Settling Down

Don’t Make These Assumptions When Moving to a New Apartment

Hello FlokqJune 15, 2020

Oftentimes, people are just way too careless and want things done easily. Especially in this instant globalization era, we want everything to happen in a glimpse of light. This attitude carried away in yourself when you’re dealing with stuff in life. Including when you’re finding and looking for apartments, observing what suits you the most. Various criteria and requirements are filling your head. Your mind then choosing and eliminating those apartments based on what you solely see in pictures or the internet. 

Apartment hunting is as scary and scary as that. The whole time during the ‘get-to-know part’, you will find yourself wondering, pondering with doubts and avid questions popping up in your mind. Is the apartment as good as it was seen in the picture? Is it actually that vast?  Yet, the only true answer can be found when you find out yourself. An apartment must be seen first in order to be truly understood. Moreover, you should understand that the place you’re about to rent or buy is the place where you’re going to spend your life, so, finding the truth on apartments is to prevent false or high-expectations assumptions that you may regret one day. Below you’ll encounter common assumptions people make that turns out to be wrong when trying to rent or buy an apartment.

read more: Things to Check When Choosing a New Apartment

Knowing who and when to contact.

Sometimes, things are too good to be true. For example, living in a new apartment without any obstacles. Such a blessing, yet the universe is beyond imagination. Capture this, people often forget about petty things that become important when it occurs or at the right moment. It could be forgetting to request key numbers, both emergency and non-emergency, for your landlord or management company. From a water leak that requires immediate attention to a cabinet knob that needs to be replaced. These things might be situations that require experts to solve and unfortunately, the person is not you. To prevent relentless situations, it’s best for you to know who to call to get the help you need.

Believing that your electricity, gas, and water will be functioning.

Well, a good optimism, of course. However, solely believing in that without ground checking doesn’t guarantee the premise. We inform you that depending on how long the unit was unoccupied or for some reasons, you may need assistance turning on the water, accessing the circuit breaker, or flipping on the gas valve. These practical things might be left out because you consider it as something that obviously works. But, a good tenant would check everything out even for simple and trivial things. Especially, if you’re going to live by yourself in your apartment. If these happen, you will need to take more time to settle. Calling the landlord or your leasing agent and asking their help. Before it happens, don’t forget to check it by yourself on your apartment tour.

Assuming that your unit looks just like all the others.

Seeing other units in the apartment looking fresh and span-new perhaps got you thinking that your unit will be exactly the same. Though other units in the building are listed as newly-constructed or rehabbed, never assume your unit will be too. It could be another marketing tactic. Always make sure you check your exact unit before you sign a lease. Or you can ask your landlord or the leasing agent in advance regarding the unit condition. So, you won’t have any misunderstanding when you pay a visit to your future unit.  

Read also: Do’s and Dont’s during Apartment Touring in Jakarta

Your unit is internet ready.

An apartment building that advertised its affiliation with a certain telecommunications brand might be assumed by people that this meant the units inside essentially plug-and-play ready. Be careful because, in most cases, this assumption is completely false. If the advertisement doesn’t put a clear statement regarding the unit readiness for cables, then there’s a high chance that the unit isn’t cable or internet ready. Besides doing a ground check, keep in mind that cable installation is perhaps bothersome. Not only you have to deal with the time and high expense of installation, but you also have to give permission to the cable company to drill a hole through your wall for cable access!

Utility cost is all the same anywhere.

It is true. Somehow, the utility cost is ranging depending on the location or area. Utility cost in the downtown area perhaps higher than the suburban area. Due to the high demand of utility necessity in the city. To avoid the shock of an unusually high bill. Doing some surveys by kindly asking the neighbors would be a good place to start. So, you can get an idea of what you’re in for. In addition, many apartments have exclusive arrangements with cable or internet providers. This means that you are bounded into using a specific company for your provider. The good thing is that providers aren’t competing on price and you don’t have to waste your time searching for them.

The furniture you have currently will fit perfectly through the doors and your new space.  

The fact that numerous doorways and hallways are shockingly narrow due to limited space. This leads to the conclusion that it’s physically impossible for bulky items to get into your space. That’s why doing a ground check to ensure things in a specific manner is the best solution. Save yourself from the hassle and measure your door frames along with your furniture. Or, you can dismantle some of your furniture and assemble it back once they’re inside your unit. 

Your landlord is in the business of hospitality.

Landlords are mostly investors. Investing their money in the apartments. Most of them are just like stock market traders but with a lower tolerance for risk. They view their apartment building portfolio in the same way that you view any collection that you’re hoping will gain value over time, such as stock shares, baseball cards, or Marvel figurines. The fact that their particular portfolio equals a life-or-death haven for hundreds or thousands of people may or may not cross their minds. Hence, you need to understand their position as well. 

The landlord is your building expert.

Sometimes, people tend to ask everything to the landlord and expect to have a direct and fast answer. Remember that, developing a building doesn’t only require one person at a time. Your landlord may own it, but they’re not the ones who build the apartment directly. They need a developer, an architect, an electrician, and whatsoever. Hence, don’t assume that by giving a brief explanation about a problem occurring in your unit will make your landlord automatically know the case. They might, but more information and understanding won’t give you any harm.

So, have you ever made any of the assumptions above? And how was the result? They aren’t what they tend to seem right? We hope this helps you make better decisions!

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