Moving into a new apartment can be an exciting process. They are different from living in a house, and depending on if you rent or own the apartment, can require a greater amount of attention when first moving in. Whether you have lived in an apartment before or this is your first time, there is a few topics that we will cover that will help you in the process.
Moving into an apartment could be your first time living without your parents, and on your own. It is an exciting feeling, but requires work and dedication to keep your apartment experience up to your expectations. Every rental agreement is different, as is every landlord, meaning that you will need to prepare yourself to be adaptable in many situations.
The first thing to do when thinking about moving into an apartment for the first time is the selection process. The apartment is not the only thing that matters, but the location as well. Is it a safe neighborhood? Are there job offers that can provide you with an income to satisfy your needs? You will also want to look at the crime report to see what kind of city your apartment is in or nearby. How has real estate been developing in the area? For any location, Wikipedia is a great source to research these questions.
After selecting your apartment, you will want to begin the packing and moving planning. You will want to select which items you will want to take with you, and that will fit in your apartment. Does the apartment come furnished or will you need to provide your own furniture? In a past blog post, we spoke about how to design the perfect floor plan. The floor plan will drastically increase or decrease the size of areas in your apartment you are able to use proactively. As well as planning which items to move, you will want to go to the apartment to measure the doors, hallways, and windows to make sure your items will fit into your new apartment. If it will not fit as is, dismantling is always an option.
Moving into a new apartment sounds like a dream when you are first discussing it, but until you have actually done it or experienced helping someone else out, will you realize the tall task that moving is. Woody and Sons can help make the moving process less stressful, more organized, and overall more efficient for you.
The next step in your moving process should be to learn about the building. How is the building? Has it had any recent renovation? You will want to check for mold, rodents, bugs, and any other troubling signs. Most people do not search or ask about these problems before moving into apartments. If the area gets a lot of rain, you will want to check in to find out about any leaks that may involve your apartment. You will find better information by talking to people who already live there and their experiences, rather than just the landlord. You will want to compile a list of things that really matter to you and as you go through the list, decide what is going to make or break you from moving into this apartment. When talking to the landlord and current residents, start with basic questions and then lead into more specific inquiries. You have the right to know these answers; so do not hesitate to get all your questions answered.
Lastly, you will want to carefully read your rental agreement. It contains important information about the conditions under which you are to use your apartment. If you have pets you will want to see where they fall into the rental contract. You will want to review termination agreements, and anything that could put you in jeopardy of losing your apartment. Read and make sure that you have covered all of the key points and understand them.
It will be a big surprise moving into your own apartment for the first time. Even if you have covered everything in this article, there will always be more unexpected situations that you will need to adapt to, to continue enjoying apartment life. If you want, throw a welcome party to get to know your neighbors, invite some friends, and have a good time. This will give you a good chance to mingle and get to know new people living around you. No matter what, enjoy it, it is your first experience. You will learn new things and see what you need to change in order to continue to have a great first apartment experience.