Looking for and moving into your first apartment in Colorado Springs is an exhilarating, sometimes crazy, and always chaotic adventure. Planning is one of the best things you can to do keep things from becoming mind-boggling. If you are moving into an apartment for the first time, here is a list of five things you should think about before you move the first box.
1) Ask questions before signing the lease.
A lease is a legal, binding document between parties. Sometimes, the language can get confusing and the terms might not be clear. Or, maybe, you notice a clause in the contract that concerns you after you review it. Perhaps you see something in the initial walk-through that you want to know more about. Whatever your question is, do not wait to ask it. A good landlord would rather have you walk away with the answers and not signing a lease than see you sign it and have problems at a later date because you were confused about something in the beginning and never asked for clarification.
Landlordology has a worthy of review list of questions to ask your landlord prior to signing your lease - 20 Revealing Questions that Every Renter Should Ask (from a Landlord's Perspective).
2) Do a walk-through of the apartment with the landlord, if possible, before moving anything in.
On the day you plan to move in Colorado Springs, before you get caught up in the whirlwind of moving in all of your furnishings, request the landlord to do a walk-through of the apartment to inspect for damages or any other pre-existing issues that might have been missed when they were preparing it for your arrival. This is a good idea for two reasons. The first is so that you both can see what is going on without the disarray of furniture and boxes. The second reason is that once you move your stuff in, your landlord can say that they have no way to know for sure the matter was there prior to your arrival. If a finger can be pointed at you for the damage instead of the previous tenant, the cost of repairs will likely come out of your deposit when you get ready to move out. Depending on what that cost is and the terms of your lease, you might not get any money returned.
3) Ask for help.
Part of being an adult is being independent, but part of it is also recognizing when you cannot do something by yourself and need to ask for support. In regards to moving, you will always need help - with carrying boxes and assembling furniture on move-in day at the very least. If you have family or a friend you trust in the area you are moving to and you cannot do a walk-through before you move in, ask them to do it for you. Be sure they know what information you need beforehand.
4) CLEAN before unpacking.
Generally, renters are supposed to make sure an apartment is clean and in good condition before they move out, and most landlords will give the apartment a more thorough cleaning in between renters. However, sometimes, an apartment sits uninhabited for some time or things get missed. Then, there is the disarray that happens when you move in. Cleaning up before you unpack will help you give attention to what might have been overlooked. It will also familiarize you with the layout you have and give you a better sense of how you can arrange things than you might have gotten during the walk-through.
5) Be considerate of nearby residents while moving items in.
When you are in the middle of moving in, it is easier to look for convenient ways to get your belongings into your apartment. Unfortunately, the most convenient [methods|ways]166] to do so can make it more difficult for your neighbors to come and go as they need to and give them the wrong first impression of you as a person. It is their community you are joining when you move in, after all. You will have an easier time acclimatizing to the community in Colorado Springs if you are considerate of them from the start.
If you are ready to find your first apartment in Colorado Springs, A-1 Freeman can help you from start to finish. We can handle every move, no matter how big or small. Click below to get started with your Free Estimate.
