3 Things to Add to Your First Apartment Inspection Checklist
Everyone says that college is the greatest time of your life – and that is 100 percent true, but when you move into your first apartment, the greatest time of your life gets a little stressful as you’re moving towards taking care of yourself. Living on campus is great, but it’s not the best, and it gets tiring after a while. With your own apartment, even if you have a roommate, you still have your own space that no one comes to check once a month (we’re talking about RA’s here). Now, while you are probably chomping at the bit to sign the lease and start moving in, there are a few things you make survey you check before signing on the dotted line.
Inspect Anything and Everything When I moved into my first apartment, I thought it was perfect – two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a giant living room separating them, not to mention the back patio that held our future washer and dryer. However, after signing the lease – my roommate and I began noticing some things that were “off,” about our first apartment. The first thing was the paint on the walls, it felt like chalk and picked up the color of anything that touched it. Then after you set your sights towards the bottom of the walls, the crown molding was legitimately molding – to the point where the wood felt like a sea sponge. Basically, the moral of this story is to check it all – floorboards, light switches, faucets, knobs on the washer and dryer, toilets, we’re literally talking about everything. When you’re looking for your first off-campus apartment, you want to look for a place like The Lofts – where they go through each apartment and make sure that the appliances are in good shape. If you choose otherwise and forget to check the walls and switches, that’s something the complex can charge you for when you move out.
Look Over The Lease Line By Line If you’re moving into your first apartment, the lease can be the deal breaker. You want to make sure that you mark down everything your rent is covering and what amenities come along with that. There are a few questions to want to look for when you’re reading through your lease,
How many parking spots does your apartment receive?
What amenities are included in rent?
What is their policy on lease termination?
Does your potential complex have quiet hours?
Are you or maintenance responsible for fixing appliances and fixtures?
What are their circumstances for being refunded your security deposit?
What is the pet policy? What is their guest policy?
Know Your Neighbors When you live in the dorms, noise complaints are handled by RA’s – well, RA’s are way more tolerable than having a visit from the police. When you move into your first apartment, there’s going to be an opportunity when you have a few too many friends over and the noise level is higher than you realize. Well, if you know your neighbors and have a good relationship with them, they are more likely to come knocking or call you themselves – rather than calling the police to do their dirty work. Think about it. Your neighbors didn’t move into the same complex as you to be interrupted by rude hooligans nor did they move it to be rude to you – so, if they feel comfortable with you, even if it’s just a simple “hello,” or “how are you?” when you s ee them, you’re much less likely to gain a record and less likely to have “those irritating neighbors that always complain.” Communication is key when trying to get your new neighbors to become comfortable around you, your roommates as well as your guests. Find out more about off-campus apartments near West Virginia University by contacting The Lofts of Morgantown at (304) 281-4412.