Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

After making the decision to move out of your condo and into a new home, you have a lot of work ahead of you. Moving into a new home can be a lot of work, but proper planning on your part can help you to ease the amount of time and effort needed to relocate. Consider following these tips as you prepare to move.

Review Your Lease

As a first step, read your lease and take note of how much notice you need to provide to your landlord before you vacate the premises. Also, pay attention to the special move-out rules. For example, some leases may require the property to be professionally cleaned before you turn in the keys.

Consider Cleaning and Repairs

In many cases, a rental agreement states that a landlord can withhold your security deposit for any damages made to the property, so consider patching up holes, replacing burnt out lights, cleaning out the oven and other steps as needed. These efforts can take time, so you may consider getting started on some of them immediately after you provide your landlord with written notice of your intent to vacate.

Start Packing

Some people will wait until the last minute to start packing with the belief that they need everything in their place to live comfortably. In many condos, however, items like photo albums, DVDs, books, seasonal clothing and more can be packed up weeks ahead of time. Consider temporarily renting a storage unit, for example, self storage Philadelphia PA, to keep items safe and out of your way as you prepare to move in the coming weeks.

Look For Movers

One of the best steps that you can take to ease the stress associated with moving is to hire a moving company. A reputable moving company can easily relocate your boxes, furnishings and other items quickly and safely on moving day. This provides you with more time to clean your old home and start settling into your new home.

Transfer Services

Approximately one to two weeks before your moving day, contact your water company, utilities service providers, phone service and cable company to notify them of your plans to relocate. You may be able to cancel service in your existing home and schedule new service in your new home with a single call if moving inside the same city.

Contact the Post Office

You should also contact the post office with details about your relocation. You can fill out a change of address form at the post office that includes a mail forwarding service. While you want to call your car loan company, credit card companies and others who send you regular statements and provide them with your new address, you also want to ensure that mail that is sent to the wrong address is forwarded to your new home.

Because there are so many things to do to prepare for a move, it is wise to establish a schedule of to-do items now. You can work through the items on schedule, and this can drastically reduce your stress level during this busy time in your life.

Melisa Cammack

Author Bio

Melisa Cammack has been freelance writing for several years, she loves spending time with her three sons and her husband, as well as preparing for their unborn baby to arrive in mid-March.
Melisa is currently promoting Extra Space Storage – Brighton location, and wishes everyone a safe and efficient moving day.

Having lived in many many Center City Condos over the years, here is what I believe to be the case in terms of costs to heat and cool a condo-

Generally, you have someone living above you, below you, and on perhaps both sides of you, so your exposure to the elements is limited. It is not like you are living in a McMansion on the side of a hill in Ardmore. You follow me?

And heat has a tendency to emanate into your condo- you will probably be surprised how little heat you actually use. The fact that the majority of condos in town are one-level, your AC bills tend to be on the low side as well- It is not like you are trying to cool three floors. I live in a 1450 sq ft. condo in a newly constructed building here in town. My average electric bill is about $100 a month. I pay no gas, no water- both covered by the condo fees. When I lived in a 2200 sq ft converted loft, my bills were about twice that- but lower than I could have ever paid in a single family home somewhere…

Mark Wade
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Fox & Roach Realtors
www.CenterCityCondos.com
530 Walnut St. #260, Phila., PA 19106

Buying A New Construction Condo? Get Freebies while negotiating… Many developers do not like to drop their asking price a great deal as this may set a benchmark for any buyers behind you looking to buy into that building. So developers often will want to keep the sale price as high as possible in order to delude other buyers into thinking that selling prices are falling close to the asking price. Not uncommon. But what can you get out of a developer in order to keep the charade alive? Here are some common things that I see being thrown into a deal: A free parking spot Say 6 months free condo fees Free storage area Free custom interior upgrades A seller assist ( in terms of inflating the price, and giving you $$ back) Now certainly a developer may consider the value of the freebies into his bottom line… so these aren’t really 100% free….but you may find that the closer you get to a developers asking price, the more freebies you are going to acquire in the transaction. Mark Wade www.CenterCityCondos.com

One Vs. Two Bedroom Philly Condos

 A lot of folks I have met over the past 23 years have the notion that buying a two bedroom condo is a better investment than a one bedroom condo, and I don’t think that is necessarily true. Sure, if you are looking to buy a beach house, I can see where that equation would be wholly true- as a beach house is where you will magically attract guests for weekend get-togethers.  However, in Center City, I don’t think the same is true. I think it best to judge the value or investment value of a condo based upon comparable sales, interior condition, market conditions, and the reputation of the building or segment in which you are considering a condominium purchase. Spending more money when you don’t have to is kinda’ counter productive. If a one bedroom fits your needs, then buy a one bedroom condo. I have yet to see in the past 23 years a two bedroom resell better than a one bedroom condo- If all other qualities of the purchase are the same. There is a huge one bedroom condo market for buyers in Center City. And buying into a lesser building and getting a two bedroom may not be to your advantage. Buy what you need, and maybe best not to overspend in order to fulfill the myth that a two bedroom is going to somehow be a better investment- I don’t think it is better. Nor do I think it worse- again, all within the context of the building and the market segment in which you purchase.

Mark Wade www.CenterCityCondos.com