Panama City Rentals and Property Management

Renter tips and tricks

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Moving tips

When preparing to move to a new home, apartment or condo pre-planning can be the difference between a smooth easy transition and a fiasco.

Here are some moving tips and tricks to help make your move as simple and trouble free as possible.

Moving yourself or hire a company

The first item to decide is whether you will move by yourself or hire a moving company. There are various issues concern decision such as:

Your age and physical ability
Distance of move (long or short distance)
Availability of friends/relatives to help

Start out obtaining a free moving quote from several moving companies. If the price is not restrictive, this may be the most convenient way to move. Doing it alone, you may end up breaking valuable or may take you a lot longer than you think.

Consequently, you can always ask for help from friends and relatives to decrease the cost of the move.

Packing

Collect boxes in advance. Boxes stack very well and can be found at local department stores, supermarkets etc. Avoid stuffing clothes in plastic bags as they don't stack well and if your belongings are to be stored for any length of time, they may collect mold and mildew.

Start filling boxes with things you won't need right away like winter clothes. Think about what you are going to need first when packing. Always pack first in, last out.

Label all boxes. Write what room the box belongs in and any special contents.

Decide where boxes furniture and boxes will be placed before you move items in. This saves time and less of your posessions will get broken during the move.

Cleaning

Leave plenty of time to clean your old place. Leaving a vacated home clean and ready to rent will provide you several long term benefits:

If you leave a place ready to rent and the landlord does not have to clean, you are assured of getting the maximum return on your security deposit.
Leaving a place ready to rent also provides for good landlord/tenant relationships. Landlords with tenants who leave a place ready to rent are much more inclined to offer a testimonial to your new landlord. Not to mention if you ever decide to purchase a home, many lenders will contact your previous landlords to find out what kind of tenant you were: did the pay on time, was the unit kept clean and free of debris etc.

Expect to do some cleaning in the new unit to the point you are comfortable. Even if a landlord hires a cleaning company when a tenant vacates, it doesn't necessarily mean it will be 'clean enough' for you.

Painting

Expect to do some minor repairs & painting in your new place. Ask the landlord if it is ok to paint rooms in your new house or apartment. Many times there is no time between tenants that it becomes difficult to paint a unit.

Most landlords will paint a unit between tenants white due to budget and viewability. If you want to change the color to something more personally appealing, try negotiating with the landlord by agreeing to paint if the landlord buys the paint.

Often landlords will permit this if they can approve the colors before hand and the selected colors are neutral. If you think a landlord is going to allow you to paint walls bright or dark colors, expect to have trouble with your landlord.

Bright/dark colors are very difficult to cover and take several coats of paint. However, if must have bright/dark colors negotiate with your new landlord by offering an increased security deposit and agreeing in writing to paint the unit back to its original color. This may sway the landlord to permit extreme colors, but I wouldn't count on it.

Moving in

Prior to moving in and usually at lease signing, it is advised you do a thorough walkthrough of the property.

All problems or issues should be in writing and presented to the landlord. Keep a copy for yourself until you move out.

Consult with your landlord whether there is storage for your extra belongings. If not, you may need to rent a temporary storage unit nearby.

Fill out a change of address at your post office to ensure all mail is forwarded to your new address. Many renters fail to follow through with this simple step and often times miss important bills or other correspondance.

Check with your landlord regarding placing your name(s) on the mailbox so the mailman knows who lives in your unit.

Costs of Moving

If moving to a new area, you may need to open a new bank account.

Always pay your rent on time or early. Get in the habit of paying it on time the 1st few months and then it will be easy. This one tip has the potential to help your future more then any other. Landlords often report late rent payments to credit companies which will damage your credity history.

Even if you are not thinking about a home now, through out your life your credit rating effects everything you do: from buying new furniture or appliances, cars and eventually your own home. Build your credit now while it is easy.

When leaving for a vacation or holiday make sure you arrange payment of rent while you are gone to avoid late fees and fines. If you won't be around, let your landlord know. Many landlords will have someone check your unit while you are away for security purposes. Likewise, if you have some watching your home, let the landlord know!

If you rent on a short term basis from colder climates during winter months, lower the heat to avoid wasting money. Avoid turning off the heat altogether or your pipes may freeze.

Ask the landlord for information on the average utility costs. Expect to pay a little more until you have lived there for a few months and have adjusted to your new surrounding.

Responsibility

When you report a problem to the landlord, do so in a timely manner. Failure to report a small problem can often escalate into a major disaster if left unrepaired. This may place you as the responsible party for failure to report a repair and can get very expensive!

When reporting repairs, depending on the severity of the repair; landlords may not be able to respond the same day. However, emergency repairs such as water leaks, A/C (in warm climates) and heat (cold climates) will most likely be addressed rapdily.

Obtain a list in advance of items you will be responsible for repairing. Items such as light bulbs, broken windows, holes in walls are typically tenant costs. With your landlords permission and if you are capable, try to do some of the repairs yourself to save money.

Obtain local information from your landlord regarding: utilities, phones, internet connection, cable/satellite TV etc. in advance so you can have all your utilities established when you move in.

Other household tips

Place a basket or table near your entrance for mail, keys etc. to avoid losing or misplacing items. Specially if you have roommates.

Never mislead your landlord on how many people are living in the home. City inspectors typically inspect rental properties and will evict residents if there are too many people for the property. Likewise, trying to deceive a landlord will not help your long term goals for referrals.

Put out the garbage and recycling on the correct days. Don't stockpile them or you will get rodents, insects and other nastiness. The landlord should have a schedule for when trash is picked up or you can call the local waste management company.

If your garbage or recycling is not picked up, bring it back to the house. Cities and towns often ticket for garbage out on a non-collection day.

Renters insurance

An often overlooked and misunderstood item by renters is renters insurance. The perception is that: it's too expensive and the landlords insurance will cover your personal property.

This could not be further from the truth.

Renters insurance is actually one of the least expensive ways to protect your belongings and personal property. Rates can be as low as $100.00 per year (depending on the amount of coverage).

Landlords insurance only protects the structure and the landlord. Example: If you have a water leak and water damages the unit as well as your personal property, the insurance will only cover the unit for the landlord. Your property will have to be replaced/repaired as an expense to you!

Play it safe and obtain affordable renters insurance for your personal property. It will provide you peace of mind knowing you are protected from unforeseen issues that may arise.

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Panama City Rentals and Property Management
2110 W. 23rd Street, Suite A. Panama City Fl 32405
Direct: (850) 774-6582
Office: (850) 392-1700
Fax: (850) 522-3967