5 Things to Do Before Moving Out of An Apartment

Moving out can be incredibly stressful. Not only do you have to pack up everything you own, but you have transport it all to a location that could either be just across town or thousands of miles away. You might not think you have a lot of stuff, but when it comes time to move you’ll undoubtedly be faced with the reality that this couldn’t be farther from the truth. In addition, it is important to make sure that everything about your old apartment is in tip-top shape so that the landlord doesn’t find any discrepancies and then try to hold on to your deposit, which can be a bit of a nightmare. Here are 5 things to do before moving out of an apartment.

1. Patch up any holes. One of the best ways to lose your deposit is by not filling up all the random holes that were left on the walls from picture frames or appliances. The easiest way to fill up these holes is to find drywall filler or putty at your local hardware store and then carefully patch them up. With a good drywall filler, many of these holes will be virtually unnoticeable.
2. Next, make sure to paint to the walls. One of the most courteous things you can do before you leave an apartment is to paint the walls, especially if you want to cover holes, scratches, and other damages that may have occurred while you were living there. If you have painted the walls another color, it might be stipulated in your lease agreement that you must return them to their original color. So painting the walls might be a requirement.
3. Do a thorough clean. Make sure that all the carpets are clean and that all major stains are removed. You might also want to scrub down any of the countertops, stoves, baths, toilet and everything else that belongs to the apartment. If this is all a little much after a long day of packing and taping boxes, you could always hire a cleaning service to do the work for you, which could take a huge load off.
4. Hire a moving company. You might think that you can fit everything in your hybrid hatchback, but if you don’t want to end up taking multiple exhausting trips, it is recommended to contact a moving company. If you are in the New England Area, you can look up movers in Shrewsbury Massachusetts or Brattleboro New Hampshire. A good mover can usually move an entire apartment in less than a few hours.
5. Lastly, make sure that the apartment is completely empty. Not only is this a great way to make sure you aren’t forgetting anything important, but you don’t want to give the landlord any excuses to dock your deposit. Even if you leave an old appliance, your landlord could charge for a hauling service to move it and take that money right out of your deposit. So when you are moving out of an apartment, make sure not to leave anything behind.