There’s no two ways about it. Moving into your first apartment is exciting. Finally having your own space and complete freedom is something every twenty-something looks forward to. From becoming an interior designer for the day to hosting your first house-warming—there’s a lot to look forward to.
But along with all these exciting firsts comes a few things that are important to get right. You want your first experiences in your new apartment to be good ones, so it’s worth knowing a few tips that will help you on your way.
Manage your finances
Moving into an apartment isn’t something that comes cheap. And it’s not just the rent you need to worry about. There’s likely to be a hefty (and upfront) deposit, not to mention decorating and furnishing.
To stay high and dry, it’s worth checking out our money saving tips – and saving up the first few months’ rent in advance of your move in date. It might be frustrating at the time, when you’re still living with flatmates or your parents and know you have the money not to, but in the long run it’s the sensible thing to do.
Once you’re in your contract, there’s no going back. So, just in case you have any unexpected outgoings to factor in, having your rent money saved a few months in advance will be a blessing you’ll thank yourself for.
Explore the surroundings
We can’t stress the importance of this tip enough. There’s nothing worse than moving into the apartment of your dreams, getting a great deal and then realising exactly why the place was the price it is (hint: it’s the area).
It’s vital that you feel safe and comfortable in your home, and a lot of this is determined by location. So, before you go making any offers and signing any contracts, make sure you get to know the area really well. Inside out in fact. You need to know where the closest shop is, the transport on offer and what the area is like as all times of day and night.
Trust us, you’ll feel a lot better about paying for somewhere to live if you like the location. This tip really is a no brainer. Location is just as important as the apartment itself, and you wouldn’t say ‘yes!’ to that without checking it out first, would you?
Talk to your landlord or agent
Strictly speaking, the landlord or your agent is your main point of contact for anything to do with your new apartment. It’s their job to make sure you’re happy with where you’re living and feel 100% ‘at home’ there.
So, if something’s not quite right, speak to them. Some landlords re-decorate after every tenant so, you never know, by making contact early enough you might even get a say in the paint colours and flooring.
Generally, the landlord or the last tenant is supposed to paint the entire house, clean it and give it to you as new as possible. So ensure to check up on your landlord about when the apartment will be ready after all these works, making the house feel even more like your home.
Setup your utilities ahead of time
Some landlords will provide their own connections for water, gas, internet and electricity, but in some places you will need to set those things up yourself. It’s best to inquire and get the details from the landlord and call the utility companies to set it up before you move in, especially when it comes to the basics like water, electricity and gas. You can set up the other things like internet and cable a few days after you move in too.
By setting up all your utility providers in advance, everything will be ready to go for move-in day, alleviating stress on the day and reducing the risk of being charged standard rates by the previous provider.
Make your house a home
Even if you’re on a tight budget you’ll need to spend some money on basic furnishings like a bed and chairs. You can visit the local second-hand furniture shops in the area or search for items on online for sale sites like eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree to get good quality furniture at cheap prices.
Sometimes, when relatives hear that you are moving into a new apartment all on your own, they may offer to give you some old furniture for free. No matter the style, as long as these offerings are reasonable quality, take them. You’d be surprised how handy they might turn out to be in the future. What’s more, upcycling donated items can save you a considerable amount of money and mean our house is full of one-of-a-kind pieces.
Change your address
This is a bit of a tedious one, but nonetheless it has to be done. Changing your address with everything from your doctor’s surgery to your Amazon account is a vital and inevitable part of moving house.
To prevent the stress of accidentally getting a delivery to your old address, make sure that this task is high on your priority list when you move in. Oh, and make sure you let your friends and family know you’ve moved too!
Hire a removal service
Moving house is tough for anyone. You might think you don’t have much to move, but once you start pulling it out and packing it up, you’ll soon realise there’s more to do than you anticipated.
One way to reduce the stress of the moving process (and save you a pretty tough job) is to hire a professional removal service.
Not only will this save you countless trips to and from your old house with five or six boxes at a time, but it’ll also save you a lot of time and stress.
Yes, hiring a removal company will cost you money, but honestly, they’re worth it. If you haven’t got lots of help and a transit van to hand, hiring a removal company is something you won’t regret.