So you’ve used PadMapper to find your dream rental: 1 bedroom, 1 bath, affordable, in a neighborhood you’ve always wanted to move to. Great! But before you go blindly signing the lease in a fit of joy, you will want to jump through that last hoop; The inspection.
It can’t be stressed enough how important it is to first inspect your future house/apartment/condo before signing the lease. This is important not only in determining if you truly want to live there, but also in covering yourself so you are not charged with a slew of expenses upon moving out. Here are a couple things to always look for:
Mold
Mold is a curious thing. On one hand, it’s one of the reasons why we have delectable cheese. On the other hand, it can kill you, or at least make you feel very sick. Worst yet, it’s really good at hiding in places that you rarely check, until one day you move a piece of furniture only to discover a black carpet of death.
A lot of mold will grow along windows and tiling, and a large quantity of it can be an indicator that the place is poorly ventilated, which will likely mean ongoing mold problems for you. On top of that, bad ventilation means the place will be hard to keep heated, which can lead to an increase in your electricity bill. So as you inspect the place, make sure to look out mold or a lot of calking, as that tends to be an easy cover-up for mold infestation.
Leaks, faulty plumbing
Another thing to check for is the plumbing and whether all the faucets work properly. Try every faucet in the place, and flush the toilet just for good measure. You’ll want to make sure that there’s no water leakage, or that there is any clogging which could mean something is stuck in the piping.
Insects
Insects and pests can put a damper on moving in. Especially insects as irritating to deal with as bedbugs, which can not only live a whole year without food, but also spawn like crazy and are so small that they’re easy to miss. There’s the possibility that the previous tenant may have had an infestation and thought they had extinguished it themselves, except the little blood suckers merely went into hiding. Check areas with woodwork as well as the anywhere where there may be gaps in the walls (corners, etc.).
These are just a few of the things that need to be checked on before you make that final leap of faith and acquire your new home/apartment/condo. Obviously there are other small things to look into, so the best advice is to just take your time and thoroughly inspect the place before you put down that final signature.
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