We all know the fees associated with renting. Such as pet deposits, Security deposits, background check fees, the list goes on. So here are somethings you need to know when you move in, to make the "move out" smooth!
1: When you initially do a walk-thru of your home, nit pick. I'm serious. Every little thing you find wrong before you move in, make sure they are writing that shit down! Normally they will give you a week or even 30 days to report anything that's wrong that you didn't notice before. A HUGE thing to examine is the carpet or floors. If they are dirty, make sure they note it. And speak up, too!! If you see something and don't say something, they will charge you later for it and blame it on you!
2: Don't have pets. . . I know, this is super hard. For me, it's impossible. But even if your pets are house broken and don't piss on the floor, you will likely to get charged for replacing the carpet or paying for services to clean the carpet to get "pet stains" out. Even if you pay a pet deposit, it doesn't always cover it. You end up saving money in the long run. . .
3: If they give you a cleaning checklist, FOLLOW IT!! More than likely, these are areas of the most attention and they will be keeping their eyes out! They want your money, and to be completely fair, it's not exactly cheep to hire a cleaning service. So. . If you want them to not charge you as much, make sure you clean for top to bottom, and then some. They will more than likely be impresses with how well it's cleaned and not notice the nail polish that was spilled on the floor in the hallway closet. . .hehe. Make sure you go through that list step by step and work on one item at a time! It also helps to have your house smell really yummy during the inspection, so spray a fabric freshener on your carpets and maybe one of those plug-in oil warmers!
4: If anything in the home needs to be replaced, do it yourself! It will end up being cheaper in the long run! Same goes for carpet cleaning. Hire a company. If you give them the receipt, they will more than likely not charge your for the carpet. . .unless it's really messed up. If your carpet is getting replace after moving out, clean the carpet yourself as a courtesy! No one wants to tear up nasty carpet!
3: If they give you a cleaning checklist, FOLLOW IT!! More than likely, these are areas of the most attention and they will be keeping their eyes out! They want your money, and to be completely fair, it's not exactly cheep to hire a cleaning service. So. . If you want them to not charge you as much, make sure you clean for top to bottom, and then some. They will more than likely be impresses with how well it's cleaned and not notice the nail polish that was spilled on the floor in the hallway closet. . .hehe. Make sure you go through that list step by step and work on one item at a time! It also helps to have your house smell really yummy during the inspection, so spray a fabric freshener on your carpets and maybe one of those plug-in oil warmers!
4: If anything in the home needs to be replaced, do it yourself! It will end up being cheaper in the long run! Same goes for carpet cleaning. Hire a company. If you give them the receipt, they will more than likely not charge your for the carpet. . .unless it's really messed up. If your carpet is getting replace after moving out, clean the carpet yourself as a courtesy! No one wants to tear up nasty carpet!
5: If you have children, send them with a baby-sitter while you clean, so it's more "hassle-free"! If you don't have a babysitter (like me) put then in a room that you haven't cleaned yet, with a bunch of toys and maybe a small t.v. and keep the door closed. It's a lot easier said then done, trust me. . .Find a sitter!
6: No matter how much the inspector is pissing you off, remain calm and kind. Losing your head will certainly not help the situation. . .they might spitefully rack on the $$$.
7: Make sure you have funds saved for any damages or move out fees. Moving isn't cheep, so it's better to be prepared for the worst, even though more-than-likely, that won't be the outcome. Better to be safe than sorry.
6: No matter how much the inspector is pissing you off, remain calm and kind. Losing your head will certainly not help the situation. . .they might spitefully rack on the $$$.
7: Make sure you have funds saved for any damages or move out fees. Moving isn't cheep, so it's better to be prepared for the worst, even though more-than-likely, that won't be the outcome. Better to be safe than sorry.
8: *MILITARY WIVES* If your spouse is deployed and you are moving (like me) make sure you are on the Spouse SOS program. They are incredibly helpful when it comes to tackling big task around the house! My husband, his friend, and my Mom's boyfriend at the time, built this shed like thing in the back of our house, Of course it had to be torn down before I moved, but I gave housing a call, asked them for help tearing it down, and they did it and hauled away the scrap wood FOR FREE! Any time you need assistance with something big like that, ask them! They will certainly understand!
9: Ask friends to help! You can have a clean up party, so the burden isn't completely on you. Crank up the tunes, and afterwords, order pizza and grab some beer! Just make sure you aren't eating and drinking in the house you just cleaned. . .;)z
10: Do a walk-thru before inspection! Walk through your house and closely examine everything on your list. If you have to second guess yourself, re-do it. Even a pre-inspection from your landlord will help! That way, you know exactly what to expect!
9: Ask friends to help! You can have a clean up party, so the burden isn't completely on you. Crank up the tunes, and afterwords, order pizza and grab some beer! Just make sure you aren't eating and drinking in the house you just cleaned. . .;)z
10: Do a walk-thru before inspection! Walk through your house and closely examine everything on your list. If you have to second guess yourself, re-do it. Even a pre-inspection from your landlord will help! That way, you know exactly what to expect!
I hope this will help some of you folks out! If you have any more questions or want to add to the list, add your comments below!
This surely has helped me. I've never lived on base and have always prefer to collect my BAH and live off post even if it meant I had to pay extra at times for housing. Good to know if I ever decide to do on post housing.
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