What To Consider When Searching For A Property To Rent
Looking for a good rental home can be overwhelming because it isn’t easy to find one that meets all your needs and expectations – so you’ll probably have to settle for something that comes close. There’s not much scope for you to modify a rental home, so you’ll need to ensure that the existing offering fits into your lifestyle. Follow these golden rules for choosing a rental home that meets your needs perfectly.
Establish a Comfortable Relationship With Your Property Manager
Before signing on the dotted line, you may want to establish a relationship with your Property Manager. It’s worth discussing with the Property Manager the owner’s expectations for the property and put forward your own expectations in the beginning to establish a cordial relationship. This is crucial for ensuring that you get a great reference from your Property Manager when you look at future rentals.
Choose Your Location Wisely
Choosing your location will depend on a couple of factors – your lifestyle, commute to work and personal preferences. Before you start looking at homes, makes a checklist to help you make your choices easier. Factors like proximity to work and connectivity will play a role in your choice. Use this checklist to help you make a wise rental decision based on the location:
Easily accessible to your workplace?
Well connected by public transport?
Close to a school for your kids?
Close to shopping facilities and retail shops for daily groceries?
Any sporting arenas, local council swimming pools and sports grounds for children?
Hospitals and healthcare centres are easily accessible?
Rental price fits in with the average rental price of the location?
Make Sure the Neighbourhood Meets Your Lifestyle Needs
Does the neighbourhood resonate with your specific lifestyle needs? For example, if you’re a young family with small kids, you may want a neighbourhood full of small kids for your children to mingle with. But if you’re retired, you may want to look for a neighbourhood with an older demographic and fewer kids for more peace and quiet.
Make Sure You Inspect the Rental Home Thoroughly
You’ll want to do a thorough inspection of the home before you decide to rent it. This ensures that you don’t end up moving into a potentially unlivable home. Use this checklist to inspect the property while you’re there:
Walls properly painted? Or are there chips and cracks that are present?
Any dampness on the walls or flooring?
Infested with any bugs or cockroaches?
Electrical wires properly concealed and in good condition?
Flooring requires repairs or replacement?
Air conditioning/heating working?
Enough storage to meet your needs?
In some cases, the landlord will offer to make the repairs if you put forward your concerns for painting, wall repairs, floor repairs, pest control, plumbing and electrical work. If you’re not comfortable with the home at all, start looking elsewhere.
Check for Safety
Safety is an important consideration, so you’ll want to ensure that the doors and windows are properly equipped with deadbolt locks and other locking mechanisms. This is especially important if you’re moving into a home with more than one access door from outside. If you’re especially concerned about safety, ask the landlord whether you can install a safety alarm, if the home doesn’t already have it.
These golden rules will help you put your best foot forward when it comes to making a decision on renting a home.
If you would like to be notified of rental homes which meet your criteria register to rent today.