Moving Into A Rental Space

When you are moving into an apartment there can be a lot of things that you need to coordinate when you’re getting ready to make the actual move. You will have to set up a time to sign the lease if you haven’t, and do a walk-through with the leasing agent and get the keys, hopefully before the moving truck gets there. Often there are delays and last minute changes that derail your moving plans no matter how carefully you planned. Use these tips for moving into a rental to make your next move go as smoothly as possible:

Leave Yourself Plenty Of Time

When you’re making appointments to sign the lease, or let the cable installer in, or have the movers unload your stuff make sure that you leave lots of time between appointments. That way if someone else is running late or if there’s a wrench in your plans you won’t have to reschedule everything. Building a little extra time into your schedule on the day of the move will save you a lot of stress and headaches on the day of the move.

Don’t Worry About Where Things Go At First

When you first move in you will still be getting used to the place and figuring out how it will function best for you so don’t worry about where furniture gets placed or where boxes go. Just get all your furniture and boxes inside and then you can start to figure out where you want things to go. Chances are good that you’ll move things around at least three times before you get them placed in a way that will be functional and comfortable anyway.

 Fill Out Your Move In Checklist

Many people forget to do this and they end up getting penalized for it when they move out. The first thing that you should do when you move into a new apartment is go from room to room with your move in checklist and write down the condition of each item on the list. Take photos also in case you need them later on. Return the sheet to your rental office promptly so that they will have a record of the condition the apartment was in when you moved in.

Don’t Be Afraid To Make It Your Own

Even if your lease specifies that you can’t paint the apartment there is a lot you can do to make it your own. You can remove cabinet doors, or cover them with peel and stick wallpaper, washi tape, or other removable decorative tools. You can remove closet doors, change the showerhead, and even create a dramatic accent wall using decals or removable wallpaper. If you take down doors or remove anything from the apartment either put it in storage or put in a closet so that you can put it back when you are ready to move out.