Finding and moving into your first apartment in Atlanta is an exciting, sometimes crazy, and generally chaotic experience. Making preparations is one of the best things you can to do keep things from becoming mind-boggling. If you are moving into your first apartment, here are five things you should be aware of before you move any boxes.
1) Ask questions before signing anything.
A lease is a legal, binding document between you and your landlord. Sometimes, the language can get confusing and the terms might not be understandable. Or, maybe, you notice something in the contract that bothers you after you read through 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 in the beginning and never asked for an explanation.
Landlordology has a great list of questions to ask your landlord prior to signing your lease - 20 Revealing Questions that Every Renter Should Ask (from a Landlord's Perspective).
2) Do a once-over of the apartment with the landlord, if possible, before moving anything in.
On move-in day in Atlanta, before you get caught up in the nuttiness of moving in all of your furnishings, ask the landlord to do a walk-through of the apartment to inspect for damages or any other pre-existing issues that might have been missed when they were readying it for you. This is a brilliant idea for two reasons. The first is so that you both can see what is going on without the disarray of furniture and boxes. The second reason is that once you move your stuff 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 renter, the cost of repairs will likely come out of your deposit when you get ready to move away. Depending on what that cost is and the terms of your lease, you might not get anything 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 help. In regards to moving, you will always need help - with moving boxes and assembling 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 know what information to seek out beforehand.
4) CLEAN before unpacking.
Usually, renters are supposed to make sure an apartment is clean and in acceptable 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 uninhabited for some time or things get missed. Also, there is the disarray that can happen when you move in. Cleaning up before you unpack will help you catch what might have been overlooked. It will also familiarize you with the layout 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 time-saving 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 accustomed to and give them the wrong initial impression of you as a person. It is their community you are joining when you move in, after all. You will have an easier time assimilating with the community in Atlanta if you are considerate of them from the beginning.
If you are ready to find your first apartment in Atlanta, A-1 Freeman can help you from start to finish. We can handle every move, no matter the size. Click below to get started with your Free Estimate.
