Tasks that need to be completed before moving out

Before you leave the apartment and turn in the keys to your landlord, make sure that following tasks are taken care of:

– Cancel or transfer your utilities to a new apartment. Have cable, internet and other services turned off at your old apartment and set up at your new home before your arrival. Arrange it in advance, so that you will have all utilities installed right on time when you need them.

– Wash your clothes before you start packing. Doing laundry shouldn’t be one of the tasks awaiting to be completed once you reach the new home, because there are probably more urgent ones. Have clean clothes on hand and avoid packing dirty laundry, because after some time you might not be able to remember which clothes are clean and which are not.

– Change the address. Let all third party services, post office, bank, magazine subscriptions know your new address, so that your mail will be forwarded to your new home.

– Check the storage space Double-check the storage area in case there is something that you overlooked and forgot to pack. After removing all your belongings, sweep it out. – Get rid of all unused items and take out the trash. Instead of throwing the old items away, find more suitable way to dispose of your belongings. If there are some recyclable items, take them to the nearest recycling center and make your move more eco-friendly.

– Clean the apartment and leave it spotless.

– Repair damaged items otherwise you will be charged for them.

– Clean windows carefully, paint the walls if needed or agreed in the lease, wipe down the doors, clean the floor under all appliances, especially in the kitchen where may be food crumbs and stains. Remove the appliances and clean them thoroughly. The fridge and stove will probably require special attention. Clean the cabinets, drawers and counters as well. – Tidy garden and rake the lawn if needed.

– Collect all the keys to your apartment, even spare ones and give them to your landlord.

Moving preparation are usually really stressful and overwhelming. If you can afford it, hire professional cleaners to do the job for you, because pre-move-out cleaning may take up to few days. Sometimes spending some extra money isn’t worth the time you could spend on cleaning, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, washing,… so consider hiring professional assistance. While professionals are doing that for you, you can take care of some other moving issues.

How to get your security deposit back?

Although you probably can’t wait to reach your new home and settle down, there is a whole list of things that need to be done in your old apartment before you move out. Everyone is counting on getting the security deposit back, but what does it take to have that money refunded?

Tenants happen to take security deposit for granted. They expect it to be refunded once they move out, but this is not always the case. There are some things to discuss with your landlord before moving out, so don’t hesitate to ask as many questions as you can think of in order to clarify each aspect of the lease.

The first step towards getting your security deposit back is to clean the apartment and leave it just like it was when you moved in. Take a look at the lease once again and check what is expected of you when you move out. Also, check which charges are refundable and which are not. If your landlord is an honest person and you have maintained the apartment properly, you two will reach an agreement easily. Also, establish when you will have to turn in the keys and when you can expect the security deposit refunded.