need help w/apartment

[tad]

Hey everyone, thought I'd jump on here because I didn't realize I had a problem until now, and I'd rather get advice from people who don't know me.

Anyway, I've got a decent job and my own apartment but I didn't use to have these things -- no need to go into it but I'm back on my feet financially now.

Last weekend, to my astonishment, I managed to get a girl coming back from the local bar to my apartment. I thought things were rolling along pretty smoothly but after she used my bathroom she came out and said she had to go and meet up with her friend back at the bar and not ten seconds later she was gone. Looking into my bathroom, and looking around the apartment, I tried to see whatever it was that she saw. OK, so the place is kind of spartan (to put it nicely), and my mom wouldn't consider it clean but my mom is a neat freak.

Now that I'm on solid ground financially, I think the next step is to get a decent-looking bachelor pad, but I don't even know where to begin. The only thing I could think was maybe get some advice from a men's style forum, so here I am. If anyone's got any advice on making this place into something that doesn't literally scare women away, I'm ready for it.

Tad

 

[Quirk]

I doubt 'spartan' bathroom decor would be so much of a turnoff that it would send a bar pickup running.

What the hell is in your medicine cabinet?

 

[tiger02]

Tad, great first post, great question. I can't stress enough the importance of a clean bathroom. Make sure all the loose, umm, hairs are cleaned up and the mirror is clean. The bathroom is probably the only area in the apartment that has to be spotless--to your mom's standard. As far as getting a good pad, take a look through the fine living/design forum. I learned a good bit from this thread and this thread. Playboy's 1961 conception of a great pad that has really stood up to the tests of time is discussed here Tom

 

[mack11211]

Decor is good and clean is good, but a bar pickup can have second thoughts for any number of reasons.

 

[GQgeek]

Whenever I go out at night or have a date, I ALWAYS make sure the place is spotless before I leave, just in case I bring someone back with me. I also change the sheets. Mine are white so every little leg hair shows, and who wants to think they're getting in to a dirty bed? And a spotless bathroom means behind and inside the toilet, not just the seat ;p

I do this more as a general courtesy than anything else because I personally hate going to people's houses when they aren't clean. I can imagine that a girl in a relative stranger's house would feel the same way, and possibly a little frightened as well.

One thing i do to minimize how often I have to clean the bathroom is to towel-off while I'm still standing in the shower. That way, all the little hairs land in the bathtub instead of on the floor.

As for decorating advice, the first thing you should do is identify your tastes. I'd advise browsing through a bunch of magazines and at least nailing down a particular style that suits you and your space.

 

[tiger02]

Originally Posted by mack11211

Decor is good and clean is good, but a bar pickup can have second thoughts for any number of reasons.
Speaking from experience, Mack?

 

[mack11211]

Both mine and hers: http://www.imdb.com/gallery/mptv/137...=0076327&seq=2

 

[vanity]

Originally Posted by GQgeek

Whenever I go out at night or have a date, I ALWAYS make sure the place is spotless before I leave, just in case I bring someone back with me. I also change the sheets. Mine are white so every little leg hair shows, and who wants to think they're getting in to a dirty bed? And a spotless bathroom means behind and inside the toilet, not just the seat ;p

I do this more as a general courtesy than anything else because I personally hate going to people's houses when they aren't clean. I can imagine that a girl in a relative stranger's house would feel the same way, and possibly a little frightened as well.


Thats pretty much what I did as a bachelor to a T. Thursday nights the carpets get vacuumed, the coffee table (especially) gets straightened up, the bathroom gets cleaned and new towels everywhere (very important). This way once the weekend rolls around, the place is fit for "guests".

I used to pickup strange women who'd stay at my place for days b/c it was just clean and comfortable. I even had extra unopened toothbrushes in my bathroom closet, extra robes, whatever. They seemed to really appreciate all of it the next morning. No one bailed early and it was normal for broads to even hang around for lunch.

Cold bottled water in the fridge is also a huge, huge plus. If you've ever been hungover at a stranger's place, nothing is better than a cold bottle of water when you wakeup. You know it's clean.

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by vanity

I used to pickup strange women who'd stay at my place for days b/c it was just clean and comfortable. I even had extra unopened toothbrushes in my bathroom closet, extra robes, whatever. They seemed to really appreciate all of it the next morning. No one bailed early and it was normal for broads to even hang around for lunch.

I have the extra toothbrushes and a spare bathrobe too. They're always appreciative of that. I anticipate that the women I bring home will increase the length of their stays since I moved because my new place is really pretty kickass. Everything is new and bed is so freakin' comfortable. I'm sure the sheets are way better than what most of them are used to as well. I've thought about everything in my apartment. It's almost amusing when I compare my place to other guys' I know. No wonder the chicks I've brought back love it.

Hadn't thought about the bottled water thing... It's a good idea. I used to drink nothing but bottled, but at my new place the water tastes a lot better so I'm drinking filtered tap.

 

[vanity]

Most guys' places are freakin dumps. Especially their bathrooms. So if a babe comes over and it's clean, comfortable, well-stocked, and obviously taken care of, it's kinda like home. She'll stick around for a while and maybe even come back some more.

 

[Joffrey]

GQGeek, if your tap water is so good (and I know good tap water) just buy a nice crystal jug fill with water and stick in fridge. Since your place and tastes are nice they'd trust you have clean tasty water.

Example of Jug: http://www.worldwideshoppingmall.co....-water-jug.asp

 

[Kent Wang]

I think all my communist propaganda posters scare women off.

 

[life_interrupts]

She might of just had second thoughts. Or, she peeked in your shower and saw the tub was dirty or the shower curtain had mold on it -- not saying that it does, mind you. Seriously, an unclean bathroom is the quickest way to scare off a potential bed-mate. Women see that and it's "adios my friend."

Sounds like you need to set your place up, period. Don't want to squander another opportunity.

 

[ribaldi]

I don't know what she saw, but you're probably a slob, and you need to make sure this doesn't happen again. You say you have the money to get a bachelor pad together, so go for it -- a nice entertainment system, plush couches or recliners, some classy furniture. Just don't go to Ikea, wherever else you might go for that stuff.

Then get into a routine of keeping your place clean. Don't let the bathroom get out of control or you might be too disgusted to bother cleaning it up. Get a whole bunch of baking soda packages and place them in your fridge and the bottom of all your trash cans -- eliminates odor. Vacuum at least weekly, or get a Roomba if you're lazy. Wash those sheets or better yet get new ones. Use disinfectants to kill the bad stuff instead of just wiping it away. Clean all that mac and cheese, etc., out of your microwave.

I don't know if any of the above stuff will keep a chick from screaming and running, because the problem might be you, but maybe the stuff above will keep around a girl that you end up liking. Best of luck.

 

[Dakota rube]

I need to get a life... I was thinking about this thread this morning and wondered if maybe the young lady didn't leave in a hurry not because of your apartment's condition, but, um, because of her condition. Is it possible she went to use the facilities and discovered that her period had suddenly begun? All the advice about keeping your place pristine is great, imperative in fact. But it might not have anything to do with you or your apartment.