is already under construction. Peering through a fence, we saw row after row of trusses, waiting for their photovoltaic panels. It’s called Yellow Pine, and it’s being built by Florida-based NextEra Energy to supply power to California.
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Lewis learned about Yellow Pine when he was riding one of his favorite trails and was surprised to find it cut off. He compared the experience to riding the best roller-coaster at a theme park, only to have it grind to a halt three-quarters of the way through.
“I don’t want my playground taken away from me,” he said.
“Me neither!” a voice called out from behind us.
We turned and were greeted by Shannon Salter, an activist who had previously spent nine months camping near the Yellow Pine site to protest the habitat destruction. She and Lewis had never met, but they quickly realized they had common cause.
“It’s the opposite of green!” Salter said.
“On my roof, not my backyard,” Lewis agreed.
Never mind that conservationists have long decried the ecological damage from desert off-roading. Salter and Lewis both cared about these lands. Neither wanted to see the solar industry lay claim to them. They talked about staying in touch.
It’s easy to imagine similar alliances forming across the West, the clean energy transition bringing together environmentalists and rural residents in a battle to defend their lifestyles, their landscapes and animals that can’t fight for themselves.
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It’s also easy to imagine major cities that badly need lots of solar and wind power — Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix — brushing off those complaints as insignificant compared with the climate emergency, or as fueled by right-wing misinformation.
But many of concerns raised by critics are legitimate. And their voices are only getting louder.
As night fell over the Mojave, Lewis shared his idea that any city buying electricity from a desert solar farm should be required to install a certain amount of rooftop solar back home first — on government buildings, at least. It only seemed fair.
“Some people see the desert as just a wasteland,” Lewis said. “I think it’s beautiful.”
The view from Black Mountain
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So how do we build enough renewable energy to replace fossil fuels without destroying too many ecosystems, or stoking too much political opposition from rural towns, or moving too slowly to save the planet?
Few people could do more to ease those tensions than Buffett.
Our conversation kept returning to the legendary investor as we hiked Black Mountain, just outside Vegas, on our last morning in the Silver State. We were joined by Jaina Moan, director of external affairs for the Nature Conservancy’s Nevada chapter. She had promised a view of massive solar fields from the peak — but only after a 3.5-mile trek with 2,000 feet of elevation gain.
“It’ll be a little StairMaster at the end,” she warned us.
The homes and hotels and casinos of the Las Vegas Valley retreated behind us as we climbed, looking ever smaller and more insignificant against the vast open desert. It was an illusion that will prove increasingly difficult to maintain as Sin City and its suburbs continue their march into the Mojave. Nevada politicians from both parties are pushing for legislation that would let federal officials auction off additional public lands for residential and commercial development.
Vegas and other Western cities could limit the need for more suburbs — and sprawling solar farms — by growing smarter, Moan said. Urban areas could embrace density, to help people drive fewer miles and reduce the demand for new power supplies to fuel electric vehicles. They could invest in electric buses and trains — and use less water, which would save a lot of energy.
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“As our spaces become more crowded, we’re going to have to come up with more creative ideas,” Moan said.
That’s where Buffett could make things easier.
The billionaire’s Berkshire Hathaway company owns electric utilities that serve millions of people, from California to Nevada to Illinois. Those utilities, Moan said, could buck the industry trend of urging policymakers to reduce financial incentives for rooftop solar and instead encourage the technology — along with other small-scale clean energy solutions, such as local microgrids.
That would limit the need for big solar farms — at least somewhat.
Berkshire and other energy giants could also build solar on lands already altered by humans, such as abandoned mines, toxic Superfund sites, reservoirs, landfills, agricultural areas, highway corridors and canals that carry water to farms and cities.
The costs are typically higher than building on undisturbed public lands. And in many cases there are technical challenges yet to be resolved. But those kinds of “creative solutions” could at least lessen the loss of biodiversity, Moan said.
“There’s money to be made there, and there’s good to be done,” she said.
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It’s hard to know what Buffett thinks. A Berkshire spokesperson declined my request to interview him.
Tony Sanchez, NV Energy’s executive vice president for business development and external relations, was more forthcoming.
“The problem for us with rooftop solar,” he said, is that it’s “not controlled at all by us.” As a result, NV Energy can’t decide when and how rooftop solar power is used — and can’t rely on that power to help balance supply and demand on the grid.
Over time, Sanchez predicted, a lot more rooftop solar will get built. But he couldn’t say how much.
Rooftop solar faces a similarly uncertain future in California, where state officials voted last year to slash incentive payments, calling them an unfair subsidy. Industry leaders have warned of a dramatic decline in installations.
As we neared the top of Black Mountain, the solar farms on the other side came into view. They stretched across the Eldorado Valley far below — black rectangles that could help save life on Earth while also destroying bits and pieces of it.
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Moan believes the key to balancing clean energy and conservation is “go slow to go fast.” Government agencies, she said, should work with conservation activists, small-town residents and Native American tribes to study and map out the best places for clean energy, then reward companies that agree to build in those areas with faster approvals. Solar and wind development would slow down in the short term but speed up in the long run, with quicker environmental reviews and less risk of lawsuits.
It’s a tantalizing concept — but I confessed to Moan that I worried it would backfire.
What if the sparring factions couldn’t agree on the best spots to build solar and wind farms, and instead wasted years arguing? Or what if they did manage to hammer out some compromises, only for a handful of unhappy people or groups to take them to court, gumming up the works? Couldn’t “go slow to go fast” end up becoming “go slow to go slow”?
In other words, should we really bet our collective future on human beings working together, rather than fighting?
Moan was sympathetic to my fears. She also didn’t see another way forward.
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“We really need to think holistically about saving everything,” she said.
The sad truth is, not everything can be saved. Not if we want to keep the world livable for people and animals alike.
Some beloved landscapes will be left unrecognizable. Some families will be stuck paying high energy bills to monopoly utilities, even as some utility investors make less money. Some tortoises will probably die, pacing along fences in the heat.
The alternative is worse.
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Inside: You are frustrated because amazon order says delivered but not received. This happens for a variety of reasons. Learn how to find missing packages with updated tracking.
We’ve all been there. You order something on Amazon and the estimated delivery date is just a day or two away.
But then, that day comes and goes…and your package still hasn’t arrived.
Worse yet, when you check the tracking information, it says “delivered”! So where is it?
If this has ever happened to you (and chances are good that it has), don’t worry – you’re not alone.
In fact, it’s one of the most common issues that Amazon customers face.
So what can you do if your Amazon order says it was delivered but you can’t find it?
What to do if your Amazon package says it was delivered today but have not received yet?
It can be incredibly frustrating and confusing when you eagerly await the arrival of an Amazon package, only to find that it is marked as “delivered” but is nowhere to be found.
This situation often leads to a mix of emotions, including disappointment, worry, and confusion.
However, there are steps you can take to track your package and resolve the issue.
In this guide, we will provide you with a detailed, step-by-step process on what to do if your Amazon package says it was delivered today but you have not received it yet.
By following these instructions, you can navigate through the frustration and hopefully locate your missing package.
This post may contain affiliate links, which helps us to continue providing relevant content and we receive a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the full disclosure here.
How do I track my Amazon order that says it has been delivered?
It can be incredibly frustrating and confusing when an Amazon order is marked as delivered but has not actually been received by the customer. This is a common issue that many customers face, and it can lead to a lot of stress and worry.
To ensure that you have the most accurate and up-to-date tracking information, it is recommended to double-check your tracking information.
However, there are steps that you can take to track your Amazon order and determine its whereabouts.
Sign into your Amazon account.
Once you are signed in, click on “My Orders” to access your order history.
From there, you should select the “Track Package” option for the appropriate order.
If your package has been delivered, you can also see delivery information and specifics on where the package was left. For example, it may say “near the front door” or “inside the residence’s mailbox.”
However, it is important to note that this information may not be available for every shipment, as it relies on the delivery person noting such details.
If the tracking information shows that the package has been marked as “delivered,” but you have not received it yet, there are a couple of steps below on how to handle the situation.
How to Use Third-Party Providers to Track Package:
If your Amazon package is delivered through someone outside of Amazon, you should refer to their tracking information.
While the Amazon account dashboard is a great place to check for updates, it is also beneficial to go directly to the source.
If your package was sent via USPS, you should check the USPS tracking tool for more details.
The same applies if your package was sent via FedEx or UPS – you should use their specific tracking tools.
To streamline the process, you can copy and paste your tracking code into a web browser or the Google search bar. This will provide you with the most recent updates for your tracking information.
Remember to be patient and give it 24-48 hours before contacting Amazon for further assistance.
What are the possible reasons for an Amazon package saying it was delivered but not received?
There are a few reasons this could happen.
Most are completely outside of your control and you have to be patient for them to be fixed.
1. Order May Have Marked Delivered Too Early
Occasionally, delivery companies may mistakenly mark a package as delivered when it hasn’t been. This can happen due to miscommunication or system errors. In such cases, contacting the delivery company for clarification and providing them with the necessary details can help resolve the issue.
If the delivery driver marked the package delivered, before it arrived at your doorstep, then you will be searching for something that is not there.
This happened to me with an Amazon order delivered by USPS. I spoke to the USPS driver and they said they were helping each other finish delivery routes and to transfer the package to the new driver, they had to mark it as delivered.
This discrepancy between the tracking data and the actual delivery can lead to confusion and disappointment. It is important to understand why Amazon tracking data might not be accurate in order to address this issue effectively.
2. Package could have been stolen
One of the main reasons for a package being marked as delivered but not received is theft.
According to a report from C+R Research, 67% of Americans have reported having a package stolen.
Unfortunately, package thieves are quick and practiced, making it difficult for the authorities to catch them in the act. This results in customers losing their packages and feeling helpless.
The consequences of package theft are significant for customers. Not only do they face financial loss, but they also experience frustration and inconvenience.
Being proactive and vigilant is crucial in safeguarding packages from theft and ensuring a smooth online shopping experience.
3. Package could have been misdelivered
There are several possible reasons for this, with one of the main possibilities being misdelivery. Misdelivery happens when the package is mistakenly delivered to the wrong address or handed over to someone other than the intended recipient.
This can occur due to various factors such as human error, incorrect address information, or confusion during the delivery process.
For example, if the intended recipient’s address is 123 Main Street, but the package is delivered to 132 Main Street by mistake, the recipient will not receive the package.
In such cases, it is important to approach neighbors and inquire if they have received the package on your behalf. Good neighbors will realize the mistake and hand over the package to you.
Learn exactly what to do when Amazon delivered to wrong address.
4. Personal Delivery Instructions not Followed
Another cause of misdelivery can be attributed to the recipient’s own delivery preferences.
Sometimes, recipients may have specified in their delivery preferences for Amazon to leave the package at a front door, back door, side porch, or garage. However, your packages may not be left at the specified location.
This is true when an option other than the front door is selected.
5. There could have been a mix-up with the address
If you live in an apartment complex, this happens more often than you’d think.
Amazon packages sometimes show as “delivered” in the tracking information, but customers may not actually receive them. One of the potential reasons for this discrepancy is a mix-up with the address. There are several common scenarios that can lead to this issue.
This can happen if the customer did not provide the complete address information during the ordering process. Similarly, if the address was missing the street direction, such as N. Main Street vs. S. Main Street, it can result in the package being delivered to the wrong location.
What should I do if I haven’t received my Amazon order?
It is not uncommon for customers to encounter the frustrating situation where their Amazon order is marked as delivered, but they have not actually received the package.
This can be a cause for concern, but there are steps you can take to track your package and resolve the issue.
By following the guidelines provided by Amazon, you can increase your chances of locating your missing package and finding a solution.
1. Investigate Your Surroundings:
Take a closer look around your home and consider places where the package may have been delivered that are not immediately noticeable.
It is possible that the package may have been left at your garage door instead of your front door or maybe in your driveway. Once, we saw our package sitting on the base of the basketball hoop.
Additionally, check your mailbox as Amazon sometimes passes on parcels to the USPS.
2. Check with Your Neighbors
If you feel safe and comfortable doing so, you can check with your neighbors to see if they received the package on your behalf or by mistake.
My rule of thumb is to look at the picture. That normally helps to decipher similar-looking houses.
Just in case, Amazon delivered to the wrong address.
3. Check Order Status and Shipping Address:
Double-check that there were no shipping errors and ensure that your shipping address is correct.
Just log in to your Amazon account and go to your orders.
Let’s be honest… I accidentally sent something to my mom instead of my house. Oops.
4. Wait 48 Hours:
Before taking any action, it is important to give the delivery process to reflect any changes.
Sometimes, tracking information may update prematurely, or carriers may deliver packages as late as 10 PM. The package could still be on its way and may arrive later that evening or the next day.
Learn how late does Amazon deliver.
5. Contact Amazon Customer Service
If you have followed the previous steps and still have not located your package, it is time to reach out to Amazon’s customer service.
Log in to your Amazon account and choose one of the two options:
You can choose whether to speak via a bot or by phone. Just to note.. the phone option may not be immediately obvious.
Explain the issue to the representative, and Amazon will initiate an investigation.
If your claim is genuine, they will issue a refund.
How can I tell if my package has been stolen?
The best way to tell if your package was truly stolen is to install security cameras.
That way you know the package was delivered and then stolen off your doorstep.
Unfortunately, package thefts continue to rise, especially during the holiday season.
If you determine the package was stolen, it is also advisable to contact your local police department, especially if the stolen items were valuable.
Taking preventive measures, such as tracking your orders and utilizing Amazon Lockers, can also help protect your deliveries in the future.
FAQ
Fortunately, Amazon provides various channels through which customers can seek help and get their concerns addressed promptly and effectively.
To contact Amazon for assistance with an order, customers can follow a few simple steps.
Log into your Amazon account either through the website or the app.
Once logged in, customers can type “contact Amazon customer services” in the main search bar.
This will direct them to the Amazon customer service page, where they can find the “Get help now” option under the “Amazon customer service” section.
Clicking on “Get help now” will lead customers to a page where they can select “something else” and then “contact us.”
Once the appropriate option is selected, customers can provide details about the problem they are facing and what they would like to be done to resolve the issue. For example, they may request a replacement or a refund.
Alternatively, customers can also request a call back by using the chatbox on the customer service page. This option allows customers to have a more direct and interactive conversation with an Amazon representative.
Amazon’s A-to-Z Guarantee is a form of protection offered to customers who have purchased products from third-party sellers on the platform.
This guarantee covers all third-party orders that are not sold or fulfilled by Amazon. It provides customers with a recourse option in case they encounter issues such as missing packages or receiving significantly different items than what was ordered.
To be eligible to claim the A-to-Z Guarantee, customers must fulfill specific requirements.
It is important to note that Amazon’s A-to-Z Guarantee has specific terms and conditions. The guarantee applies to certain delivery speeds and select products.
It is always important to remain vigilant and take appropriate action if you suspect fraudulent activity.
Regularly monitor your Amazon account for any suspicious activity or unauthorized purchases.
Be cautious when dealing with third-party sellers and carefully review their ratings, reviews, and return policies before making a purchase. If a deal seems too good to be true, it may be a sign of a fraudulent seller.
If you have already made a purchase and suspect fraud, you can contact with Amazon.
Can I get a refund for my Amazon order if it is not delivered?
Customers can get a refund for their Amazon order if it is not delivered. Understanding the refund policy for undelivered packages is important to ensure a smooth resolution to the issue.
Here are the steps to follow:
Sign into your Amazon account and go to “Orders”.
Select the order with the missing package.
Click on “Problem With Order“.
Choose “Request a Refund” from the options.
Select a reason for the refund from the drop-down menu.
Click “Submit” to initiate the refund process.
If the package was shipped by a third-party vendor and not by Amazon, it is recommended to contact the vendor directly for assistance.
What other steps can I take to track my Amazon order?
When an Amazon order is marked as delivered but has not been received, it can be a frustrating experience.
Above we covered, all of the steps to fix your situation.
However, you could consider Amazon Map Tracking, which allows you to track the real-time progress of select packages delivered by Amazon.
This feature provides you with the remaining number of stops the driver has before the delivery arrives at your door. Typically, you will get a notification when your package is 10 stops away or less.
Now, You Know What to do With Amazon Packages Not Delivered
Taking these additional steps is crucial in resolving the issue of a marked “delivered” but missing package.
While this is frustrating, especially for something you really needed by a certain date, it can be easily solved and fixed.
Knowing what time do Amazon packages arrive will help you to make sure you track your deliveries closely.
There are plenty of steps we outlined above to make sure your package is swiftly back in your hands.
Know someone else that needs this, too? Then, please share!!
What’s a beautiful holiday lunch party without an epic playlist? No party at all! It’s simple: music connects people. A good song is like a good meal, it affects the way you feel! When you hear a song you absolutely love or maybe one you’d completely forgotten about, aren’t you put in a good mood immediately? For me, holiday music has the special power to conjur up sweet memories from season’s past and I just love that moment when everyone exchanges a sly smile around the table and says, “love this song, turn it up!” and then things get a little groovy!
But just like finding time to throw the ultimate holiday party is a challenge, it’s just as difficult to sit down and come up with good tunes off the top of your head. I mean, who really has time to go through tons of tracks to make a playlist? Luckily, there’s this simple beauty to help us out: the Aether Cone!
With all of the insanely complicated gadgets around the house who knew a remote could be so confusing…in fact, which remote IS THIS that I’m holding?! the Aether Cone by far is the simplest. With just three buttons, this voice command music player makes technology so much easier. Basically, you tell the player what you want to hear and boom it plays it. Want to listen to Beyonce while getting ready? Easy. Sinatra while guests arrive? Done. Modern spins on Christmas classics while eating ? No problem ps: I’m obsessed with the Sufjan Stevens Christmas album! Synced with Rdio and 30 million songs ! the player can take it away and play songs based off what you like! Who are your some of your favorites anyway? Mariah Carey Christmas, anyone?! Come on…you know you love it! I just love that I don’t have to rely on a computer or my phone to play music anymore.
But can you guess what we love about the Aether Cone the most? How pretty it is of course! We made no fuss about finding a place for the cone at our lunch. In fact, we wanted to show it off! It fit right into our holiday tabletop decor, obvi! We LOVE the black and copper version it also comes in a white & silver version – it’s so chic and beautiful and the size of it is just right. It’s small enough to fit seamlessly on a side table, leaving us plenty of room to further pretty it up with a festive little floral arrangement and some yummy chocolate truffles, of course! We firmly believe there should be little treat in every corner of the house this time of year.
So while we’re wining and dining, putting on our makeup or cooking and dancing! away before guests arrive, now we have way to listen to our jams wherever we are in the house! Having a soundtrack for these moments allows you to create wonderful new memories and that’s really what the most festive time of the year is all about.
And with that, we’re off to enjoy the heart of the holiday season. We’re taking an entire week to jam out to Christmas tunes, create new memories with loved ones and be as merry as absolutely freakin’ possible I think I’m going to bake this fo’ sho’!
We will see you back here in all our post-Christmas bliss. Cheers and Happy Holidays, everyone!
original photography for apartment 34 by Ashley Batz // styling by Erin Hiemstra // florals by Tulipina
This post is in partnership with Aether. All thoughts and opinions are our own. Thank you for supporting posts that keep Apartment 34’s doors open.
From soaking in a hot bath to indulging in self-care treatments like face masks and beauty routines, our bathrooms are like relaxation sanctuaries in our apartments. Close the door, and you have a tiny space all to yourself for some much-needed and well-deserved R&R. But tiny apartment bathrooms can also feel cramped and compact, with not enough space to create a soothing atmosphere. Luckily, there are tons of small ways you can turn that tiny bathroom into a snug and cozy oasis. Here are 20 small bathroom ideas so you can update your small bathroom and convert it into the self-care haven of your dreams.
20 ideas to make your small bathroom a spa
From investing in some plush, indulgent towels to adding shelving, these 20 small-bathroom-approved ideas will make any tiny apartment bathroom feel like an upscale spa.
1. Add plants
From helping purify your bathroom air to creating a natural, outdoorsy look, plants are a great and easy addition to your bathroom. In order to maximize space, hang them from the ceiling or use ledges and shelves.
2. Declutter and remove unnecessary items
Keeping things spic-and-span is key to creating a spa-like setting in your bathroom. Having too many things out on your counter or shelves is visually chaotic. Think about it: When you go to a spa, are lots of things left out and about? No, they keep things clean and neat so you can focus on getting grounded. Remove unnecessary items and keep your on-display goods to a minimum.
3. Keep it clean
Make this a habit and always clean up after yourself so your bathroom doesn’t become cluttered again. Clean it on a regular basis as well. Having a clean and organized space goes a long way to creating a soothing, relaxing environment. If you want to add bathroom decor, keep it simple and streamlined.
4. Make sure you have lots of storage options
One of the best ways to keep clutter to a minimum is by having lots of storage options. It’s your bathroom, so you still need a lot of stuff: toiletries, towels, beauty supplies. Take advantage of storage options like cabinets and cupboards to hide things out of sight and out of mind. You’ll have fast and easy access to all the things you need while creating the illusion of clutter-free minimalism. If you prefer on-display organization, wooden baskets and stylish organizers are another option.
5. Use up vertical space by adding shelves
In small apartment bathrooms, space comes at a premium. There often isn’t a ton of room on the floor, so you can maximize storage and style with open shelves. Creating sharp, clean lines, open shelving is a very on-trend way to use up vertical wall space. You can use them to store rolled-up towels, display plants and decor items or place toiletries. Just be sure to not over-crowd them or the effect won’t work as well.
6. Invest in a fancy showerhead
Treating yourself to a new showerhead is a super-easy way to make your bathroom more luxurious and indulgent. Available in tons of different materials and colors, you can choose options like gold or brass to accent your walls and floor. The type of showerhead matters too, from giant rain showers to multi-setting heads with different flows and pressure settings.
7. Get a bath tray
If you have a bathtub in your apartment bathroom, purchase a sleek and stylish bath tray or caddy to use during bathtime. Wooden ones are the best way to go, as the look mimics the refined, natural air of a spa. With a caddy, you can turn any bathtime into spa time, with a spot for books, snacks, candles or a glass of wine. Plus, they’re small and compact, making them easy to store away in between uses.
8. Elevate the floor with stick-and-peel tiles
One of the biggest challenges facing renters who want to upgrade any space in their apartment is the risk of damage. You want to make the space your own but don’t want to create lasting changes or damages that endanger your security deposit. An easy way to do this is by using stick-and-peel tiles. Available in tons of cool colors and designs, you can choose from a wide range of options that fits your bathroom’s look and aesthetic. Not only are they easy to install, but they easily come off come moving time as well.
9. Purchase plush towels
We all love those ultra-soft and fluffy towels you find at spas. Well, you can have those at home too. Find high-end towels from top brands and stores in your desired colors and prepare yourself to feel snuggled and cozy. Keeping them rolled up and on display is another way to recreate that quintessential spa look.
10. Get a towel warmer
Another great thing about spas? Your towels are usually already pre-warmed, enfolding you in soft, cozy fabric after you emerge from the pool or sauna. But did you know you can do that at home yourself? Towel warmers are available in a wide range of styles, from small bins you can tuck into a corner to towel racks you can attach to the wall if you don’t have much floor space. With a towel warmer, a pre-heated towel is ready and waiting for you after your bath, completing the spa experience.
11. Paint it white or neutral tones
Color is key to making a space feel relaxing and at ease. Opt for soothing tones like white or neutral colors like tan, beige or delicate pastel hues. Plus, you can always paint over it when it’s time to leave. Adding a neutral stick-and-peel wallpaper is another option.
12. Hang eucalyptus in the shower
The scent of eucalyptus is a near-ubiquitous spa sensory experience. And it makes sense why. This heavenly-smelling plant has tons of health benefits, from promoting relaxation to even helping relieve cold and sickness symptoms. While you could always light a eucalyptus candle or diffuse eucalyptus oil, why not go for the real deal? Purchase a bundle of eucalyptus at the store, smoosh the leaves slightly with a rolling pin and leave it to hang under your showerhead. Come shower time, the hot water will help release the scent, perfuming your bathroom just like a spa.
13. Add candles
From infusing your bathroom with relaxing scents to creating a soft, cozy glow, candles are an affordable and easy way to elevate your bathroom. Many also come in cute, stylish packaging, which goes the extra mile in helping create a look. Light candles while enjoying your bath for a soothing sensory experience.
14. Scent the space with a diffuser
Another way to add scent to your spa bathroom is with an infuser. Design-forward ones will match your aesthetic and you can customize the scent based on your mood.
15. Get cool, boldly patterned bathmats
For a pop of color or pattern, zhuzh up your bathroom floor with a fun bathmat. Different styles and sizes can make the floor more visually interesting, plus it feels great underfoot.
16. Use wooden accents
From natural scents to organic materials, spas love to use natural, outdoorsy elements to create a soothing, healing environment. Along with plants, using wood accents will help recreate the look. This could range from woven laundry baskets to natural wood shelves. It’ll make the space feel both rustic and natural, yet clean and sophisticated.
17. Invest in high-end toiletries
Going to spas, you’ll notice that they always use higher-end toiletries for things like soap, shampoo and body wash. From the texture to the scent to the packaging, fancy toiletries will make you look and feel more luxurious. These can also function as statement pieces, sitting out on your bathroom counter or shelves as the sole decor.
18. Create soft lighting
Lighting is key to creating that soft, soothing spa atmosphere. Instead of using a harsh overhead light, add backlighting behind your mirror, a cute hanging light fixture or even battery-powered light fixtures that attach to walls. Adding a dimmer option is another way to create the right mood. You can keep the light low when you’re trying to relax or ramp it up when you’re getting ready and need full lighting.
19. Get a design-forward shower curtain
In small bathrooms, shower curtains can take up a ton of visual space. If that’s the case in your bathroom, you want to make that space fit your aesthetic. Instead of generic shower curtains, find ones with interesting textures, stylish patterns or soothing colors.
20. It’s bidet time
Looking to be on-trend with your bathroom amenities? Add a bidet to your toilet. Popularized by the Japanese, bidets make even using the bathroom feel fancy and luxurious. Get a deep, complete clean after relieving yourself and leave feeling more refreshed than ever.
Save your money on a spa and treat yourself at home with these small bathroom ideas
As nice as it is to have a spa day, you can’t always find the time to fit it into your schedule or budget. Creating an at-home spa in your bathroom lets you indulge in much-needed self-care whenever you need it.
Still looking for a new place to spruce up the bathroom? Take a look here first.
Most landlords look at a variety of information when they submit a rental application. They do a background check, look at employment history and will even go as far as talking to your previous landlords and property managers to figure out if you’re a strong rental candidate. However, the one piece that’s really going to seal the deal either way is your credit report. But, what do apartments look for on credit checks?
Just about any prospective landlord will want to look at your credit history to better understand how you’ve managed your money in the past, and how responsible you really are when it comes to paying bills, making on-time payments and taking rent seriously.
How do apartments look at your credit history?
The first step to performing a check credit is to get your permission. The Fair Credit Reporting Act protects you in that it doesn’t allow just anyone to run apartment credit checks. They need a specific reason. On your rental application, you should see a section asking for your permission for a credit check. You’ll also need to provide certain information to get the process started, including your full name and social security number.
The three major credit bureaus
Next, most landlords will look at credit scores from more than one of the major credit bureaus. This way they can get an average credit score and make sure your credit is within a range they’re comfortable with for potential tenants.
There are three major credit bureaus:
Equifax
Experian
TransUnion
A credit bureau generates a credit report that goes deeper than just your credit score. Reports will include information like payment history and related public records.
There are also a few primary credit scoring companies that will just provide a credit score. Since not all landlords need a thorough apartment credit check, they may instead contact FICO or VantageScore for your information.
What does a credit report show for renting?
Overall, all the pieces of a credit report demonstrate what your financial habits are like. Beyond whether you have a higher credit score or a low one, landlords and property managers want to see your payment history and how you manage your responsibilities when it comes to money. Many will interpret your pattern of behavior as a solid example of whether you’ll make a responsible tenant overall.
What are landlords and property managers really looking for?
The specific details within your credit report really shed light on your ability to meet your financial commitments. To see that you’re responsible when it comes to money, they use a credit check to look at:
Bill pay history — how often you pay on time, are late or missed payments altogether
Credit card account balances — how high and how many cards you have
Outstanding loans
The size of your credit limits
Whether any existing accounts have gone into collections
Many landlords will also look at any additional public records that relate to your financial background, using it all to assess you as a potential tenant.
This is all in addition to your actual credit score, yet another important piece of any credit check.
The ideal credit score range
The sweet spot when it comes to your credit score as a renter is pretty large. Even what you may consider a low credit score could count as fair enough to get you an apartment when combined with the rest of your rental history and a strong background check. There’s also the fact that multiple credit checks won’t always pull the same number, so one reporting agency could end up giving you a higher score.
According to Equifax:
Fair credit score is 580-669
Good credit score is 670-739
Very good credit score is 740-799
Credit scores that come in at 800 and higher are excellent, and will really make your own credit report stand out.
You’ll get a bad credit rating with any score that falls below 580.
Potential red flags
Rental credit checks may also bring up certain red flags that could affect your chances of getting approved for an apartment. This could include a bad credit score but also may mean a specific line item within your credit history is worrisome.
Certain things like applying for a new credit card or making a large purchase could temporarily lower your credit score. Other issues like missing a payment or closing a credit card account and decreasing your overall credit limit can also lower your score.
The best way to prepare for this situation is to get out in front of any issues, especially those that are easy to explain. In order to prepare yourself, run a free credit report on yourself before you start looking for apartments. Then, provide a heads-up to landlords and property managers before they run any credit checks. Not only will this prevent any misinterpretation of your credit reports, but it lets you show off you’re an honest person of good character.
Does an apartment credit check negatively affect your credit score?
There are two types of credit pulls, and each affects your credit score differently. A soft credit pull is typically what happens when you go to rent an apartment. Soft inquiries won’t impact your credit score at all because a soft pull isn’t coming from someone directly connected to a credit application of any kind. When you pull your own credit history, it’s also considered within the soft credit checks category.
A hard pull comes from a lender looking at your financial history because you’re applying for a new credit card or loan or asking to increase your line of credit. When a hard pull happens, your credit score can dip down a few points, which is really only significant if you’re right on the cusp of a credit score range. If you’re close, it’s best to wait to apply for that loan or credit card until after you’ve signed your lease.
What can I do if I don’t have good credit?
Having an apartment credit check turn up with lower results than you’d anticipated does not mean you’re ineligible to rent an apartment. Yes, a potential landlord may have a minimum credit score in mind and may worry if your credit check comes back lower, but you can take certain steps to convince them you’re good at paying rent no matter what.
There are a few ways to go about doing this, including:
Offer more money upfront. This can include making a few additional rent payments in advance, as well as offering to pay a higher security deposit.
Collect character references from a friend, employer or family member to show you’re responsible. You can also ask previous landlords to write a referral.
Bring in a co-signer to ensure monthly rent gets paid no matter what. Just make sure you’ve set up clear parameters on how this relationship will work should you need help.
Provide extra proof of your current financial stability including documents related to your gross income and not just your salary, although pay stubs help, too.
If pulling together extra cash, and making a gesture like a larger security deposit or extra rent upfront isn’t possible, you can also spend your next apartment search looking for potential landlords that don’t run credit checks at all. These units may still require some background information but won’t dig into the details of your available credit.
You can also look for a rental that’s only for a short period while you work to build your credit back up.
Building up credit scores
Once you’ve reviewed your own credit report, it’s possible to positively impact your score before a property manager needs to review it. If you start early enough, you can raise your score by paying down existing balances, paying bills on time, handling anything that has gone into collections and using a secured credit card.
You should also carefully look through the credit screening document to make sure there are no errors. If you find something that isn’t right, dispute it before an apartment credit check gets run.
Credit reports and renting go hand-in-hand
Although it’s stressful to think about what apartments look for on credit checks, don’t let it stop you from going for that perfect apartment. Make sure your credit check won’t dig up any surprises and do your best to manage your finances responsibly. Credit reports shouldn’t intimidate. They’re a positive that convinces your next landlord you’re the perfect renter.
Lesly Gregory has over 15 years of marketing experience, ranging from community management to blogging to creating marketing collateral for a variety of industries. A graduate of Boston University, Lesly holds a B.S. in Journalism. She currently lives in Atlanta with her husband, two young children, three cats and assorted fish.
We don’t know about you, but for a couple of years now it seems like we’re pulling fewer and fewer of our Christmas decorations out of storage. I don’t know if it’s just the modern decor trend sinking in deeper or if it’s that the minimal lifestyle is feeling ever more appealing. Whatever the reason, the Scandinavian approach to Christmas is so attractive this year. They somehow get it just right. So with only a couple of boxes of ornaments out of storage and streamlined trimmings on our mind, we DIY’d the cutest birch branch Christmas tree you ever did see- a great alternative to the 9-footer and the perfect festive element for tight quarters! It’s so simple and super cute, even if you are decking the halls with 50 pounds of holly, you’ll want to add it to your home this season!
We love, love, LOVE, simple moments like a sweetly sparse potted tree on the stairs or simple white paper bags wrapped in twine and hung with clothespins for an advent calendar – even live trimmings ’round a homemade candle chandelier. So cozy chic!
Our holiday inspiration is coming straight from Copenhagen right now; craftiness meets chic simplicity. Their secret is a neutral palette: blacks, whites and soft greys, mixed in with natural elements like branches, tree trimmings and small potted evergreens, and lots of texture: think burlap, rope and twine. Mix them all togehther and your Scandi-inspired Christmas is complete!
With these inspirations as our guide, and some help from the DIY queen herself, Martha Stewart, we took to DIYing our version of a modern Scandinavian inspired Christmas tree- no water or vacuuming of pine needles required! We put a slightly more glam spin on Scandi with a mix of metallic ornaments as well as some matte white baubles which were also a DIY!.
Here’s how you do it yourself:
Tools:
You can find many of these items at The Home Depot here!
Two 6-foot birch tree branches Hand-Saw Measuring Tape Strong Baker’s Twine or Thin Rope Martha Stewart Living Snowberry Ornaments 1 Can White Spray Paint Gift Tags love these and these watercolor tags! Pretty Baker’s Twine Scissors love these brass ones! 2 ft fishing line
Method:
> Measure, mark and cut birch tree branches with saw. Bottom branch is 30 inches, then go in increments of 6 inches: 24, 18, 12, your top branch will be 6 inches.
> Lay branches out in shape of Christmas tree, longest branch on bottom, shortest on top with about 8 inches in between each branch. Wrap strong twine around bottom branch three-four times, knot it, then wrap it around next branch, knot it and cut. Repeat for all branches.
> Coat desired ornaments with matte white spray paint. Repeat process until fully covered.
> Cut 6 inch pieces of Butcher’s Twine and string through ornaments and tie on branches.
> Hang tree using fishing line and a 3M hook to your wall! Perfectly thin for a hallway, impactful enough for a corner in the living room and so cute for the kitchen!
> Keep a small bowl and sharpie by the tree and whenever you think of a Christmas wish, write it down on a gift tag and hang it on the tree! They could be something special to read on Christmas morning as a family. And ta-da!
The muted champagne, mocha and silver color palette of the ornaments there are so many options to choose from here! blends in so naturally against the textured white bark of the birch tree branches. And we’re rather smitten with our Gold Reindeer Tree Topper! This type of tree is calm and serene, yet festive and inviting – exactly what we want our holiday to be this year. This modern DIY will certainly make you rethink bringing a live tree into your tiny city apartment! It’s absolutely perfect for big and small spaces alike!
Happy Holidays!
PS: If you still just really need to go glam for Christmas don’t miss our over the top holiday decor of bold golds, rich greens & garlands for days right here.
images 1-2, 9-12 original photography for apartment 34 by Emily Scott // image 3 via Petra Bindel for Elle Decoration // 4 via // 5 via An-Magritt // 6 via // 7 via House Doctor // 8 via Frichic
This post was in partnership with Martha Stewart Living. All thoughts and opinions are our own. Thank you for supporting partnerships we’re excited about and that help keep Apartment 34’s doors open.
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.
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Puthiac White Ceramic Vase
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Shower Mat
mDesign Spa Mat Bathroom Rug
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Bathrooms are, understandably, a little harder to decorate than a living room or bedroom. Add a little pizzazz where you can with a fun bath mat.
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Vintage Headline Posters
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For whatever it’s worth, I’m adding this to my personal cart.
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What’s the use of having chic throw blankets if you keep them wadded up in a basket?
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OTTIMO Polished Stone Marble Bookends
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Generic Retro Cocktail Print
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LUMNEST Decorative Books for Home Décor
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Set of Prints
YELLOWBIRD ART & DESIGN Matisse Style Poster Print
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d-c-fix Window Privacy Stained Glass Cling
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Jack Meets Kate Cocktail Posters
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ban.do Decorative Ceramic Vase
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Ban.do is one of my favorite décor brands, and I love that they sell on Amazon. Reviewers like this funky vase with or without flowers.
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XINAOBAOLUO 10 inch Roses Scented Taper Candle Sticks
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Associate Fashion Commerce Editor
Meg is the Associate Fashion Commerce Editor at ELLE.com where she researches trends, tests products, and looks for answers to all your burning questions. She also co-writes a monthly column, Same Same But Different. Meg has previously written for Cosmopolitan and Town & Country. Her passions include travel, buffalo sauce, and sustainability. She will never stop hoping for a One Direction reunion tour.