Finding a flat in central Edinburgh can be an incredibly challenging task. A less acknowledged but equally stressful process is moving out of your current accommodation into the shiny, new, and hopefully mice-free flat that you probably spent ages finding. Here are some handy tips to help:
Cancelling bills:
If you already live in an independent flat, make this a top-priority task before you move out. Call or e-mail your broadband provider, the utilities department and any other service providers and let them know that you are moving out. It is also possible for you to save money by returning your wifi modem to your provider.
Getting references from your landlord:
Most letting agents in Edinburgh require a reference from a previous or current landlord when you apply for a flat with them. This is unbelievably easy for students who are in university halls (provided you have been clean, civil and not a troublesome tenant), just contact your accommodation manager if you haven’t already received a reference in your moving-out pack. For those moving out of independent flats, contact your letting-agents or landlords for a brief letter of reference. You may want to do this in advance, as it can take a few days.
Changing mailing addresses:
Alerting your bank, university, health-care service, employer and other important contacts is one of the first things you should do as soon as you move in to a new place. Not nearly as cumbersome as it sounds, changing mailing addresses will save you a gargantuan amount of trouble and time in the future.
Finding storage over summer:
If you’re worried about where to find storage over the summer, there are a number of convenient storage providers in Edinburgh. Some of them even provide packing material and a pick-up and delivery service. It might also be worth checking with friends and acquaintances who are planning staying through the summer if they can take some of your boxes in.
Cleaning up before you leave:
Not just for the purposes of saving someone the trouble of having to clean your mess, it is also in your own interest to make sure you leave your room and flat tidy before you move out. Most letting agents, even university accommodation, heavily fine tenants for leaving their living space untidy and strewn with mess. One way to deal with communal areas if you live in a flat would be to talk to your flatmates before everyone moves out so that the last person to move out doesn’t have to clean up after everyone.
Confirming the move-in date:
Chalk out the details of your move-in day with your landlord or letting-agent beforehand. This will ensure that you’re not stranded outside your flat with all your belongings in cardboard boxes sitting on the pavement while you wonder how to get in. Arrange a time to pick up the keys or for meeting the landlord to show you in. It is also entirely fair for you to ask to look at your flat before you move in to ensure that everything is clean and ready for you.
Getting new broadband:
It will be a huge pain for you if your new flat doesn’t already come with a working internet connection. If it doesn’t, talk to your flatmates and look into which broadband to get for your flat before you move in. You would really not want to be without a wifi connection two weeks after you have moved in, still waiting for that modem to be delivered. Check which networks operate in your area, if your flat already has the cables set up and which schemes work best for you before you move in.
A massive chunk of your flat transition headache can easily be eliminated by asking your landlords about the essentials, planning with your future house-mates and thinking in advance. Make a comprehensive to-do list before you begin moving out and you will find the entire process to be cheaper and much less overwhelming than you would have imagined.