Hello Loves,

Welcome back to 'Moving Out Monday'. Last week (which you can check out here) I went through some of the things you should think about before deciding to move out, this week i'll be going through some of the things you should look at and ask when actually viewing a rental property!

1) WHAT'S INCLUDED?

Something to ask is what exactly is included with the property. If when you're viewing the house the kitchen has a fridge, cooker and washer in it, it's worth asking if any of these things come included so you know exactly what you need to buy.

2) WHAT DO I PAY FOR?

Another thing to ask is what exactly you have to pay for. For example, if the fridge breaks, are you expected to pay for it? These are all things that should be detailed in your contract, but its worth asking all of these things on your first viewing as it will help you make a decision if you're undecided between a couple of properties.

3) BASIC RULES 

Things such as "can i put things on the wall?" or "can i have pets?" are some of the basic things you might want to ask if they effect you. If you've got a dog, for example, this is something you'll definitely want to ask to make sure the house is suited to you and your needs.

4) LOOK FOR MOULD, DAMPNESS AND WATER STAINS

Be wary of a property that has any of these things, not only can mould be dangerous to your health, but it also shows poor maintenance of the property from your landlord, which isn't what you want! Also look out for anywhere that looks like mould may have just been painted over, this is not a fix to the problem!

5) TEST THE WATER PRESSURE

A minor thing, but if you love your showers as much as i do, this is a good thing to test! Moving into a property and finding out that the shower feels like you're being cried on is horrific, so it's worth just switching the shower on and checking it works well if you're able to!

6) ASK ABOUT THE NEIGHBOURS 

If there are currently tenants in the house, ask them about the neighbours, especially if you'll be living in a terrace or semi-detached property! I know first hand what it's like sharing a wall with shitty neighbours and it's not fun! If the current tenants have had loads of trouble with the neighbours, I'd suggest looking elsewhere!

AND FINALLY, 

7) MAKE A LIST OF THE PRO'S AND CON'S

This is ultimately what helped me and Ross decide on our house, its unlikely that you'll find somewhere perfect, so making a pro/con list can really help you settle on somewhere. Ideally, the pros side will be much longer than the cons! Something to be wary of though is the weight that these pros and cons carry. For example, the pros side might be full with things like "nice wall colour", "newly decorated" or "good shower", while all of these things are valid pros if the downsides are that the property is "too small" and "too far from work", they far outweigh the positives of the house. This is why, last week, i told you it was important to decide on what is important to you!


That's all for now folks! What would you like to see next week?

Laura xoxo