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You’ve finally did it! You’re moving out of your parents’ house and now you’re on your own. Sounds great until you start getting ants in your kitchen and your lock comes out of your front door. There’s a lot of stuff we don’t know about living on our own until we go out and do it (maybe if we new the truth we would never move out in the first place). Here’s our guide to what to lookout for when first moving into your new place.
It’s important to know that if your landlord isn’t aware of any problems existing in your place before you move in, there’s no way to prove it wasn’t you who created the damage, and most likely the cost for repairing will be taken out of your security deposit. So before you move in, inspect and document!
Carpets should be clean, unstained, and tear free and wood/tile floors should be secure.
Paint should be nontoxic and un-chipped. Any holes from tacks or nails in the wall will be charged for so make sure there aren’t any, or cover them up when you move out with spackle.
Make sure the windows open! You could easily overlook that important detail. Windows also should not be leaky, chipped, broken, or moldy.
Flip the light switches to find out if there are serious electrical problems. If the light switch doesn’t work, check to see if there’s a bulb before complaining. Look for loose or damaged cords. Plug something into one of the outlets to test out.
Check out the thermostat – make sure it reads properly and can blow out hot and cold air and is not leaking water. Also, make sure the filters are clean and unclogged.
Check that there is a working smoke detector is every room.
Can you get hot and cold clean water? Is the water draining properly? Check the toilets as well.
Do the doors fit inside of their frame (this is a real problem in older developments) and shut securely? Do they lock?
Check that the stove and refrigerator and working properly. Make sure there is no smell of natural gas when the stove is on.
Look for animal droppings. This could indicate that there is a infestation problem. Look specifically in cracks and gaps in walls, behind the stove, and near plumbing.
Everything checks out? Then you’ve found yourself a functional new home! Congratulations and good luck in all of your adulting adventures.
