Looking for and moving into your first apartment in Tulsa and Oklahoma City is an electrifying, sometimes crazy, and always chaotic time. Preparing is one of the best things 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 the first box.
1) Don’t be Afraid to Ask Questions before signing the lease.
A lease is a legal, binding record between you and your landlord. Sometimes, the language can seen complicated and the terms might not be clear. Or, maybe, you notice verbiage in the contract that concerns you after you scrutinize it. Perhaps you see something in the initial walk-through that you need to know more about. Whatever your question is, do not hesitate 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 puzzled about something in the beginning and never asked for clarification.
Landlordology has a worthy of review 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 anything in.
On moving day in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, before you get caught up in the nuttiness of moving in all of your furnishings, see if you can get the landlord to do a once-over of the apartment to check for damages or any other pre-existing issues that might have been overlooked when they were prepping it for you. This is a good idea for multiple reasons. The first is so that you both can understand what is going on without the jumble 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 before you arrived. If a finger can be pointed at you for the damage instead of the previous occupant, 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 growing up 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 moving boxes and putting together 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 inspection before you move in, see if they can do it for you. Be sure they are aware of what information to seek out beforehand.
4) CLEAN before unpacking.
Generally speaking, renters are tasked to make sure an apartment is tidy and in acceptable condition before they move out, and most landlords will give the apartment a more thorough cleaning between renters. However, every now and then, an apartment sits empty for some time or things get overlooked. Then, there is the disarray that can happen when you move in. Cleaning up before you unpack will help you find what might have been overlooked. It will also familiarize you with the area you have and give you a better feeling for 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 possessions 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 are accustomed 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 becoming a part of the community in Tulsa and Oklahoma City if you are mindful of them from the onset.
If you are ready to find your first apartment in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, 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.
