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5 Common Mistakes Most Renters Make
2700 west anderson lane #410 | 512-440-7776
urban squared realty DOT com
5 Common
Mistakes Most
Renters Make
Gotta move and find a new home to rent? Then
make sure you avoid these common mistakes:
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squared
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5 Common Mistakes Most Renters Make
page 1 of 6
2700 west anderson lane #410 | 512-440-7776
urban squared realty.com
5 Common Mistakes Most
Renters Make
Gotta move and find a new home to rent? Then make sure you avoid these common mistakes:
Property management companies and owners/landlords are not in the 'moving' business. So when it’s time to move
be sure to literally get EVERYTHING out. Don’t leave a stick of gum or a sock because it will cost a TON of .
money when they MOVE it for YOU. It's much cheaper to do it yourself. A few items could lead to bill!
This also goes for cleaning -if you asked 1,000 people what they consider clean, you can bet there will be some
variance. Most cleaning jobs won’t be at the professional level of cleanliness that the landlord will illicit the return of
your deposit. It’s not expensive, so DON’T let them use this to keep your deposit! Even if you do the majority of the
cleaning yourself, make sure to hire a professional maid service to do a “finish”cleaning. This will be less money
than a complete cleaning from start to finish. A maid service is a great option if there are multipile roommates that
may not pitch in to help get the home ready for move out - just split the cost and have a pro do it right.
Keep the receipt from the cleaning (and leave a copy of it there) and take pictures/video to document the
condition of the property right before you leave. That way, you have undisputable evidence that you left it clean and
there were no holes or scratches on the walls, anything left behind, or ANYTHING that you can potentially get billed
for. Some companies may charge close to a $100 to clean the stove when you DON‘T.
Don’t forget to change all the light bulbs as well. Property management companies love to charge you an arm and a
leg for doing this (sometimes as much as $10 per light).
By using this guide, you’re setting yourself up for the greatest probability of getting your full deposit back.
urban squared realty 2 llc | 2015 | all rights reserved | www. urban
squared
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5 Common Mistakes Most Renters Make
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2700 west anderson lane #410 | 512-440-7776
urban squared realty.com
5 Common Mistakes Most
Renters Make
Where do you work? Where do you play?
Those are typically the two main factors to consider when it comes to lifestyle and how they influence what part of
a city you will want to live!
.
Rather than looking around aimlessly, especially if you’re new to town, think about the answers to these questions
because you’ll likely spend the majority of your time around these two places. Let’s take a downtown worker - at a
glance a downtown worker may brush off the thought of living in downtown because of the higher rental rates
compared to living farther away, but think about the logistics. Yes, you will pay less rent by doing this, but then
those savings may be eaten up in fuel and transportation costs – and more importantly – your time. You might
save that extra $300 a month in rent, but what about the cost of fuel (not to mention the carbon footprint) and the
extra hour(s) per day you’ll be spending in traffic going to and from work. Also, there’s an extra hour of sleep you’ll
be missing because you have to wake up and go to sleep earlier. This adds up over the course of a month. One hour
a day means 5 hours a work week and 20 hours a month! Imagine what you can do with those 20 hours you’re
throwing down the drain in traffic? The rental rate isn't always the only consideration.
If you live in a place that so walkable that you don’t have to have a vehicle, you can easily save hundreds of dollars
per month in transportation costs and apply that towards rent in an area you didn’t think you could afford. This is
one example, but a experienced leasing agent can easily shepherd your home search to options that you would have
never known or thought about by asking you high-quality questions about your lifestye and expectations from a
home.
Where do you like to play? What do you like to do for fun? Where do you like to hangout? If you have a dog and
like the outdoors, maybe you’ll want to live near the the Hike & Bike Trail so you can go running after work and on
the weekends? Or if you work at Dell and like to hang downtown, then maybe the Arboretum or Midtown would be a
great halfway point for both? Keeping a focus on these two factors helps your home search not become to wide and
overwhelming. It’s actually a fun process when it’s done right. Let us show you how.
urban squared realty 2 llc | 2015 | all rights reserved | www. urban
squared
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5 Common Mistakes Most Renters Make
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2700 west anderson lane #410 | 512-440-7776
urban squared realty.com
5 Common Mistakes Most
Renters Make
Not comparing apples-to-apples and knowing what market you’re in will wreak havoc on your home search!
Once you have lifestyle determined, you need to know what price you’re trying to stay under because each part of
town has variations in price based on many, many factors. ALWAYS compare apple-to-apples! It’s wise to establish a
baseline in a market; where the ‘ground’ is. A one-bedroom in downtown Austin can be as much as a 3-bedroom.
house with a nice yard in Wells Branch. You want to get the best property for the least amount of money and
understanding how to navigate and negotiate the market will assure this, as well as save you time and money. What
you see on HGTV may be a different market than the one you‘re currently in! Sometimes there’s a major difference in
price just one street over.
Some dynamics that influence an area’s desirability are: schools, restaurants, nature/recreational activities, walkability, and even the local grocery store (especially if it’s Whole Foods or Central Market!). An experienced agent can
easily match price, location, size, and availability for you. We’ll say it again - another city’s market may be different
than the market you’re shopping in. For instance: people from large metropolitan cities may think that Austin is
‘cheap’ but when they get here, it may not be as cheap as they had predicted - sorry, no tumble weeds and cows
downtown here. And conversely, people from smaller economies can often become offended at what their money
gets them when they compare it to what it gets them back home. $1800 a month may be a nice 3-bedroom house
with a waterfront view in one city, but it may be the starting price of a one-bedroom apartment in another.
Always remember supply & demand drive prices up or down in any market, for any goods. What market are you
looking in? A seller‘s or buyer’s market? Is there a housing shortage or a surplus? Is there a lot of new construction
housing that’s unfilled? A professional leasing agent can easily answer all of these questions.
If you’re new to the city or want to know where the best places are to match your lifestyle, talk to a real estate
professional - it’s a FREE service. At Urban Squared Realtywe make sure all our (leasing and residential) agents are
consistently updated on what’s happening in our amazing city and can serve you and easily help you find a place
that matches your criteria while staying within your budget. Call - 512-440-7776
urban squared realty 2 llc | 2015 | all rights reserved | www. urban
squared
r e a l t y . c o m | 2
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5 Common Mistakes Most Renters Make
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2700 west anderson lane #410 | 512-440-7776
urban squared realty.com
5 Common Mistakes Most
Renters Make
There are pros and cons and MAJOR differences to consider with property types such as: houses, townhomes,
duplexes, condos, lofts, and apartments. Renting a house versus an apartment: A big misconception is that some
pet owners may think that getting a house would be great because their dog can now run around in the backyard. But can
they really? Does the house have a doggie door so that your dog can go in and out as it pleases? And don't forget you’ll
.
need a fence as well (and lawnmower too). If there’s no doggie door, then the dog will have to stay inside the house until
the owner gets home, which makes it no different than living at an apartment complex. The dog definitely won’t know the
difference. In urban settings most people don’t have yards and use public parks or designated pet spaces on site to
exercise their pets.
Living in a downtown high-rise is right up some people's alley, but you’ve got multi-level parking garages with
elevators and a bit more planning before you hit the front door than you would with a house. By the time you get to the
8th floor and are about to put the key in, you realize you left your phone charger in the car and have to go all the way back
down to get it. This is much different than pulling into the driveway of a house where everything is close by. But maybe
it’s worth it because of the apartment’s amenities! The views can be stunning. You’ve got a pool you can swim and splash
around in (it can get hot here in Austin). And after work on the weekdays you can hit the gym, so say goodbye to your
gym membership.
What about condos versus apartments? A big misconception with condos is that they’re somehow better of more sophisticated than an apartment. A new apartment is built with better material and a more stringent “construction” code than a
condo built twenty years ago. For the same price, apartments are typically MUCH nicer and more amenity driven than
condos (apartments are owned by a company; condos by individuals, privately). But sometimes apartments are bigger
communities than condos and you may be looking for a smaller commuity and not a stae-of-the-art- gym. You get the
picture - they’re only wrong if they don’t work for your lifestyle.
Discuss your LIFESTYLE with a professional agent that understands, and actively works in the leasing market so you
can match YOUR lifestyle with a property type that actually works. They will explain the advantages and also the
challenges of any kind of property type you can think of - from a skyscraper to a small studio. ;)
urban squared realty 2 llc | 2015 | all rights reserved | www. urban
squared
r e a l t y . c o m | 2
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5 Common Mistakes Most Renters Make
page 5 of 6
2700 west anderson lane #410 | 512-440-7776
urban squared realty.com
5 Common Mistakes Most
Renters Make
Finding a new home to rent can be an exhaustive and draining process. Two examples of how people make it
difficult for themselves are:The DIY method of looking online at sites like Craigslist, Trulia, and Zillow.
Confusing advertising with inventory is one of the most annoying scenarios you will have to suffer through when
seacthing for a home. These sites can be full of endless options that aren’t available any longer (since it does the
.
sites no good to be accurate, only for you to stay on the site and “shop” ).
So, the great place with the perfect yard and kitchen actually got leased two months ago - although it’s still online,
appearing to be available to the unwary Joe Q. Public. These third-party sites use your visitation and time to make
money while you think you’re gaining traction on your home search. The sites simply re-present and re-package the
same information on the local MLS.
The second mistake people make while “grinding it out” themselves is the old school, laborious menthod of
getting in the car and driving around the neighborhoods. There are many, many signs you‘ll encounter in a given
neighborhood and the signs could be houses for sale, out of your price range, too many bedrooms, not enough
bedrooms, and maybe they don’t allow pets (otherwise they were perfect!). Next, you may have to wait three days for
the listing agent to call you back (this agent has no obligation to you and has a legal obligation to represent
the OWNER’S best interest). Instead of using your out of work hours to relax and rejuvenate for the week, you
wind up becoming an amateur real estate agent of sorts. Find a licensed real estate agent who represents you and
one who is a member of the local board of realtors so they have access to private listings (homes, condos,
duplexes) and are fully versed in the rental/leasing market. A Realtor that takes you out to look for properties should
be a local expert - since all real estate is local - and should be able to quickly find you a place in one or two,
two-hour appointments. This Realtor represents you and is paid a commission by the owner(s) of the property;
sometimes a large commission and sometimes a small one. Some real estate brokerages advertise their service as
FREE and this is why and how they do this since you don’t pay them. But, your Realtor’s primary function is to save
you time and money like any other professional - attorney, mechanic, lanscaper, or maid (and they have a legal
obligation to put YOUR best interests first).
urban squared realty 2 llc | 2015 | all rights reserved | www. urban
squared
r e a l t y . c o m | 5 Common Mistakes Most Renters Make
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urban squared realty.com
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All Real Estate Is Local
Shut Off the iPad. It ain’t helping.
Unlike New York or other cities, Austin is a town where the buyer or tenant doesn’t pay for the real estate service there’s no charge for the consumer.
A good plan before reaching out to a brokerage is to look at their Yelp reviews. Also, look for an appropriate
volume of reviews.
Austin’s market moves extremely quickly and what’s available in the morning can often be taken by lunch, so thirdparty sites that host this data can sometimes be misleading since the market is moving faster than the website.
When on the street, this rhythm can put a lot of people out of their comfort zone, but, this is EXACTLY why you need
a guide to help you to navigate this process and so you can stop ‘searching’ and actually find a home - there‘s a
large difference between the two.
At Urban Squared Realty we make sure all of our agents go through our mandatory customer service orientation
training (whether they’re a new or a seasoned industry professionals) as well as continuing education on the market in
residential sales and leasing to ensure we help you make more of your biggest asset: your time.
The only question we have is:
Where Do You Want To Live?
TM
call (512) 440-7776
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squared
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dot
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