Renting a new apartment? Don’t move in just yet. If you can afford to wait for a couple of days, visit the apartment after the old tenant has moved out and do a few things to prepare the place.

1. Clean the whole place again. Even if it looks clean, spray everything with disinfectant and clean with paper towels or disposable cloths. Not only will this leave a better scent in the place, but you’re guaranteeing that it’s really clean, rather than just dusted. Before you leave, put a couple of room deodorizers around the apartment. When you come back, the place will smell fresh and clean.
2. Replace the toilet seat. Just because.
3. Give the freezer a quick cleaning and then place a fridge deodorizer inside. Or just place an open box of baking soda inside. This will absorb all odors that might be lingering and give you a clean start.
4. Place a few roach traps around the apartment. Chances are there won’t be any bugs around, but if there are, you can get rid of them before you even move in.
5. Plug in the fridge and buy a bottle of Coca Cola or beer and place it inside. Add a bag of chips or some cookies. After all the work of moving in, you’ll be happy to find something waiting for you in the fridge!

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Real estate is going through a tough time and selling a home may not be as easy as it was once was. If you can’t seem to find a buyer and you can’t afford to keep waiting, there are things you can do to reduce losses. One example is to rent the house on a short-term basis. If the furniture is still inside and the house is ready to be used, you could rent it week by week to business travelers or people vacationing in your city. With the prices of hotels as high as ever and people struggling financially, home renting is a popular alternative, as it allows families to shop at local markets (rather than spend lots of money at local restaurants) and to save money on multiple hotel rooms.

If selling is urgent, you can always lower the price. Look to what other houses in the area are selling for and try to match their prices. Or offer things others don’t, like leaving furnishings or major appliances behind as part of the deal.

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