Oh my, how exciting: you’re moving into your new home!
Perhaps you’re moving out of your parents’ house, and this is your first rented place of your own?
Or you’ve moved out of a shared rented student house or flat to get a place with your partner or friend?
Either way - and we don’t mean to be Debbie Downers or Practical Peters - but there’s some things that you need to check before popping those corks and getting your squad round for a post-lockdown housewarming.
Read on to benefit from our considerable expertise and knowledge on the rental experience…
Have You Got A Tenancy Agreement?
Yeah, OK, so this is the kind of obvious thing that your mum might nag you about until you text her with something along the lines of ‘YES MUM I’M AN ACTUAL FULL GROWN ADULT NOW THANK YOU’.
But, seriously, you won’t believe how often we hear about tenants neglecting to get an agreement in writing (something that the landlord has to provide by law) and getting stiffed somewhere down the line.
The majority of UK and Sunderland landlords are good and fair people, but - as in all walks of life - there are definitely some bad eggs out there. So, make sure you get a tenancy agreement and read it through properly before you even start thinking about moving your stuff in.
Ultimately, a rental agreement will provide you, as a tenant, with legal protection.
Get To Know The Area
Before you go leaving a deposit or even think about moving in, get to know the area.
Sure, not all of us have the luxury of picking and choosing where we live.
But wouldn’t it be awful to get stuck in an area that makes you really unhappy? And which you have to move out of in a couple of months’ time; thereby possibly losing your deposit?
Not to mention the fact that you’ll have to find a new place to live, which will probably require another deposit.
So, explore the area before you commit. Go for a coffee or something stronger near the place where you’re thinking about renting to see if it’s a nice place to spend time.
Check to see if it’s convenient for your commute. What’s the parking situation like on your road?
Plenty of essential shops nearby? Will Uber Eats deliver you a Maccy D’s there?
Is it noisy at night time? Will you be able to get plenty of all-important sleep?
What State Is The Property In?
The flat or house that you’re renting might have been in great condition when you went to see it, but the previous tenants might have had a mad month since and trashed the place.
Or, the landlord or letting agents might have covered up a few things they didn’t want you to see or notice when you came to view the property.
So, say that you’ve left a deposit, signed your tenancy agreement and it’s moving day. What should you do as soon as you get the keys? Give the place a very thorough look over and report any problems to the landlord or letting agent as soon as possible!
That mark on the wall? Take a picture and report it, or else you might end up losing part of your deposit to pay for repainting.
That leaking tap? You don’t want to have to live with that – and the landlord is obliged to sort it out at their own expense.
Boiler or plumbing in general making alarming noises? Crikey, get them to sort that before it becomes a big problem.
Have they provided you with furniture? If so, is it in a good and comfortable condition? Make sure those appliances are in full working (and safe!) order.
Check their inventory to make sure that everything they say is there - cutlery, pots and pans or what have you - is actually there, or else they might make you (wait for it…) fork out for non-existent stuff when you leave.
It’s Moving Day!
Moving out of one property into another may sound simple and hassle-free, but it’s usually a lot more stressful for many people than it probably needs to be.
You can mitigate against all that stress by getting yourself organised, though.
There’s some things that we hope you’ve done well before moving day, of course, like getting a removals company sorted or - to save you a fair few quid - asking your besties to transport stuff to your new place in their cars.
And what about that deep clean you usually have to do before letting agents will give you back your deposit? We hope you haven’t left that until the day of your move!
Have you taken your final meter readings and phoned them into the appropriate utility companies? You don’t want to end up getting a bill for heating or hot water that you haven’t actually used.
Have you arranged for your dad to come round and put your bed together in your new place or expertly fit your flatscreen TV to the wall?
Are you going to have time to do some food shopping to make sure you aren’t living off just takeaways for the foreseeable – tempting as that is, it’s 1. not good for you 2. expensive on top of all that other stuff you’ve had to shell out for just to get moved in.
You’re In! So what next?
You’re very nearly there! Just a few more slightly irksome but wholly necessary things to check off, and then you’re done.
Make sure that you’ve told the following about your change of address:
Your bank
Your employer
The council tax people
The DVLA, so that you can update your driving license
Any agencies that process any benefits you may receive
The Electoral Register
And, whatever you do, don’t forget to tell parcel delivery companies that you’ve moved and that they need to send stuff to your shiny new gaff instead. You don’t want to end up traipsing all over the place to get hold of stuff that usually gets delivered to your door.
Need Help Finding A Great Place To Live?
At Maidenscott Properties, we pride ourselves on providing excellent rental homes in Sunderland for excellent people.
Sure, lots of property rental companies might say something similar. But we really do want to give tenants fantastic places to live in Sunderland at very affordable rents.
We always put the comfort and safety of our tenants ahead of anything else. Our job - as we see it - is to provide and maintain comfortable, safe and enjoyable homes for our tenants.
All of our rental homes are decorated to a very high standard and fully furnished
All bedrooms are en-suite, to allow you privacy and comfort
Our studio rooms include kitchenettes with microwaves and fridges
All of our houses offer a communal fully-fitted kitchen and area to eat and relax in
Our properties are cleaned fortnightly
Fire alarm systems and emergency lighting are checked monthly to ensure your constant safety
Visit our Tenants page to find out more and see some of our fantastic properties and rooms in Sunderland currently available to rent.
And if you’re interested in learning more about Maidenscott and how we can help you with your rental needs, please give us a call on 0191 5460 071 or email us at info@maidenscottproperties.co.uk