Moving tips and tricks
Moving homes isn’t always easy and a lot can go into one decision. Tristan Lewis has moved to a completely different state three times.
After he graduated from Fresno State with a degree in broadcast journalism, he made the jump to Idaho Falls, Idaho to begin his career as a reporter and multiskilled journalist.
From there he made the jump to College Station, Texas and lived there for a year and a half before moving to Boise, Idaho.
After his multiple moves, Lewis has learned what to look for while moving, and what is most important to him. “Where the good parts of town are, where the affordable parts of town were, you want to live close to things,” shared Lewis.
When you’re moving to a new town or state, research is especially important. Property manager Barbara Godrey explained, “The city website for crime stats will tell you what kind of incidents are happening, and how often, and what areas. Which is really good to know.”
If you’re moving within the same town, Godfrey shared another way to look into the location, “Drive by the house at different times of day, you know on a weekend night drive around to see if it looks comfortable to you.”
Most websites let you check off boxes of what you need or want in your new home to narrow down the results. For some, you don’t have to be there to get a tour.
“A lot of apartment leasing offices were doing virtual tours, and they had stuff online that you could do,” said Lewis.
Along with check boxes, there is often a map to compare to the locations you want.
One checkbox may include pets. Make sure new homes you’re looking into will allow your pets to go with you.
If they do allow pets, there may be some extra steps. “It’s very usual now that there’s a pet deposit as well as a pet rent,” explained Godfrey. “It’s like $250 maybe as much as $500 for the animal, and then like a $30 to maybe $45 a month rent for that pet.”
There also may be limits to your animal. Some places only allow a certain number of pets and have a weight limit.
Some places have other limitations. “I know some apartment complexes only allow ESA’s [Emotional Support Animals],” said Elaine Covarrubias, an apartment property manager.
If you do have an emotional support animal, there is an added benefit. “When somebody brings up they have an emotional support animal, there’s no money charged. It’s really treated like a person,” Godfrey stated.
Another tip: read the reviews of potential homes to learn about other people’s experiences. Make sure that the landlord is someone you can work with and count on.
“Having a good staff in an apartment complex is key, because life is going to be a lot more great if you have a sense of community, home and security,” Covarrubias explained.
She shared an easy way to do this, “Check out their social media pages that is also a great way. And that is also one thing that is key because if you see their social media you can see how their community acts.”
Once you decide on a new place, there are more things to know. “Ask them if it’s been re-keyed, you know just for your safety,” Godfrey said. “Legally it should be re-keyed between any change of tenancy.”
She also shared the importance of taking pictures the day you move in. “Walk through every room and take a general picture, and especially if there’s anything like the screens are broken or if the door jamb is all scratched up from a dog.”
That way you have proof when you move out that those were already there when you moved in, and you can get your deposit back. Godfrey says to make sure you time stamp the pictures for proof that it happened before you.