It’s the end of the semester, summer is starting and the
moving trucks seem to be in the parking areas of every apartment community.
There are many ways to make your move easy and less
expensive with a little bit of planning and elbow grease. When you signed your
lease, you likely put down a security deposit and maybe a pet or cleaning
deposit that is refundable at the end of your lease. Although it can be tough
to get all of that deposit back, you can make an effort and get some of those
dollars back when you need them as you set up your next home.
If you leave your apartment a mess, where damage exceeds the
deposit, you could incur additional fees. Take a few minutes to review your
lease and check what the expectation is for how you move out and what charges
could be assessed.
There’s certainly an expectation about normal wear and tear
in a community so don’t think you have to bring everything back to its original
state. I recommend taking photos of damage so you can track what you are
charged for at the end of the lease.
Make a checklist of
what needs to be cleaned. Don’t just move room to room and clean. You’ll
miss some areas, and there’s a sense of accomplishment that checking items off
the list will give you.
Consider hiring a
professional cleaner. Your apartment-management company will likely charge
you for this additional cleaning and you may save some money by doing the work
yourself or hiring a professional team. The cleaning checklist will help the
professionals hit the most important areas.
Make simple repairs
before you leave. If there are holes in the walls, patch them. Don’t try to
fix the leaking plumbing, though; leave that for a professional or the manager
to repair. Be sure to let them know about anything that needs fixed.