24 People Share Useful Tips And Things To Check Before Moving Into Your First Apartment
Article Created by: Rasa Žilinskaitė
In 2021, theaverage agethat EU residents moved out of their parents’ homes for the first time was 26.5. However, the age varied greatly by country, with Swedes typically moving out at age 19 while adults in Portugal tended to take their time, living with their parents until they hit 33 years old, on average. Regardless of what age you first leave the nest, though, there isplentyto learn when you live on your own for the first time. You might suddenly realize how much effort it takes to keep floors clean, why your parents were so concerned about turning off lights and taking short showers, and how landlords might not always have your best interest at heart.
So to help all of you pandas out there who are planning on moving out on your own soon, we’ve gathered a list of “first apartment” tips that Redditors haveshared down below. From how to avoid being scammed to knowing which appliances are actually worth purchasing, we hope you’ll find something useful within this list that will spare you all some trouble. Keep reading to also find interviews with the experts at liv.rent and Parker Cox from Tenant Planetand be sure to upvote all of the tips you wish someone had given you before you flew the nest!
Your parents spent their adult lives collecting the items you grew up with. Don’t expect to move into your apartment with a couch, end tables, decorations, a waffle maker, an espresso machine, candles, an elder tree dinning room table with onyx inlays, tv, curtains, drapes, rugs and runners. It takes time to accumulate.
Involve and bring parents.
I know that’s uncool but your parents can ask lots of good questions and see issues you may have missed.
Do a walk through with the landlord and VIDEO EVERY PART OF IT.
If you can visit the building at night on the weekend & see what the noise situation is inside and outside of the building. Also figure out the commute to work/uni & do the commute one morning before you move in.
The day you move in have a box/bag with toilet paper, a hand towel, some soap, some plastic cups, and paper towels in it. That box/bag should be the first thing you put in the apartment and should be unpacked immediately. During the move you’ll eventually need to use the bathroom or drink water. Now you can.
If you have roommates all on a lease, MAKE SURE you remove your name from the lease if you leave before they do, even if it’s expensive to break it. I learned the hard way and got sued for $5000 in damages that weren’t my fault.
Introduce yourself to the neighbors you share a wall/floor/ceiling with. If anyone is annoyed by loud music or pot smoke or whatever, it makes them more likely to come directly to you instead of the landlord.
Flush the toilet, open and close the windows, lock and unlock the door, check the fridge and freezer. Basically check everything to see if it works before they give you the lease to sign. You don’t want to sign and then find out only one window opens.
Bring a set of tools.
No matter how friendly your roommates seem, when money gets involved they will throw you under the bus. Get off the lease as soon as you leave. Set bill rules asap. Get agreements in writing, take pictures.
Get familiar with the tenant’s rights in your state. Also keep a log of all maintenance requests or calls to the landlord. Nothing formal, just documentation to back you up if an issue arises.
Don’t expect your security deposit back. Seriously, no matter what you do, you’re not getting all of it back. That’s not to say don’t try to clean the apartment, just don’t expect them not to find issues.
Any damage that happens while you’re there and Is not your fault DOCUMENT IT! our neighbors above us had a flood, and it soaked out walls and carpet. We called and no one came to fix it. When we moved out they tried to charge us for water damage. Luckily I had photos and videos of the damage and we were able to get out of it.
Always read reviews of the complex before you apply. If the reviewers constantly talk about how bad the management is, try to avoid that property.
Always start searching at least 3 months before you absolutely need to be there
Take your time looking at a place. Don’t feel rushed. If the person showing you the place rushes you, ask to reschedule.
Check windows in case they stick, try each tap for good water pressure, flush the toilet, check for lit pilots on furnaces, open cabinets to check for water damage, identify basic safety issues like quality of exterior doors/lack of hand railings on stairs.
Document anything and everything.
Budget for renters insurance and accurately inventory your belongings.
Don’t get in over your head on your budget (if a roommate bails, will you be ok?), and do prioritize your quality of life. Educate yourself on any potential legal issues/your rights/your landlord’s rights.
Also, many states afford rights to people(guests) who stay a certain time. Be careful who you let crash or you may have a really tough time evicting them when you need your space back.
If it’s a fairly cheap apartment, expect to hear your neighbors. Above you, below you, all around you. Use a fan or some kind of white noise to sleep to. I’m in an upstairs apartment and got someone new below me who would constantly pound on the walls when I or my kids would just be walking through the apartment claiming we were stomping…..nope, just normal walking without shoes even…
Try not to spend *any* unnecessary money during the first month or two
Then you’ll hopefully have some laid back for when you might need it *and* you’ll be sure to know how much you can and have to spend
Good luck
Make sure to get all the little essentials. Trash cans, broom and dustpan, shower curtain, etc. These are things i didnt think about until i had already moved in.
