A Wisconsin native has advised apartment hunters to take a magnet with them anytime they visit a potential new home.
Social media influencer Mercury Stardust, known on TikTok as the Trans Handy Ma’am, revealed this one must-bring item for hopeful renters in her book Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair.
Stardust, who currently has over 2.5 million followers, has used her social media platforms to share do-it-yourself (DIY) home tips for homeowners or renters.
She got candid about her so-called magnet tip while speaking to The Washington Post two months after her best-selling book was released last year.
Among the variety of DIY tips in her book, the influencer said that a magnet was essential to help determine the quality of materials inside apartment walls.
Mercury Stardust revealed one must-bring item for hopeful apartment renters in her book: Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair
According to Stardust, a magnet will help determine the quality of apartment materials, primarily metal screws
Stardust has been ‘an expert renter’ for nearly 20 years in Madison.
‘I know more about renting than I know about anything else,’ she told The Washington Post in 2023.
She also understands both sides of a renter/landlord relationship due to her years of experience as a maintenance worker for property management companies.
The influencer now uses her property expertise to help others, including determining a home’s high and low-quality materials.
‘If you buy the lowest quality of materials, you will get a tenant that puts low quality of care into it. Because if you’re not taking care of them, why should they take care of you?’ she asked.
This is where the magnet tip comes in. Stardust claims a magnet will not stick to lower-grade metals used in hooks or rails.
The phrase ‘knock on wood’ would also come into play during a potential renter’s property inspection since it determines whether the material is in good condition.
Although the magnet is an excellent item to have when searching for an apartment, Stardust has suggested using it for other common DIY projects.
Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair was released in August 2023 and it became a New York Times Best Seller
Stardust explained in Safe and Sound that homeowners or property renters only need four tools for most DIY household fixes.
She mentioned four items in her book: a multi-bit screwdriver, utility knife, adjustable pliers, and Allen keys.
Regarding the magnet, the handywoman mentioned in her book that it will help find a stud for when someone would want to drill a metal screw into a wall.
In order to do this trick, the person must place the magnet against the wall with a paper towel underneath.
The paper towel will protect the surface of the magnet from scratches and have a lesser chance of causing minor damage to paint.
According to Stardust, the next step is to have a metal chain hang from the magnet and continue to move it until the item connects to a metal screw.
This seemingly efficient tip may help renters or homeowners save money by not purchasing a stud finder.
Stardust mentioned four main items in her book to use for DIY projects: a multi-bit screwdriver, utility knife, adjustable pliers, and Allen keys
Stardust emphasized that red flags can be found in a lease such as late fees and limits on the number of guests you can have over
Besides magnets and other common items, Stardust advised potential apartment renters to understand how to communicate with workers regarding repairs that may need to be made.
‘If you never pick up a wrench and never turn a pipe, and you never touch a water valve, that’s okay,’ she told The Washington Post.
‘But the book is still giving you the tools you need to communicate what you need. And I think that’s important.’
Apartment hunters who are all set in bring a magnet or other small tools can also read about Stardust’s advice on performing safety evaluations, asking about extra parking or storage spaces, and seeing if those spots are well maintained.
If a safety evaluation comes up great and the materials are to a potential apartment owner’s satisfaction, it’s time to look out for red flags.
Stardust emphasized that red flags can be found in a lease, including late fees; limits on the number of guests you can have over; ambiguity about security deposits and what it takes to get evicted; and waivers releasing the landlord from responsibility for pre-existing issues such as mold.
‘When someone else owns the house and owns the place [where] you live and they have the entire deck of cards on their side… it’s hard to feel safe,’ said Stardust.
‘I think the greatest defense is the knowledge that we have.’