Your First Rented Apartment in Melbourne - What to Have in Mind?

Let’s say that you are eighteen year old person about to go to college in Melbourne, a young couple planning on living together or you’re a twenty-something year old person just ready to take off from your parent’s house. It could be quite stressful, especially if this is your first time moving out, respectively moving in to a new place. Not to mention the situation when you need to clean up your old apartment before you move into the new one. If I were you, I would just have an end of lease clean and get it over with. Don’t worry - we all have “been there, done that”. However, there are some things that you just should have in mind when it comes to this big step in your life.

1. Location & Neigbourhood - Finding the right place in Melbourne could take longer than expected, that’s why you should start looking for one in a good advance. Keep in mind: this will be the neighbourhood where you will live, shop, walk and probably work. Visit the neighbourhood during the day, weekends and weeknights. Try to notice is it too loud, are there any parties happening around, what kind of people walk in the streets. Landscape is an essential part when picking up the location. Are the trees, flowers and lawns well maintained? In this case, you can tell a lot about the book, judging by its cover. If you're moving with kids, it’s easy to make your choice as its necessary for your apartment to be close to the local school. Check out the grocery stores, billboards, coffee shops, anything that can tell you a little bit more about the community.

2. Roommates - I don’t want to frighten you, but this could be even harder than finding an apartment to live in. Well, every cloud has a silver lining, so breath. Social media can be quite helpful - post a request on Facebook. Ask classmates, co-workers, etc. if they know anyone in your situation. There are a couple of websites where you can set up profiles and describe in detail what kind of person you're looking for to be your roomie. Be honest, clear and keep it short, after all you’re not looking for friends, you want a good roommate. At some point of your everyday life together, your roomie will start to drive you crazy, no matter the efforts to get along. By the end of your time together that may mean more money spent on moving or lease cleaning services in Melbourne. It’s up to you to talk with them and define rules for your life together - accept each other’s flaws and just make it work. DO NOT MOVE IN with your significant other just because you think it’s convenient. If you have any doubts about this, just spare yourself and him/her from this potentially big mistake.

3. Budget - Yes, you big spenders, as you already may know, money is a crucial part of your daily life. Sit down, grab a pen and make a list containing the things you usually spend money on. Overestimate your expenses and underestimate your income. This way you will save a lot of headaches later if something costs a bit more than expected. Have in mind the new expenses that will occur, once you start living on your own. Rent, utilities, insurances, apartment deposit, groceries, entertainment, etc. All of those will exceed your income, I can assure you. As already mentioned, having the proper list you can totally put everything in place and enjoy a stress-free routine life.

At the end, make a good moving-out list to use when you leave your new apartment. You will appreciate it because it will remind you for all little things, such as brooms and dust pans, mirrors, rugs, mats, toolboxes and more. You will be thankful for this advice later.