What to Look for When Signing Your First Lease

What to Look for When Signing Your First Lease

You’ve made the big decision to start renting a house. Congratulations! It must have been a challenging process to decide, or perhaps it was a love at first sight. Either way, you’ve been selected as the tenant of the housing unit, and now you need to start thinking about the lease signing process. There are some important things you need to know and be aware of when it comes to the rules, regulations, and law-related information that surrounds the lease signing process. To help you out, we’ve prepared a short article where you get to read all about the process and always be on top of things. Let’s start.

Scan Through the Lease Agreement

Lease agreements can be a lengthy piece of paper, but you shouldn’t leave out any words. You need to read it even twice to make sure you understand everything it contains. You need to know whether it will fulfill your expectations and what kind of responsibilities you should deliver. Read carefully the parts about when and where the rent should be paid, what will happen if you can’t make the payment before the deadline, and what can and can’t be customized in the housing unit. If anything is not clear, don’t hold back in asking questions - every little thing needs to be crystal clear before you sign the contract. And once it is clarified, make sure it is also added in writing. 

Check Whether You Need a Co-signer

If you are a first-time renter you will have little to no rental and credit history, so property managers might require you to have a co-signer on the lease. This means that the co-signer will have your back in unwanted situations like you not being able to pay the rent in time or if you don’t adhere to the full requirements of the lease. The co-signer should be a person who has a more extensive rental and credit history than you and has a significant amount of monthly income that is around five times bigger than the monthly rent. Don’t forget that co-signers will need to sign the same lease agreement and are held responsible as much as the lease tenants are.

Do You Have Insurance?

As a rental property tenant, you will be required to provide proof of your insurance upon your move-in. Why is that so? Because with the insurance on the property, only the structural damage is being covered, and not damage done to your personal belongings. So, you’ll need to have a renter’s insurance to make sure you are completely covered. 

In addition, if something bad happens, like a fire or someone steals your things, the insurance helps cover the cost of replacing them. Plus, it also helps if someone gets hurt while they're at your place. So, having renter's insurance means you won't have to worry about paying for everything yourself if something goes wrong.

Consider a Fall or Winter Move

During fall and winter, rental properties often have really good deals and special offers for people looking to move in. This is because fewer people tend to move during these colder months compared to the summer, which is the busiest time for moving. So, you can snag some great bargains both on rent and moving services. Plus, landlords might be more open to negotiating terms since there's less demand for places to rent during this time. 

Moreover, other expenses like utilities and storage can also be cheaper in the winter because there's less demand. And if you're moving far away, you don't have to worry as much about your stuff getting damaged from the heat in the back of a moving truck. For example, things like candles, perishable foods, or delicate items like vinyl records are less likely to be harmed in cooler weather. So, overall, moving during the colder months can save you money and protect your belongings better.

Things You’ll Need

Last, but not least, here is every document you’ll need to have with you to sign the lease:

• Employment proof

• Income Report

• A photo ID

• Your car’s registration information

• Proof of renters insurance

• Letters of reference (particularly important if you are a first-time renter)

Conclusion

In conclusion, signing your first lease is a significant step towards independent living, whether it's for a house or an apartment. It's an exciting time, but it also comes with responsibilities and important considerations. Taking the time to thoroughly review the lease agreement, understanding your obligations, and clarifying any uncertainties before signing is crucial to ensuring a smooth renting experience. Additionally, having a co-signer, obtaining renter's insurance, and considering the timing of your move can all contribute to a successful transition into your new rental space. By being well-prepared and informed, you can confidently embark on this new chapter of your life as a tenant.

What to Do to Make Your Farmhouse More Eco-Friendly

Living out in the country can be a relaxing, rewarding experience. Making a home for yourself in the open, green nature away from all the commotion and pollution of a big city or the gradual loss of identity in some towns can be refreshing and offer a significant change of pace for those who are tired of urban living.

A farmhouse is one of the best abodes to live in out rurally, offering ample space and great functionality for you and your family. Although they don't need to be on a farm, living in one can make you feel like you're living a nature-connected farm life. 

However, while a farmhouse might sound like an environmentally friendly option by default, that isn't necessarily the case. Read on to learn the importance of environmental awareness and what to do to make your farmhouse more green.

Why Being Eco-Friendly Is So Important

Awareness and concern over the environment are a big part of modern life. Due to recent weather changes and increasing temperatures worldwide, more people than ever have become attuned to climate change and want to prevent it from progressing.

The most significant contributor to climate change is greenhouse gas, primarily carbon dioxide, or CO2. Although some greenhouse gas is necessary to prevent the earth from being frigid and desolate, when more carbon dioxide is produced than trees and plants can absorb, it causes global warming. 

A lot of things produce carbon dioxide, and that includes electricity usage. Most electricity is produced by burning fossil fuels rather than using a renewable, lower-impact source. Furthermore, plunging the planet's natural resources to make "new" things rather than recycling them contributes to CO2 emissions and tarnishes natural land.

However, there are active efforts to switch over to greener sources of energy and waste less resources. And you can help push for that switch by making some smart choices with your farmhouse. 

Things You Can Do

Use Eco-Friendly Wood 

Buying or making furniture made of sustainable wood is a great way to start making your farmhouse more environmentally friendly. Several different kinds of wood are great for this purpose.

Reclaimed wood furniture is an excellent option since it uses wood from demolished buildings or other pieces of furniture rather than cutting down another tree for its wood. Pinewood and driftwood are some standard options for reclaimed wood.

Durable wood options are also great since they won't need to be replaced as often. Teak wood and black cherry wood make excellent, long-lasting, low-waste furniture choices. 

Instead of Buying New, Consider Thrifting or Shopping Used

Another great way to reduce waste is to look at thrift stores, second-hand shops, or online resale marketplaces like eBay or Mercari for used furniture.

A shocking amount of unused furniture and decor go to waste in landfills, even if they're in fantastic condition. Choosing not to make everything you get something "new" can help prevent that and is resource-conscious.

Garage and estate sales are also excellent places to look for used furniture. Contacting friends looking to replace their furniture and see if they're willing to give or sell any of their old things to you is also a great idea.

If You Do Farm, Use the Right Grain System

Although not everyone who owns a farmhouse is a farmer, if you farm and work with grains, growing more sustainable varieties can help reduce your footprint on the world.

Purchasing seeds for perennial grains is a smart way to reduce the impact of your grain operations. Perennial grains such as Kernza grow and produce usable grains for two or more years, rather than traditional grains that only grow for a season and then need to be replanted.

Lighten Your Energy Usage With Smart Lighting Solutions

As mentioned above, electricity usage plays a big part in environmental issues. Putting windows in strategic places to maximize natural light can help reduce how much electricity you use for lighting.

As for lightbulbs, trading traditional bulbs for LED ones is the way to go, as LEDs provide more light with less power.

What to Take Away From All This

These are just a few ways you can make your farmhouse eco-friendlier. Other things, such as switching out older appliances with more energy-efficient ones, being smart with water usage, and nurturing the plants and other flora near your farmhouse can help, too.

When you make these changes, not only will you be doing your part to help support environmentally aware operations, but you'll feel better, too, as eco-friendly design has been shown to have health benefits.

Written by Taylor McKnight, Author for Summit Contracting

What You Might Have Forgotten in Your Bathroom Remodel

Although you might believe that your bathroom is simply a functional space to wash, brush your teeth, and shower in, it is still important that this room is welcoming and easy-to-use. This can encourage your family to maintain their hygiene practices and ensure that your mood is not impacted whenever you step inside the bathroom. By renovating it, you might find that you are able to create a relaxing area of your home within which you can destress and pamper yourself. Read on to discover some areas that can be overlooked in a bathroom remodel.

Replacement Windows

You might have put a lot of energy into choosing your new taps and showerhead, as well as your sink and bath. However, you should also leave time and money to replace your windows. By replacing your windows, you will be able to insulate your bathroom and ensure that you do not encounter condensation problems. This can prevent the occurrence of damp and mold and can mean that your bathroom can stay looking good for longer. You might even choose frosted windows so that you feel more comfortable in your bathroom and so that you can increase your privacy. Then, you should look into companies that offer double glazing window replacement services.

Flooring

Flooring is one of the more basic aspects of your bathroom remodel that you will need to consider, especially if you plan to cover this floor with a bathmat. When choosing a floor for your bathroom, you need to make sure that it is water-resistant and durable enough to remain in good quality for years to come, or else you could find that your floor starts to decay within a few weeks or months. Many people choose laminate, vinyl, or tiles for their washrooms, and these, while long-lasting, can also give your bathroom the polished finish you are looking for.

Heating

It is important that you can heat your bathroom, or else you might find that this room is unbearable in winter. For instance, you might opt for floor heating. Floor heating can allow your feet to be toasty the instant that you step out of your bath and can mean that warmth is distributed more evenly around the room. You might also opt for a heater with a towel warmer, as these can dry your towels quickly and prevent your bathroom from being filled with bad odors throughout the day.

Entertainment

Entertainment might not be necessary, but it can make showering and bathing a more pleasant experience and start your morning off on the right foot. Although you might not be able to install video game consoles and TVs in your bathroom, there are many options when it comes to shower radios. These can often be attached to the bathroom wall tiles, allowing you to listen to music and talk shows while you wash. This can prevent you from rushing your daily routine and can prevent the silence of your bathroom from unnerving or boring you.