Moving to a brand new city involves lots of unknowns. There are a few expenditures, however, that many individuals overlook when they are looking at a new place.
Pay for heating
You need to always check with your new landlord about the heating and cooling costs of the new space. Some houses and apartments are heated using oil, natural gas, or hot-water heating that is not directly tied to the electricity system. Make sure the lease clearly spells out who is responsible for paying the expenses associated with heating and/or cooling the home. If you are not careful, you may find yourself stuck with a $600 bill to refill the heating oil tank in the middle of winter.
Do you get a car parking spot?
One thing that most people do not even think about is parking. Individuals assume that part of renting is having a parking spot. This is not the case for most cities with many people in it or areas where parking is scarce. You may have 1 parking spot in an apartment parking lot or a driveway if you are at a house, but you might end up having to just pay for parking.
Do you have too much stuff?
If you will be sharing your new room or moving into a smaller place, then it is very likely you won't have enough room for all your stuff. If you find yourself unable to downsize, sell or give away excess stuff, then you will need to possibly pay for storage. Many apartment buildings will charge additional for an attached storage room, so be sure that the availability of that space is also spelled out in the lease. Even if you do plan on downsizing, you might need to store your stuff for a month or two while you are in the process of moving.
Garbage and recycling
You may be responsible for city or state charges for garbage and recycling if it is not already covered whenever you are renting. Most apartments contain these bills, but a lot of houses will not. Make sure you check your lease to see what you are responsible for, and make sure you pay for the city service if you need to. Sometimes you are able to make arrangements with other tenants in case you are in an apartment complex to get your trash taken together.
Pay for heating
You need to always check with your new landlord about the heating and cooling costs of the new space. Some houses and apartments are heated using oil, natural gas, or hot-water heating that is not directly tied to the electricity system. Make sure the lease clearly spells out who is responsible for paying the expenses associated with heating and/or cooling the home. If you are not careful, you may find yourself stuck with a $600 bill to refill the heating oil tank in the middle of winter.
Do you get a car parking spot?
One thing that most people do not even think about is parking. Individuals assume that part of renting is having a parking spot. This is not the case for most cities with many people in it or areas where parking is scarce. You may have 1 parking spot in an apartment parking lot or a driveway if you are at a house, but you might end up having to just pay for parking.
Do you have too much stuff?
If you will be sharing your new room or moving into a smaller place, then it is very likely you won't have enough room for all your stuff. If you find yourself unable to downsize, sell or give away excess stuff, then you will need to possibly pay for storage. Many apartment buildings will charge additional for an attached storage room, so be sure that the availability of that space is also spelled out in the lease. Even if you do plan on downsizing, you might need to store your stuff for a month or two while you are in the process of moving.
Garbage and recycling
You may be responsible for city or state charges for garbage and recycling if it is not already covered whenever you are renting. Most apartments contain these bills, but a lot of houses will not. Make sure you check your lease to see what you are responsible for, and make sure you pay for the city service if you need to. Sometimes you are able to make arrangements with other tenants in case you are in an apartment complex to get your trash taken together.
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