Start with photos the day you get the keys
Before the first box comes off the truck, walk every room with your phone and photograph the walls, floors, blinds, appliances, and yard. Get close on anything already worn: scuffs, nail holes, stains, chipped paint, sticky doors. Save the photos somewhere they keep their dates, and do the same walk again on move-out day. That pair of photo sets is your best protection if a charge shows up later for damage that was there when you arrived.
Read your move-in condition report like it matters — it does
Most move-out charges trace back to the condition report signed at move-in. If something is marked "good" that is not good, write the real condition in, initial it, and keep your copy. It takes ten minutes on a chaotic day, and it is much easier than arguing about a carpet stain months or years later with nothing but your word against a checklist.
Fix the small stuff before the final inspection, not after
The charges that surprise families are rarely big damage. They are the small, fixable things: nail holes and drywall dings from pictures and TVs, paint scuffs in hallways, broken or missing blinds, burned-out bulbs, loose door hardware, and curtain rods left behind or taken down badly. Group them into one list and get them handled in a single visit, well before your inspection date — a punch list is cheaper and calmer than a damage bill.
Book repairs two to three weeks out, not two days
PCS season stacks every mover, cleaner, and repair pro in the Hinesville area into the same few weeks. If your orders are in hand, schedule the repair walk-through early and put the work on the calendar before the packers arrive. Leave the last days for cleaning and the final walk-through, not for finding someone who can patch drywall on a Sunday.
Moving in: put the installs on one list too
The same thinking works in reverse at the new house. TV mounting, curtain rods, shelves, ceiling fans, and camera or doorbell installs are all easier — and easier to price — as one grouped request with photos and room notes than as five separate calls across your first month. Send measurements and wall types when you have them; it helps your pro bring the right hardware the first time.
Keep every receipt until the account is settled
Save invoices, photos, and messages for every repair until your move-out balance is final and closed. If a charge does land that you believe is wrong, a dated photo and a paid repair invoice answer it better than any phone call. When you book through Coastal Repair Squad, the job record, before-and-after photos, and payment all stay in one place — and the price is agreed before the work starts, so there are no surprise numbers at the door.
