Moving out of apartment... repair tips?

Lanthis

I need some advice on repairing the place before I head out...

1) The laminated cabinet doors beneath the sink are cracking. They are white laminate. Advice?

2) Nail holes. Probably over 50 from my gay roommate playing Suzy Homemaker. White walls. I hear toothpaste makes a nice Spackle... ???

3) Cleaning Venetian window blinds? I've been living here 4 years, so not only are they pretty dusty/dirty, but 2 of them are also cracked. Cleaning/repair suggestions?

Anything else I should probably look out for, as far as cleaning, before my final walk through? I am praying they don't rape me with charges, but knowing this complex, they will try.

LadyM

Yeah, toothpaste works well for holes in white walls.

If you think the complex is going to keep a big chunk of your deposit because of the blinds, it may be worth your while just to buy new ones. I got a set at Home Depot (or maybe it was Lowe's) when I moved out of my last apartment and they only cost $10 a set. Assuming they had generic plastic blinds and not fancy ones made out of wood or something.

Zifnab

Cleaning blinds is tedious, but not necessarily hard. Just get some Pine Sol or something, dilute it in water, put a rag on your finger, and run it across each slat. As for the cracking, how major/noticeable is it? You might be able to get away with it and the cabinets as "wear and tear" as long as you didn't do anything to aggravate the cracking.

Also, find out if they are going to paint after you move out. A lot of places paint between tenants. If they are, you might as well get some spackle and fill in the holes yourself instead of worrying about the toothpaste. It'll work better, be easier, and will be a real repair instead of just putting some shit in a hole. I can't imagine them then charging you for walls you filled the holes in, but you can always call them and ask.

A lot of places will provide you with some sort of list of what they're going to look at when you move out. See if yours does and if so, make sure you get all of it. Clean the windows and window framing. Clean the inside of the oven (don't just use the clean cycle). A Mr. Clean Magic Eraser will work wonders at getting that vague grimy look off of doorframes, cabinets, walls, etc. Take pictures before you leave so you can challenge any bullshit charges.

Pheezer

If the laminated cabinet doors are cracking through normal wear and age, you probably shouldn't have to pay out of your deposit. It's if you cracked them by kicking them in anger that you'd be on the hook for them.

Lanthis

The cracking... it seems to be from normal wear, from water sometimes splashing over from the sink and standing on the cabinet's doors.

khain

Dependent on what the laminate looks like you can try and fix it with spackle as well. Also for both it and the walls I recommend going to home depot and buying some spackle, its pretty cheap under a couple bucks for a big enough jar to cover everything. On the blinds I'd just clean them, your fucked since their cracked, but its not worth it to buy new ones, thought you might be able to buy individual plate things.

Star

If you head to your local (and everybodies favorite place) Wal-Mart they sell nail hole repair spackle in a squeeze out tube with a sponge on the end - it worked well for us. Same with blinds, take your old ones with you and match up the size at our Wal-Mart at least blinds were under $5. They probably wont go after you for the cabnets wear and tear unless you seem uneasy and worried about the walkthrough - don't point things out. Let them ask the questions. I've also noticed that it will help your cause if you have working lightbulbs in everything. Assuming you did when you moved in.

Goodluck! They don't like giving those deposits back!

Szechuanosaurus

Hell, if the cabinet doors are of a cheap, generic fashion you could just go and buy new ones (probably from Ikea or someplace). Kitchen cabinets are usually of a standard size and fitting these days, so they are easy to swap out without having to refit the entire cabinet.

But of course, it depends how much your deposit was. If the landlords are total jackasses, then they'll find some way to avoid giving it back anyway. When you rent an apartment, you might as well assume the deposit is gone from day one and then it's a pleasant surprise if the landlord hands you a cheque when you leave.