SURVEY INDICATES RENTERS ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT HOBBIES AND COLLECTING

From dolls to coins and dancing to crafts, a recent Apartments.com survey shows renters are enthusiastic about hobbies and collecting. When asked about hobbies and collecting, more than seventy-six percent of respondents indicate that they pursue one or more hobbies and more than forty-six percent are active collectors.

Renters who are collectors often have a strong desire to personalize their apartment as more than thirty-seven percent of survey respondents have decorated to reflect their personal collections. Collecting, however, may present some decorating challenges as fifty-five percent of survey respondents indicate they do not have enough room in their apartment for their entire collection and twenty-seven percent are unsure of how to display their collections.

Apartments.com suggests these decorating tips for renters passionate about their collections and hobbies:
• Your collection should not overwhelm your apartment; instead, think about ways to incorporate your possessions into the décor of your rooms. For example, record album collectors can purchase frames to hang albums on the walls as artwork.
• By displaying your action figures or books underneath a glass top table, you not only bring your collection into the open, but also create a topic of conversation with guests.
• Remember that the purpose for displaying your collection is two fold: to showcase your treasures, and to keep them safe and clean. If you have fragile items, make sure that your displays are sturdy and safe.
• If you are displaying rare photographs, concert posters, autographs or other artwork, keep them out of direct sunlight to prevent fading which will decrease the value of your collection.
• When framing items professionally, ask for acid free matting to help preservation.

To see collections at their most extreme, log on to www.apartments.com/possessionobsession to view the videos of the three finalists in the Apartments.com Possession Obsession Contest. Web site visitors can cast their vote for their favorite video until October 19, 2007; the lucky collector with the most votes will win $20,000 in cash from Apartments.com.

As part of its monthly “What Renters Want” research series, Apartments.com surveys renters on various topics. For more information on these surveys, to receive a copy of additional survey results or for more information on the most popular renter collections and hobbies, please contact Lisa DeVries at ldevries@apartments.com.

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Apartments.com is the most visited national apartment Internet listing subscription service with more than 50,000 unique addresses representing more than three million rental units from managed properties, newspaper classifieds and for-rent-by-owner properties. With personalized searches, highly visual ads featuring 360-degree virtual tours, professional photography, and comprehensive community listings, Apartments.com makes it possible for renters to access apartment rental inventory from across town or across the country. Leads from highly qualified, ready-to-rent prospects are delivered to Apartments.com customers, increasing closure rates and decreasing the average cost of leasing an apartment. The site's foundation of solid partnerships with the local newspaper and television station Web sites of more than 10,000 newspaper affiliate and strategic partners across the country include Yahoo! Real Estate, the Chicago Tribune (www.chicagotribune.com), The Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) and the Los Angeles Times (www.latimes.com). Apartments.com is a division of Chicago-based Classified Ventures, LLC.