Advice for First Time Renters: By Jonathan Broekman
Category Buying & Selling Tips
Moving out of your parents’ home is an exciting time in any young person’s life. You get a feeling of independence, responsibility, and freedom. However, it can also be a frightening time, especially if you don’t know what you need to do in order to go through the process of renting your first house. Here is my advice for first-time renters.
The first thing you will need to do is research the property properly. Is the flat, apartment, or house you’ll be renting in the right area for you. Is it close enough to where you will be working or attending university, is it close enough to shops so you can get everything you need on a daily or weekly basis? You will also need to determine if you can afford the property, the monthly rent and whether or not that excludes water and electricity.
Once you’ve researched the property you’re looking at staying in and determined whether or not you can afford the monthly rent, you will need to get the deposit together. The deposit is very important in securing the property; otherwise, you may lose it to another potential renter. Once you’ve found the property you would like to live, make sure you have the full deposit.
Don’t sign anything before you’ve looked at the property properly, read through the lease with a fine tooth comb, and have learned about the neighbours. The lease may have some clauses which may not sit right with you, the neighbours may be loud when you want to live in a peaceful home or have their own requirements for neighbours. For example, if they have children, it may be loud during the day and they’ll ask you to be quiet at a certain time when the kids go to bed. Once you’ve signed the lease, which is usually a year long, you’ll be living there for a while so you want to make sure you happy with every aspect of the property you’ll be renting.
The last piece of advice I have for you is to keep a folder for the property you’ll be renting. Have the lease inside for easy access, a record of all the damage in and around the property that was there before you moved in so you can’t be held responsible when you leave, and anything you bought for the property and any repairs to major appliances that you paid for, such as the stove, electrical work or plumbing.
Renting your first place is a big step; it is exciting and a wonderful milestone to reach. With this advice, you’ll be able to have a smooth transition and fly from the nest without much difficulty. Remember to enjoy your new home.
Author: Lillian Rencken
