Looking for and moving into your first apartment in El Paso is an electrifying, sometimes crazy, and almost always frenzied adventure. Making preparations is the best you can to do keep it all from becoming overwhelming. If you are moving into an apartment for the first time, here are five things you should be aware of before you move any boxes.
1) Don’t be Afraid to Ask Questions before signing anything.
A lease is a legal, binding agreement between you and your landlord. At times, the language can get confusing and the terms might not make sense. Or, maybe, you notice something in the contract that concerns you after you review it. Perhaps you see something in the initial walk-through that you would like 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 issues at a later date because you were not clear about something from the start and never asked for an explanation.
Landlordology has a good list of questions to ask your landlord ahead of 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, prior to moving your belongings in.
On moving day in El Paso, before you get caught up in the whirlwind of moving in everything you own, ask the landlord to do a once-over of the apartment to inspect for damages or any other pre-existing issues that might have gone unnoticed when they were readying it for you. This is a good idea for multiple reasons. The first is so that you both can see what is going on without the clutter of furniture and boxes. The second reason is that once you move your possessions in, your landlord can contend that they have no way to know for sure the problem was there prior to your arrival. If the damage can be blamed on you instead of the previous occupant, the cost of repairs will possibly come out of your deposit when you get ready to move somewhere else. Depending on what that cost is and the terms of your lease, you might not get any money back.
3) Ask for help.
Part of being a grown-up is being independent, but part of it is also recognizing when you cannot do something alone and need to ask for support. In regards to moving, you will always need help - with carrying boxes and setting up 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, see if they can do it for you. Be sure they know what information you need beforehand.
4) CLEAN before unpacking.
Generally, renters are tasked to make sure an apartment is clean and in fair condition before they vacate, and most landlords will give the apartment a more thorough cleaning between renters. However, every now and then, an apartment sits vacant for a little while or things get missed. Then, there is the mess that happens when you move in. Cleaning up before you unpack will help you catch what might have been missed. It will also familiarize you with the area 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 others while moving items in.
When you are in the middle of moving in, it is easier to look for convenient ways to get your possessions into your apartment. Unfortunately, the most convenient [methods|ways]166] to do so can make it a hassle for your neighbors to come and go as they are used to and give them the wrong first impression of you as their neighbor. It is their community you are joining when you move in, after all. You will have an easier time assimilating with the community in El Paso if you are mindful of them from the beginning.
If you are ready to find your first apartment in El Paso, A-1 Freeman can help you every step of the way. We can handle every move, no matter how big or small. Click below to get started with your Free Estimate.
