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José wants to head back home to Colombia. Abby is going to move in with her partner. Ravi got headhunted to work in Silicon Valley. Whatever the scenario, your share house is breaking up.
Once the tears have dried, and the consoling bottles have been stashed in the recycling, it’s time to consider just how you’re going to move out of your shared digs.
Before you enter the world of houses for rent, here are some of the more practical things you’ll need to consider (apart from setting the date for the break-up party).
The game plan
Everything depends on the terms of your lease – if you still have a lot of time left on a watertight lease, it probably makes more financial sense to get a new housemate. Ask around to see if anyone you know might be looking for a place, or put an ad up on a flatmate-finder website. (Then block out the next eight Saturdays to interview the short-list of potentials.)
If you don’t have a long lease and decide to move out and find somewhere new, let your property manager know right away. Check to see how much notice you need to give, then start working on your moving out plan. That should include finding cheap moving boxes, getting quotes from moving companies and creating a moving out checklist.
Moving out checklist
Next, consider what bills there are to pay when you move out. Split all outstanding bills including internet, electricity, gas and water. If you haven’t yet reached the end of your billing period, use a previous bill as a reference and divide the total by the number of days billed then multiply this number by the number of outstanding days. Stick to the rules of splitting bills to ensure no one winds up parting ways angry over a dollar!
Who owns what?
If you’ve lived in a place for long enough, it’s easy enough to forget that the fridge actually isn’t yours. Nor is the cat. Check what major household items belong to whom and what the person who is leaving wants to do with them. If the departee is heading overseas or into a furnished place, it will be far cheaper and easier for the remaining housemates to buy the items at an agreed cost.
End of lease cleaning
Whether everyone decides to move out or it’s just one person, change is a great excuse to do a house cleaning. Create a house cleaning checklist, then divide up the jobs to keep it fair. Ensure the room that is being left empty is spotless for the next inhabitant. Or, if you’ve got money to spare, consider hiring domestic cleaners.
Ask how we can help
If you’re moving into a new home and need to connect electricity and gas or just want to check you’re on the best deal, we can help you find the right plan for your new home.
