Moving out has kept me real busy. In the process I’ve learned the hard way how I could have avoided spending more than I should cleaning to make sure I’m not fined any moving out fees because of holes in walls, paint gone, dirty carpet, the state of the kitchen and bathroom found in and other little nuances.

I’ll provide you with my tips on how to make your life easier the next time you move in, so by the time you move out, you won’t need to worry about getting charged ridiculous fines as well as making it easier to move out.

Keeping the walls without holes, scratches, and ugly smudges

Your apartment manager can charge you hefty fees per scratches on the wall. Up to $25 each. Even if your scratches are 2 inches long.

So how do I avoid these fees? First of all, avoid having any furniture touching or near walls (yes, even pillows they stained my walls and no, they weren’t dirty). Anyone pushing these objects against the walls will cause minor scratches or smudges that with over time can become a great fine.

Planning to have parties? Expect people to be pushing and shoving things around, you’ll notice the scratches in the morning. Simply move out your furniture from your party area. That should help out.

Also, make sure the paint isn’t cheap doesn’t rub off the wall when using a sponge or cloth. I tried it and saw the wall paint disappear. You’ll have to ask your apartment manager or maintenance to find the best way to take smudges off walls.

What did I do when I realized our apartment walls were all beat up? I simply bought a pan ($1) and two paint brushes (2x$1)and asked maintenance for paint ($0). (Depending on your apartment complex they can provide it for free or charge you a smaller fee than the actual fine.) I then started retouching the walls myself. Took me a good while!

Make sure the carpet doesn’t bite you on the move out

I think I might start taking off my shoes when I walk into my new apartment. Why? Our cheap carpet seemed love dirt and would easily stain. Your manager can charge you anywhere from $100, to $1,000 to remove the carpet based on severity. Ouch!

I was faced with mysterious stains in the carpet (even one that looked like the Pepsi Logo). So I ended up buying an Oxy Carpet Cleaner ($3) and it worked quite well. Simply had to spray, wait to dry, and go over with damp cloth. Simply make sure the cleaner doesn’t change the carpet’s color. Also change cloths often, you could find yourself spreading the stains once your cloth gets dirty. Also vacuuming before and after help tremendously.