There’s nothing more exciting than moving into your very first home. Everything is new and fresh, your apartment looks great and you’re already bursting at the seams with ideas of styling it! After all, you’ve just finished negotiating the maze that is Singapore condo rentals.

However, when you’re new and naïve to the renting game, some things can take you by surprise. When you finally reach your dream apartment there are a couple of things you need to know before checking into an apartment. So instead of rattling off professional movers, storage services and unpacking services, we’re going to get down to the nitty-gritty. After all, most international relocation services often have a wide range of services, and there are already so many step-by-step guides out there.

Here’s the checklist you didn’t know you needed for when you’re moving in Singapore to help you get ahead of the packing process:

• Inspect the bedroom linen
• Discover the shopping district
• Water pressure and Wi-Fi strength
• Complete a thorough check-in
• Take a look at the electricity
• Sort out the paperwork

Residential moves are often less of a hassle than office moves. Still, it all can become a little overwhelming if you don’t know what to look out for.

(Psst, if you’re relocating your pet, here’s how.)

“What do I look out for in my new apartment?”

“How do I know what to check?”

Take a deep breath. We’ve got you on this. Here’s our checklist guide on exactly what to check once you’ve reached your new spanking apartment!

Inspect the bedroom linen 

First and foremost, it’s important to check that all of the linen for your bed is clean. It’s a common pet peeve and a rather basic expectation, not to mention one of the most essential items in any serviced apartment. It is something you lay on every night, after all.

There’s nothing worse than moving into a new place with dirty bed sheets, blankets, or even towels. Most people are quite touchy about how ‘clean’ sheets can truly be. Actually, many people even take their own linen when they move into a new place.

Choose a serviced apartment provider that always has clean sheets and bedroom linen ready for you. With weekly housekeeping services, you’d want to make sure that your sheets are always fresh and clean!

Discover the shopping district

When you are looking through the variety of serviced apartments and Singapore condo rentals, always check on the local shopping district. It’s important to have a great grocery store and other shops and businesses nearby. If you’re lucky enough, you get to live near a heartland mall, one of the most underrated hidden gems in Singapore.

For instance, it’s a good idea to have a comprehensive fitness centre and even an MRT station close to your place. If you have a shopping district within walking distance from your home, it’s a real game changer!

When some people are renting their first apartment they can forget to check out the neighbourhood. Most people check this off their list prior to booking the apartment but you would want to physically do a walkthrough of these conveniences. It’s one thing to do your research on paper and another to actually experience it first-hand.

Some serviced apartment platforms list the nearby transportation and shopping options on each listing. Here’s an example of what you can expect.

https://www.metroresidences.com/sg/serviced-apartments/jurong-east/3863

Water pressure and Wi-Fi strength

These two utilities may not be the most glamorous but they are close to being the most important. Checking the water pressure in your place is the first step to making sure your home is comfortable and worry-free. Without good water pressure, washing the dishes and having a shower will be a hassle and something you won’t look forward to.

Additionally, check that the Wi-Fi connection is working well. Look for ‘dead spots’ in your apartment. If your apartment only has one router, you might want to check the signal strength in each room. Consider getting Wi-Fi extenders.

If you do both of these things as soon as you move in you can always bring it up with your landlord or property manager and get everything fixed as soon as possible. 

Do you want all of these things taken care for you? Pick the right serviced apartment provider. Here’s an example; this apartment in the link below is designed to ensure optimal Wi-Fi flow throughout the unit. 

https://www.metroresidences.com/sg/serviced-apartments/redhill/2291

Complete a thorough check-in

It can be easy in all of the excitement to overlook any of the issues in an apartment. This is why it’s essential to complete a thorough check-in of the entire home. Don’t just take a brief look at your bedroom; explore the kitchen, bathroom, and common areas.

If you were promised a fully equipped kitchen, make sure that there are enough pots, pans, utensils, and cutlery for a fully stocked kitchen. Is everything clean and tidy? If there’s a smelly oven make sure you request the place to be professionally cleaned.

At the end of the day, there should be no weird smell in your new place, period. That’s why it’s important to check all of the appliances so that you can enjoy a clean microwave, oven, fridge, and kettle. The last thing you want is to trek all the way to the supermarket for all the different cleaning products you need.

On top of this, make sure nothing is broken. At times in share homes or apartment rentals in Singapore, things may be broken. So don’t forget to check the kitchen storage cabinets too! (Yes! All of the kitchen storage cabinets.)

It’s up to you to take responsibility and make any cleaning or maintenance requests are soon as you check-in. These are the bare minimum standards that any guest should be able to enjoy.

Take a look at the electricity

There’s nothing more upsetting than settling into a new home only to discover that nothing works! Before you sign and commit to the apartment complete a thorough check of all of the power sockets and appliances.

An easy way to do this is to plug in your phone charger to each socket in the apartment to ensure that they are all working fine.

Next, go through the kitchen to make sure that you have a working refrigerator, freezer, toaster, oven, and microwave. This is the best way to relax in your apartment and enjoy some peace of mind.

There’s nothing worse than finding out your microwave doesn’t work after trying to heat up dinner for over an hour!

Sort out the paperwork

This next part is a little boring but it’s important that you get it done. Try and get all of the paperwork completed as soon as possible. For instance, make sure the security deposit and rental agreement are finalised and everyone is on the same page. On top of this, it’s also important to get all of the contracts and financial discussions out of the way early on.

If you want a stress-free and streamlined experience, then check out MetroResidences. We remove the usual hassles of payment and to make your move into a new country as easy as pie. 

Overall, it can be difficult and challenging when you first move into a brand new apartment. There are so many different things to remember to check, that it’s almost impossible to remember them all! 

Just keep in mind that everyone goes through the exact same process. The most important thing is to do your best to be prepared and aware of what to keep an eye out for. Reading this article that’s a good start! Maybe you can even write your own list of the most important points to remember for when you check-in. 

If you’d like to avoid all of the pitfalls and risks of moving into a share house or apartment, choose a name you can trust. MetroResidences’ custom selection of apartments is modern, spotless, and well-organised. 

When you rent a serviced apartment in Singapore through MetroResidences you know that you will enjoy high-quality accommodation from a company that keeps you at the heart of everything. 

 Find your dream place today!