Tag Archives: real estate

Finding Your Perfect Realtor

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Realtors aren’t just around to sell you a house! If you’re looking into renting a home, a realtor can be a lot of help in finding you the perfect place. But just like with any important matter, it’s best to do your research before picking the person who’s going to help you find home.

If you have multiple realtors in mind, get a bit of info on them that you can compare to find your best option. Talk to the realtors and ask them about the recent clients they’ve worked with and their contact information. Reach out to the clients and see what kind of feedback they can provide you about the realtor and how their experience was. Clients are going to give you real information, so they’re a really good resource for intel. Another way to make sure that your possible realtor is totally legit is to check out their licenses. Your state has a board in charge of licensing and regulating those who want to work in real estate; contact the board and confirm the realtors’ licenses and check to make sure that their haven’t been any incidents pertaining to them.

Social media and the internet in general also provide you with all kinds of info that can help you decide if a realtor is right for you. LinkedIn is a good social media site to check because it shows you a persons professional backgrounreal estated. You can see what contacts the realtors have, what jobs they’ve had, and even how long they’ve been in the real estate industry. Even a simple Google search can lead you to lots of information. Check out and see if there’s any local news about the realtors you’re looking at and see what you find; you may find out that they’ve won tons of awards, or may also find out that they’ve dealt with fraud. Real estate forums are also good because aside from seeing what previous clients have said, you can also see what other realtors have to say. Granted, these may be biased, but they come from a more professional point of view so they’ll have validity.

 

Sharing Spaces…and Chores

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Having a lot of roommates seems like it could come in handy when it comes time to clean up and do chores around the house, but don’t be too quick to lessen your own workload because of that. Everyone is different and has different habits, so working towards taking care of the same thing (your home) can get tricky. You all need to be mindful of the fact that you’re living with other people, and be responsible with doing your share of the household chores.

We’ve all seen friends and we all know that Monica and Rachel are the classic example of roommates who are very different, but they always made it work. Just because you and your roommates go about doing things differently doesn’t mean that there need to be any issues! Take a night of the week where you can all sit down and figure out which chores you all need to partake in and figure out how to divide them. Make some sort of a “master list” with all of the chores that need to be done every single week (or day) and divide it up. Make sure you have things like dusting, mopping, sweeping, wiping fans, emptying the dishwasher etc. You can all try and compromise to pick chores you prefer, and then divide up the rest of the work. This way everything is split up equally and one person isn’t stuck taking care of your home. Maybe you can set “standards” of some sort as to how things are done so that everyone can be happy. For example, you can all agree on loading all the big dishes on the bottom of the dishwasher, or making sure not to use pure chlorine when cleaning sinks. There all kinds of little things like this that people do differently, so setting a standard way to do this keeps everyone happy. If you aren’t happy with something, speak up! It’s silly to keep these things to yourself because you’re going to have to deal with them alllllll the time.

It may seem a bit excessive, but you and your roommates should consider putting things on a sort of list that you keep up for all of you to see. This can help when you start forgetting who was responsible for what chore, and whether your own was done. Having it as a constant reminder will make you more inclined to do it so that you can check off that you’ve done it. A chore list can also serve as a way to get a routine going; who knows, you may end up not needing it after a while!

TLDR; do your chores.

chores

(Indoor) Garden Party

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September is officially upon us, meaning it’s time to say hello to fall, and goodbye to summer (and summer gardens). No need to worry though, we’ve got you all covered as far as starting your indoor garden for fall. Having an indoor garden is easy and a great option if you live in an apartment or house where you don’t have the opportunity to have your own outdoor foliage.

The cooler weather doesn’t mean you need to forego your garden all together, starting an indoor garden is a piece of cake. Unless you’re looking into setting up a garden with a UV light (which is also very doable!), find a spot in your home that gets a lot of sunlight. Windows, windowsills, and glass doors are a perfect spot to set up. Try to pick a spot that you know you’ll see regularly, so you don’t forget to water your plants. Watering is something you need to consider when you’re picking the right pots to use, too. Considering that your plants will likely drain some water, pick pots that have a tray of some sort to catch the water and ensure that no damage is caused. Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to pick what kind of plants you’ll have in your indoor garden. Flowers are a bit tricky because they’re all pretty seasonal and require more care, so you want to try to focus on herbs. Herbs are great because you can choose some that you use regularly, so you won’t have to buy them every week at the grocery store. Parsley, thyme, oregano, basil, and rosemary are all common household herbs that can easily make up your indoor garden. All of these can usually be purchased at your local grocery store or gardening center (try Home Depot or Walmart) so you won’t have to search far and wide to get your garden together.  Having a few of these grouped together will also help brighten up any room and add some life once the darker months are in full force.

Aside from looking nice, there are a few different benefits that you can take advantage of if you have an indoor garden. As we all learned in elementary school lessons on photosynthesis, plants release oxygen into the air, so having plants indoors will help increase the oxygen levels into your home. Indoor gardens also provide you with a natural purifier, meaning you can get rid of the noisy (and unnatural) air purifier you’re currently using. The soil in the plants pulls in everyday toxins from the air, and converts them into food for the plants, so it’s a win-win situation. Now that you’re getting rid of your air purifier, you can also go ahead and get rid of your humidifier, too; having plants indoors can create a natural humidifier from the water vapor that they release. Seeing as the cold months can bring dry skin, respiratory issues, and colds, you may want to consider making a mini garden in your bedroom to help you fight these inevitable battles.

garden

Spring Cleaning in the Fall

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There’s a constant notion that spring is the time of year when we’re supposed to clean up our homes and make a totally fresh start. What a lot of people don’t realize, though, is that fall is also an awesome time to clean and change your home!

What is it that sets fall apart for this kind of thing?

Well, fall is when college classes start up for the year, and when kids are packing up all of their stuff to move into their new dorms and homes. For this reason, this is the time of year when you’ll find more organization systems, cleaning supplies, and furniture in stores than any cleaningother time of year. College students need to stock up on stuff for their dorm rooms, so stores take advantage and of this and fill up their shelves with these items. Thinking of redoing your closet? Wait ’till dorm season starts and you’ll probably have way more to pick from than if you decide to look at a different time of the year. Stores will highlight cleaning supplies especially (parents want their kids to clean!), so a lot of the time you’ll find things like multi-purpose cleaning wipes and scrub brushes on sale. Stores like Target and Walmart are great for these kinds of finds, making it super easy for you to establish a totally new cleaning season for yourself.

Another often unnoticed benefit of cleaning is your relationship with your landlord. When a landlord notices that you care about keeping your rental clean, he/she will see you as a tenant that will protect the property owner’s investment. So, be sure to let your landlord know when you intend to spend some time cleaning, maybe even ask if the landlord can provide some cleaning supplies or tools for you to use.

To take it a step further, your landlord might be willing to pay for paint or other supplies if you agree to do the work. So, let your landlord know that your really care about your rental home, and the next time you need a favor from your landlord, you might have some additional leverage.

If you are really busy, and can afford it, maybe you should hire a cleaning service to do the work on a weekly basis. BE SURE to let your landlord know about this, because it is not a good idea to let just anyone into your apartment, and you could be violating your lease conditions. Besides, giving someone your key could get you into other trouble or end up with you losing some possessions if the cleaning person is untrustworthy. By the way, that is a good reason you should have renter’s insurance!

Additionally, there are cameras that can monitor the inside of your apartment (via phone), and they are usually under $200.00. This way you can keep an eye on anyone inside your rental, and also comes in handy if you have an unattended pet.

At tenant.rentals, we are busy setting up relationships with reputable companies that provide cleaning services in your area. Here are some suggested companies.

Sublease, anyone?

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So, you’re living happily in your apartment with three of your friends, when you suddenly get a great job offer that requires you to move cities…what’s the problem? Your lease doesn’t end for another six months and you can’t pay two rent checks each month. At this point, subleasing seems like the best option for you, and it probably is. How can you make sure the sublease process goes smoothly for you and your roommates?

We recently gave you the lowdown on subleasing, so you should pretty much know the basics of the process. Now, the task at hand s finding a subleaser who will fit in well in the dynamic if your home. Even though it’s your responsibility to find someone to take over your lease, your roommates should contribute to the search so that they can find a roommate that they know they’ll be happy with. Maybe you can ask around and see if any mutual friends need a place, or your roommates can post on their social media accounts that they’re looking for a new roommate. Whatever the case is, the whole process is easier for all of you if they help out.

Like we said before, it’s important to find someone who you can trust to take over your lease; but it’s also pretty important for your roommates to trust them, too. You’re not going to be living with whoever takes over your lease, but that shouldn’t mean that you care about who lives there. If the person who takes over your lease doesn’t feel comfortable with your roommates, they may encounter some issues along the way, and may even stop caring about taking care of your room and doing their share of the housework.

roommates

Get a Move on

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A while back we brought you our best tips for making your move as easy as possible, you can read it here. Aside from packing up your stuff, what else should you take care of when you’re moving out of your home?

Make sure you clean up. Clean bathrooms, bedrooms, floors; basically everything. If your place was furnished, make sure clean furniture too. Aside from not wanting to leave the property trashed for your landlord, cleaning up can also help you avoid being fined once you move out. Typically lease agreements require that you leave the home as you found it (clean), so if you don’t you’ll be going against it. If there’s a stain in your carpet, steam it so that you’re not responsible for paying way more for it later. Same goes with things like tiles and floorboards. Do it now, or it’ll cost you more later.

Part of leaving your hopaint me just as you first got it involves making sure the walls and floors are in good condition. Seeing as the walls probably have holes from having had pictures or shelves, it’s up to you to patch them up. This sounds more complicated than it actually is; you can buy quick dry plaster and primer and have it all fixed up in no time. Once you’ve patched up the holes and little imperfections, find out what paint color the walls were first painted and touch up the color. This way the wall looks even and your landlord won’t charge you for any repairs.

The Kids Are All Right

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kids

For an adult, moving to a new home may not seem like such a huge deal; but for a child, this isn’t always the case. You won’t really be able to enjoy your new home if your kids aren’t happy with the move, so it’s important to make sure that they’re comfortable and happy in your new place.

As far as finding a good area, try to look in neighborhoods that have parks or community centers nearby. Your kids will be excited knowing that they won’t have to spend time locked up at home and that they have a fun place to go that’s close to them, with others their age. It also helps to find a neighborhood where you know a lot of children live because they’ll be able to make friends and adjust to living in a new place. This will also probably help you feel more welcome too since you’ll be able to befriend the parents of your kids’ friends. Everyone wins!

When it comes down to finding the specific home, keep your kids in mind. If it’s within your budget, try finding a home that has a fenced in yard; your kids will be happy that you thought 0f them when picking a home, and they’ll feel better about the moving process. Another great idea is allowing your kids to paint their rooms a different color than what the house came from, or completely change up their rooms from your previous home. This lets them add their own personal touch to the room so that they won’t feel that they’re in a strange new place.

 

The Lease Application

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When you’re first starting to look for a new rental home, you’ll most likely be viewing all kinds of properties and talking to tons of different landlords; once you’ve found the right home, you’ll start the process of applying to rent the home. Rental applications are pretty easy to fill out, but that doesn’t mean you should take them lightly!

Basically, rental applications are what landlords require possible tenants to complete to see whether or not the property is a good fit for them. What does this mean for you? As far as the information you’ll have to provide, your possible landlord will need basic information from you, as well as a few more specific things. You’ll have to give your contact information (how else will they tell you that you’re approved?!), information about your current and/or previous place of residence, proof of employment, proof of income, and maybe a recommendation or a personal reference number, among other things. Aside from the proof of employment and proof of income, a lease application isn’t too different from a job application. Your landlord requires those other pieces of information in order to be able to determine whether or not you’ll be able to pay for the property, and whether or not you have a history of being a good (or bad) tenant. As far as the other things that you may be asked on the application, be prepared to disclose the balance of your bank account, and your social security (to perform credit checks). Again, these are required so that your possible landlord can guarantee that you’ll be able to pay your rent.

credit report

 

Should you sublease?

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Subleasing is pretty much when you, the initial tenant, rent your property out to another tenant. The new tenant is then required to pay rent and follow the terms of the lease, but you still hold the overall responsibility of the property. A huuuuge part of subleasing is making sure that you find a good lessee. Because the responsibility of the property still falls on you, you want someone who will take care of the property and make sure nothing goes wrong.

So, how do you go about subleasing?

You’ll almost always need to get your landlord’s consent first and make sure that they are fine with having a new tenant in your place. Having someone sublease your property without your landlord knowing will most likely go against the terms of your lease, landing you in deep trouble. Once you’ve gotten the okay from your landlord, a contract can be drawn up to outline the terms of the lease and what your new tenant will be responsible for. Depending on your property manager or landlord, you may be charged a fee to sublease your property.

subleaseConsidering all the properties available for rent everywhere, you may need to negotiate and charge your lessee lower rent than what you originally pay as an incentive to sublease your place. Would you want to be paying the exact same amount to sublease a home as you would to just rent it yourself? Probably not, and neither will your lessee. Though it kinda sucks, the difference is a small price to pay in case where you need to move out of your property.  Subleasing is a great option if you plan on leaving your town for a few months and don’t want to pay rent for an empty apartment. It also works if you need to leave your property but your lease isn’t ending and you can’t terminate it.