Most people think of moving as a long, painful process but it doesn’t have to be that way if you follow a few simple tips. Take it from me… I’ve moved 11 times!

1) The month before you move, keep one list on your refrigerator of all of the bills and important mail that comes in. Keep this mail in one folder that is handy so that you can email or call ahead to forward all of your mail. You are less likely to forget one of your top fans if you are maintaining a list. Also, mark on your list the date that you sent your forwarding request.

2) Start packing early and often. Let’s face it – no one likes packing. However, if you start off by tackling just one or two boxes a day, things will go much more smoothly closer to moving day. Start by packing the things that are easy and obvious. You know that you don’t need your holiday decorations handy if you are moving in July. They’re probably already boxed anyway, so tape those boxes shut and label them clearly on at least three sides.

3) The week of the move, keep one box open that is marked “#1 – Open 1st” I like to mark this box on 5 sides (including the top) with red and black marker. This box has everything that I need in it to go to bed comfortably and to wake up the next morning. Sheets, a towel and washcloth, hair and makeup products, toilet paper, pajamas and a change of clothes all go in this box. I also like to pack my all-purpose cleaner and roll of paper towels because I’m willing to bet that the last people didn’t clean something the way that I like. It’s really handy to be able to find the box that has all of these necessities in it.

4) If you are moving with kids and/or pets, I have found that it really saves the day if they are out of the way. Ask someone that loves your family to watch them for the day or the weekend so that you can get a lot of work done. Your kids and pets would thank you for it too! Moving is stressful for everyone, but coming into a home that is (mostly) set up for comfort is awfully reassuring. Seeing their new home in reasonably good order helps the kids and pets to feel right at home more quickly.

5) Make it fun. Keep your i-pod docking station handy to keep the tunes playing while you unpack and get settled in. Studies show that people work more efficiently when they have music to work by!

Wishing you much happiness in your new home!
RentGrl

Adding a roommate to your living situation is an ideal way to save on your expenses, but there are some risks.    Luckily, there are four simple things that you can do so that you are not left holding the bag if things turn sour!  I always tend to be optomistic when there is a shared tenancy.  In 99% of the roommate experiences that I have seen over the years everything is friendly at a minimum.  However, there is that nasty exception to every rule that reminds us all to protect ourselves.  After all, the old saying that you don’t know a person until you live with them was coined for a reason.

First, talk to your landlord/leasing consultant/property manager about what requirements they have.  If your landlord is a responsible one, they will ask the potential roommate that you identify to come into the office and fill out a formal application.  From there, they should run a credit report (ask if they do this for you).  As you already know, a credit report can reveal a lot about a person.  The main thing that you want to know is that they pay their bills on time and that they don’t have any judgements or liens against them.  This should give you the peace of mind that, at least financially, this roommate looks like a solid citizen.

Your landlord will probably also want to add the new roommate to the lease.  This is an incredibly important step for you to take!  If your landlord doesn’t volunteer this as an option – insist on it!  You want the roommate on the lease because it means that both parties are responsible for all of the terms of the lease.  If your roommate stops paying the rent, the landlord can take the roommate to court for non-payment of rent.  This can save you a huge headache and court costs if things get ugly!

Third, once the roommate has officially signed all of the documentation you should agree on a few ground rules of your own in writing.  This doesn’t have to be like Sheldon’s list in The Big Bang Theory.  A simple, easy to read list of items that you and your roomie can agree to will save some arguements down the road by setting the expectations that you both have about living in a shared space.  Some common rules relate to cleaning up after yourselves in the bathroom and kitchen and rules related to overnight guests (romantic and otherwise).  My first property managent teacher taught us that guests are like fish – after three days they begin to smell!  You decide what works for you.

Finally, I am a big believer in writing seperate monthly checks to the landlord.  You want to establish that you pay your rent on time.  If roomie dearest is a slow pay or a late pay, you do not want that to effect the landlord’s impression of you.  There is no guarantee that your landlord will not take you both to court if the rent is late, because they can.  However, if you take action from day one that you are a responsible tenant that can go miles in your favor.

If you do not have a landlord at all, or a landlord who will not help you with the application and credit screening of your new roommate, you can still follow the above guidelines.  Make up a simple application of your own.  All that you really need is a name, address, phone number and employer verification.  You can even ask for the two most recent pay stubs to identify if the roommate can afford the rent. 

You can also run your own credit and criminal checks online.  Make sure that there is an authorization line in your application to do this!  There are a host of services available – look for a site that has some positive user reviews.  Today, there are a host of sites that charge you $15 – $30 for a report that doesn’t tell you much of anything.  You are also allowed to charge the cost of running the credit / criminal check to the applicant.  If the applicant resists having you check up on them… move on to the next candidate!  You don’t want a roommate who has something to hide!

Taking these few measures will go a long way in finding a roommate who can afford the rent and pay on time.  Those were the two goals that you had when you started this process.  Proceeding with caution is often the first step in identifying that person that will not only help with expenses, but also make a valued friend in the future.  I hope that your roommate experience is a happy one!