If you’ve never had a place of your own, there’s actually a lot to prepare and budget for – it’s not simply a question of moving out of one place and into the other. We are here to give you tips which we hope you find helpful and insight you need from start to finish.
Budget List One of the most important steps PRIOR to making that big move is figuring out how much rent you can afford but most important not forgetting to include all of the additional monthly expenses that come with having your own place, (utility bills, water, sewer etc.) that way you can come up with a Budget List that will facilitate the process of finding an apartment.
Start Saving You will need to start saving money even if you are currently employed. Say you find the apartment of your dreams right away, you will need cash to secure it, in some cases a credit check fee and almost in all cases an application fee. The day you sign the lease you will need to pay your security deposit which is usually the price of one month’s rent, plus the first month’s rent. That’s twice what you’re used to paying. You will ultimately be spending double on your first month’s rent plus about 100$ or so to secure it.
And don’t stop saving just yet, because as you will quickly become aware moving is expensive, just how expensive can vary. You may have a lot of possessions and not a whole lot of volunteers to help on moving day which might lead you to hire a moving company, or maybe you are moving across town and have no option but to hire movers either way.
Once you’ve figured out your budget and have saved money, you’re ready to move onto the next step:
Walk-Through If you’ve got your eye on a particular apartment don’t just walk around the property and check out the neighborhood or only take a look at the model apartment they may or may not have. Request a walk-through it’s important for deciding whether you actually want to call the place home and help you decipher what you can and can’t bring. You need to know your exact apartment’s layout to measure the windows (for curtains) and any areas you may or may not fit furniture, shelving, and décor. If your unit isn’t available for show prior to signing lease ask Leasing Agent or Landlord for a print out of the apartment’s layout.
If you are moving from out of town, a lot of this will be guesswork, but see if your landlord or a friend or family member could go in and get some measurements for you!
Pack Early Packing isn’t fun– almost everybody agrees, but one of the key ways to stay organized while preparing for your first big move is to pack early. If you start a few weeks before moving day, you’ll be able to pack almost all of the nonessentials (like out-of-season clothes, photo albums, photo frames etc.), and then you can shift your focus to the more essential stuff during the days leading up to the move.
Read the Rules
Does your new place have an elevator deposit or moving fees? Are you expected to move within a two-hour time frame? Should you use the freight elevator? Read your lease or talk to your landlord before the move so that you know exactly where to go and who to talk to when you arrive on moving day with a truck full of furniture. Make sure you read through your lease agreement and what you are agreeing on.
Okay so say you are now on your own, you did it! You reached one of life’s major milestones. While getting an apartment is exciting, it’s important you get protection as well. An often overlooked part of renting an apartment is making sure your possessions are protected with renters insurance.
Renters insurance is important. If something happened to your apartment and your possessions were damaged or destroyed, would you have enough money in your pocket to replace them? For less than you might expect, you can have your possessions covered by renters insurance. Call of one of our agents now and get a free Renters insurance quote!
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