scope out your neighbors... and make a list of things that you find are wrong with it before you sign your lease, that way they don't try and screw you when you get ready to leave...

On a similar note to scoping out the neighbors, take a trip by the property at night before you sign anything. A lot of the time just seeing a place during the day doesn't give you a sense of what the neighborhood and neighbors are actually like.

There's too much good music out there. I'll never get to know all of it. And it is a problem .

Exciting! Are you moving out for the first time?

Mold (especially in the washroom, on pipes, or anywhere there is water). BUGS, any bug but especially bedbugs, ants, and cockroaches. Mice/other vermin (poop is a good sign of their presence... I see Jans beat me to that one). Look at the walls for cracks, chipped drywall or plaster (the landlord is usually responsible for that kind of thing). Check for smoke detectors and see if they work (if you can). See if appliances are gas hookup. If so, make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector just in case (you'd probably have to get this yourself. They're cheap and available at any department or hardware store).

Look at the building - is it generally well kempt? Are common areas like the lobby and elevators/stairwells (if any) clean? Do the grounds look like they are maintained? You don't have to inspect every detail of the building but it can give you a decent indication of the management/superintendent or landlord's operation/upkeep of the building. If it's a multi-storey apartment building, just glance down the hall to see if exits are marked and if stairwells are easily accessible in case of fire or some other time you can't use the elevators.

Oof, sounds like I'm scaremongering a bit here. But some of it is advice that I wish I'd gotten when I moved out for the first time.

Thanks for all the tips guys, very helpful! And yeah this is the first time I am so buzzing.

may or may not be sobbing because of Marc Bolan.

may or may not.

Looks like you´ve got plenty of good advice already, so there isn´t much to add. Go with someone else if you can, because four eyes are better than two, and take your time - don´t let the agent rush you around. The plumbing and the droppings are good advice, also enquire about the heating system (if any). The biggest flat-rental prob I ever had was about sound transmission from within the building ; don´t be afraid to give an appraising thump to any wall or floor that you´d be sharing with a neighbour.

The real big deciders, though, are: How much is it? Is this the part of town I want to be in? Do I have the time or energy to find a better place?

Whatever happens, good luck tomorrow!

The dismantler at work handed his notice in today. Shame as he knows his sh*t.

Now I have to chuck an ad in the jobs vacant section and prepare for the influx of clueless pillocks who will apply

In line at Whole Foods, dude in front of me is total dickwad to the cashier.

It's my turn, cashier starts ringing my groceries. I say "man, what a fucking charmer" nodding in the general direction of the dickwad dude.

Cashier starts blushing, says "oh, thanks."

I sense the misunderstanding and say "HAHA OH NO NOT YOU."

Won't be going to that Whole Foods again.

You shouldn't be shopping at Whole Foods period. That corporation is so fucked up. I'm in the process of fighting against them at the moment with a group of union workers.