Looking for and moving into your first apartment in Little Rock is an electrifying, sometimes crazy, and always hectic experience. Planning is the best you can to do keep things from becoming mind-boggling. If you are moving into an apartment for the first time, here is a list of 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 be bewildering and the terms might not be clear. Or, maybe, you notice verbiage in the contract that bothers you after you read through it. Possibly you see something in the initial walk-through that you need to know more about. Whatever your question is, do not be afraid 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 confused about something in the beginning and never asked for an explanation.
Landlordology has a worthy of review 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 walk-through of the apartment with the landlord, if possible, ahead of moving your stuff in.
On the day you plan to move in Little Rock, before you get occupied with the whirlwind of moving in everything you own, ask the landlord to do a once-over of the apartment to look for damages or any other pre-existing issues that might have been overlooked when they were preparing it for your move-in date. This is a good idea for multiple 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 argue that they have no way to know for sure the matter was there prior to your arrival. If the damage can be blamed on you instead of the previous renter, the cost of repairs will most likely 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 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 support. When it comes to moving, you will always need help - with lugging 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, make arrangements to have them do it for you. Be sure they understand what information to gather beforehand.
4) CLEAN before unpacking.
Generally speaking, renters are supposed to make sure an apartment is cleaned up and in fair condition before they move out, and most landlords will give the apartment a more thorough cleaning between renters. However, occasionally, an apartment sits empty for weeks or months or things get overlooked. Then, there is the mess that can happen when you move in. Cleaning up before you unpack will help you give attention to what might have been neglected. It will also familiarize you with the space 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 your neighbors 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 stuff 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 need to and give them the wrong initial 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 Little Rock if you are mindful of them from the beginning.
If you are ready to find your first apartment in Little Rock, A-1 Freeman can help you every step of the way. We can handle every move, no matter the size. Click below to get started with your Free Estimate.
