So, the world might be vast, but not all of us are lucky enough to own our own house.
Some of us have to rent it out, but that’s not too bad of a deal if you can avoid some basic mistakes that comes with leasing a rental.
If you’re looking for a rental home and want to avoid some basic mistakes that come with the complexities of renting, you can make a checklist of these 8 mistakes that you must avoid at all costs.
Let’s take a look:
1. Not scrutinizing the black-and-white
The very first thing you must always do while curating an agreement for a rental home is to carefully scrutinize the print.
More often than not, there are some major details that can go overlooked in the lease agreement if you simply glance over it before signing.
Some of them include whether you’d have to pay the cost of your own utilities, repairs, and even when you can expect a certain percentage of increment in the rent.
There could also be some rules regarding pets or vehicles that could cause problems later on.
Therefore, always browse thoroughly through the fine print before signing the agreement.
2. Documenting the existing damage
Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash
Very few rental homes are completely perfect and most of them have at least a few downtrodden elements that might be blamed on you when it’s time to renew the lease.
For example, an already existing crack in the wall or a malfunctioning toilet may be put on your charge by the owner.
Therefore, you should do a thorough look-through of the house and document anything that might be blamed on you in the future in either an Excel or Microsoft Word file.
You can share this with the owner via e-mail or hardcopy so they actually know what was wrong with their property before you moved in.
3. Do research on the rental agency or owner leasing the property
With renting on the rise in Australia, many people are putting their houses up for renters.
However, not all of them are good or accommodating people.
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
This stands even more true for rental agencies who’re looking to make quick profits.
This is why you must do thorough research on your rental agency, where you’re moving and what kind of a owner you’ll be dealing with in the future.
People may seem completely fine and friendly on the outside, but you never know what may lie beneath the surface.
So, it’s best that you do some research before signing the lease.
You could also check with previous tenants or ask around the neighbourhood for good measure.
4. Scoping out the neighbourhood
Doing good research on the pros and cons of the neighbourhood your rental is located in is only given.
This will define how easy or hard your life is going to be once you move in.
You have to check whether there’s good public transport in the area if you commute to work that way.
You also have to check if the neighbourhood is safe if you’re moving in with family.
You must also scope out the quality of the educational institutions of the area if you’re moving in with growing children.
Remember: a good neighbourhood means an easier future and vice versa, so make the effort!
5. Giving up or storing away your belongings
Photo by ErdaEstremera on Unsplash
You’ll notice that your house will be in total chaos during the moving process.
You’ll end up finding possessions that you’d either forgotten or ended up giving up on ever finding a long time ago.
This means you’ll have way too much stuff and you’d either have to store some of it away or give many things up before moving.
The choice is always hard between what to keep and what to leave behind, so take your time and do an extensive inventory of your belongings.
It will help you settle down better in the new rental.
6. Don’t forget to take out insurance
Owners in Australia usually have insurance on their property, but this does not cover a tenant’s belongings.
This is why renter’s insurance is so important.
Do note that you don’t need a full property insurance – just a policy for your belongings.
If you have this, you won’t have to suffer large losses in case of burst plumbing, theft, or anything else.
The good news is that this particular insurance policy is relatively cheaper, so you’ll only have to invest a few hundred dollars a year.
7. Go through your contract with the moving company
It contains all the nitty-gritty of when, where, and at what time you’ll be moving.
It also specifies the number of movers and the time-frame of your entire move.
You’d have to keep a close watch on this bill both before and during the moving process.
It can keep you on schedule and resolve any issues you face with the moving company.
8. Taking care of the small details
You’ll never know how important and helpful small details can be while moving to a new rental property.
These include taking measurements of the space and making sure your existing furniture can be put inside it.
It also includes labelling all your boxes before making the move so that you’ll have an easier time unpacking.
You can also ensure if there’s enough storage room for your miscellaneous belongings or if you’ll need to set up clothes stands and shelves to fit everything in.
So, this is everything that’ll help you avoid making any mistakes once its time to move to a new rental property.
We hope this list becomes your benchmark on how to avoid falling into both expected and unexpected trappings of the move.
Guset Expert: Renee Wainwright is the gobox Mobile Storage Manager whose years of experience in the industry allow her to provide customised and tailored mobile storage solutions to suit residential, business and corporate customer’s storage and moving needs.