Tag: Rental Properties

Make Moving Out A Breeze With These 10 Handy Tips

MovingBoxes

 

Moving on is so hard to do… but moving out doesn’t have to be! Stick to these tips to save yourself a headache come moving time.

#1 – Have Lots of Packing Supplies

Moving out requires boxes, packing tapes, bubble wrap, labels, pens, and more. Plan ahead for the move and stock up with more supplies than you need, or you’ll find yourself running back and forth constantly to stock up. 

#2 – Make a List

Did you remember to pack that special item that means so much to you? Which box did you put that cable in? By keeping an organized list as you’re packing you’ll be doing Future You a huge favor come unpacking time.

#3 – Keep Things Together

Resist the urge to toss random items into one box! Keep kitchen item together, bathroom items together, and so forth. This extends to moving day, see if you friends or movers can move the boxes that belong together at the same time.

#4 – Color Coordinate

Having a color system will make aforementioned organization much easier for packing, moving, and unpacking. Separate the rooms 

#5 – Use Wardrobe Boxes

Moving companies will often bring vertical moving boxes for you to transfer your clothes and clothes-hangers too. 

#6 – Valuable? Keep it with you

Avoid putting valuable jewelry in moving boxes if you can’t afford to lose it. This tip also extends to important papers, be sure to keep them close at hand. Don’t tempt fate!

#7 – Clean What You Can Ahead of Time

You’re going to need to clean before returning your apartment/home, but you can get started with cleaning now!

#8 – Pack an Overnight Bag

Chances are at the end of moving day you’ll be too tired to unpack boxes and find your toiletries and supplies. Pack an overnight bag with some toiletries and a change of clothes to give yourself a little breathing room before you need to unpack.

 #9 – Change Your Address Before Moving

Don’t wait until the last minute! It’s recommended you do this at least two weeks before moving.

#10 – Don’t Shop For Groceries On Your Last Week

Ideally you’ll be able to eat all the food in your fridge right in time for moving day and avoid having to throw anything out.

 

photo credit: moving house via photopin (license)

Your Stuff is Worth More than You Think! Get Renters Insurance!

medium_1449898420

It doesn’t matter where you live, your personal belongings are important and losing them could be devastating. The responsibility for protecting all your belongings is yours — along with the cost of replacing them if disaster strikes.

If you don’t have renters insurance, you are betting against an unforeseen circumstance happening to you: a fire, theft, vandalism, water damage, a natural disaster, or worse. Is that a wager you can afford to lose?

Too many people forgo renters insurance because they think their stuff isn’t worth much. This is not the wisest choice because

a) renters insurance is usually very affordable
b) you stuff is worth a lot more than you might think

According to USAA.com, “the average renter has more than $20,000 in personal belongings. Just think about how much it would cost to replace your clothing, books, furniture, laptop computer, flat-screen TV, bicycle, smartphone and everything else you’ve accumulated over the years.”

Renters insurance differs from company to company, so make sure you compare benefits before buying.  If you already have insurance for your vehicle, start with that company and request information.

Some key features to look for (source: USAA.com):

Replacement cost coverage. This provides enough money to buy a new item to replace the one you’ve lost. That’s better than a policy that only covers an item’s actual cash value. For example, if your 10-year-old TV is destroyed, a replacement cost policy would cover the price of a brand-new set. An actual cash value plan would only give you what the TV was worth at the time it was destroyed.

Protection against severe weather and other events. Make sure your policy not only covers property damaged or destroyed by fire but also by flooding, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

Coverage of items in your car. The policy should pay for personal items if they are stolen from your vehicle.

Living expenses if forced to move. If damage to your apartment or rental property requires you to temporarily live elsewhere, renters insurance will reimburse your living expenses.

Medical expense coverage. This helps reimburse guests for medical expenses related to injuries that happen at your place.

Liability insurance. If an injured guest sues you, liability coverage can help with legal bills and will pay damages if you’re found liable for them.

Visit the U of O’s Off-Campus Student Resources and Programs page for more resources.

photo credit: Sakurako Kitsa via photopin cc

5 Tips for Getting Your Security Deposit Back

Getting your security deposit back is a legitimate concern for a lot of renters. Aside from the typical cleaning, there are some key factors that renters should know about to protect themselves and their money.

1. Document and Notify
First time renters often feel uneasy about taking pictures or otherwise documenting issues with the rental when they first move in. Please understand that WE WILL NOT BE OFFENDED if you photograph or videotape and bring to our attention any issues that are going on inside the house either before moving in or during your lease period. We understand that problems arise, and it is better to be on the same page from beginning to end. Developing a mutual understanding of what you may be responsible for is an essential part of any lessee/lessor relationship. In fact, we give two full weeks from the time you move in to notify us of any issues with the rental. We can decide together whether it is something that needs to be fixed or just noted on the agreement so that you are not responsible.

2. Ongoing Care
Try not to wait until the last week to fix everything that may be broken in the house, and don’t rely on a cleaning service to fix things that are better treated as preventative measures in the first place. Treating things like regular cleaning, landscaping, and simple maintenance as ongoing responsibilities is the best way to ensure that the rental will be in good condition when you move out.

3. Do the Walk-Through
At the end of the lease, the hands-down safest bet for getting back the security deposit is to do a walk-through. We will discuss problem areas and give the renter the opportunity to correct any issues, or quote a price for a third party to do so. The typical rate for cleaning from our cleaners is around $30/hour. We can tell you approximately how long we think it will take, and work with you to find the best solution for everyone. We highly recommend scheduling this walk through a week in advance of the end of the lease to ensure a time that works best for your schedule.

4. Prepare for the Unavoidable
It is our practice to clean the carpets and drapes between each renter. This is unfortunately a cost that cannot be avoided, no matter how strict your “No Shoes” policy. However, the good news is, like our cleaning service, we have agreements with carpet cleaners in town that are typically half of what a renter might pay on their own.

5. Watch Out For
We’ve seen it all, but there are a few things we see more often than others – dirty or broken light fixtures, dirty window tracks, and broken towel bars are some of the most frequent issues that we come across.

We Want You to Be Happy
Ultimately, we want our renters to be happy with their home. If you feel that you are not being treated fairly, or that the rental is not up to par, we want to know about it. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have. We have a variety of avenues for our renters to reach us – you can use the Contact Us page of our website, Facebook Page, or call us directly.