Moving into a new space can be exciting as well as exasperating. In your excitement, don’t forget to take care of a few necessities before settling in:

1. Make sure you read all paperwork in your contract! The contract to your lease is extremely important because it tells you everything you need to know down to the very last detail. Small mistakes like leaving a piece of furniture outside to air out overnight can land you a bill from your landlord!

2. Once you have your keys, make sure to take pictures of the apartment. Eventually you will move out and you do not want to be billed for chipped paint or leaky pipes that were there before you moved in. Besides, you want to make sure everything is in top-notch for your stay!

3. Please, please, please bring friends to help you move in. It is much easier and more fun to move in with your friends, a little music, and maybe some pizza, than to pay movers to throw your furniture all over the place.

4. Have cleaning and emergency supplies for the first night! Maybe the person who lived there before you didn’t like to clean the tub that often, or maybe you forgot that there are no ceiling lights in your bedroom. Either way, with a little Clorox and a flashlight, you will make it through the night.

5. Last but not least, make sure you know how to work the locks! You want to be able to feel safe in your new home and if you can’t close your door, trust that someone else will be glad to open it.

Follow these tips and you are sure to have an effortless move into the new digs!

Olivia Lewis| Image: Source